Württemberg-Baden

Württemberg-Baden was a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was created in 1945 by the United States occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden and Württemberg had been split up between the US and French occupation zones. Its capital was Stuttgart. In 1952, Württemberg-Baden merged with Württemberg-Hohenzollern and Baden into the present state of Baden-Württemberg.

This article is about the 1949-1952 state in West Germany. For the state from 1952 onwards, see Baden-Württemberg.
Württemberg-Baden
1945–1952
Flag
Coat of arms

Württemberg-Baden (bright orange) within the US-administered zone of post-war Germany (pale orange).
CapitalStuttgart
Area 
• 
15,700 km2 (6,100 sq mi)
Historical eraPost-World War II
• Established
19 September 1945
23 May 1949
• Disestablished
25 April 1952
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Free People's State of Württemberg
Republic of Baden
Baden-Württemberg

History

Württemberg-Baden consisted of the northern halves of the former states of Württemberg and Baden. The southern border of this part of the US-administered zone was set so that the autobahn connecting Karlsruhe and Munich (today the A8) was completely contained within the American zone. The three major subdivisions of the American zone (Greater Hesse, Bavaria and Württemberg-Baden) were declared on 19 September 1945.[1]

On 24 November 1946, a new constitution was enacted and Württemberg-Baden's first parliament was elected. On 23 May 1949, the state became a founding member of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The three states that merged to form Baden-Württemberg in 1952

A straw poll was held on 24 September 1950 in Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern and Baden regarding a merger of the three states, followed by a public referendum on 16 December 1951. On both occasions, voters in Württemberg-Baden returned a clear majority in favour of a merger. All three states were merged and the modern German state of Baden-Württemberg was founded on 25 April 1952.

Politics

The only minister-president of Württemberg-Baden was Reinhold Maier (DVP, then FDP; 1946–1952). Maier went on to become the first minister-president of Baden-Württemberg upon its formation in 1952.

Württemberg-Baden was subdivided into two administrative districts, known as Landesbezirke. The boundaries for these two districts were taken from two former state sections that comprised Württemberg-Baden. These two districts remain largely unchanged today as the Regierungsbezirke of Stuttgart (Württemberg) and Karlsruhe (Baden) within Baden-Württemberg.

Flag and coat of arms

The flag of Württemberg-Baden, adopted in 1947, was the black-red-gold tricolour flag of Germany which was later also adopted again by the new German states founded in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic.[2]

The coat of arms merges elements from the two predecessor states: the red stripe on a golden field of the coat of arms of Baden and the three deer antlers of the coat of arms of Württemberg.

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See also

References
  1. "Allied Control Council Proclamation No.2" (in German). 19 September 1945.
  2. Flags of the World. "Württemberg-Baden 1947-1952 (Germany)". Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2007-04-18.

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