Saxony

I

Introduction

Saxony (German Sachsen, officially the Free State of Saxony), state, eastern Germany, bounded on the south-west by Bavaria, on the west by Thuringia, on the north-west by Saxony-Anhalt, on the north-east by Brandenburg, on the east by Poland, and on the south by the Czech Republic. The state has an area of 18,413 sq km (7,109 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Geographically, Saxony can be divided into two distinct regions. The north and western areas are part of the North German Lowland; the land is typically low-lying, flat, or slightly undulating. The south and western parts of the state lie within the Central German Uplands region, and towards the south, the terrain becomes gradually more mountainous. Much of the southern border with the Czech Republic is formed by mountain ranges, including the Erzgebirge, the Elstergebirge, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The Erzgebirge Range extends from Bavaria to the River Elbe; the range is about 130 km (80 mi) long and 40 km (25 mi) wide and includes Fichteberg, the highest elevation in the state, with an altitude of 1,214 m (3,983 ft) above sea level. Important waterways include the Elbe, which crosses the state from south-east to north-west, the Spree, which flows from south to north in eastern Saxony, and the Neisse, which forms part of the state’s eastern boundary with Poland. To the south-east of Dresden is Saxon Switzerland National Park, which covers an area of around 36,000 hectares (88,960 acres); the natural landscape features in the park include sandstone mountains, gorges, valleys, and dense pine, spruce, and beech forests. Forests and woodland cover around a quarter of the total land area of Saxony, of which around 70 per cent is protected under special conservation initiatives.

III

Population

The population of Saxony is 4,321,000. Dresden is the state capital and had around 487,400 inhabitants in 2005; other important cities include Chemnitz (population, 2005 estimate, 248,400), Freiberg (2005 estimate, 43,700), Görlitz (2005 estimate, 58,200), Leipzig (2005 estimate, 498,500), Plauen (2005 estimate, 69,400), and Zwickau (2005 estimate, 98,700). The average population density is 235 persons per sq km (609 persons per sq mi), making it one of the most densely populated states in Germany. The population is particularly concentrated in the foothills of the Erzgebirge and throughout the valley of the Elbe and, with the exception of Leipzig, all the major cities are located in the south of the state.

In the east of the state is the southern part of the historical region of Lusatia. A significant linguistic minority of Sorbs (also spelled Serbs), descendants of a Slavic people called the Wends by the Germans in medieval times, lives in the region and speaks Lower and Upper Sorbian, also called “Wendish”, a West Slavic language similar to Polish and Czech.

IV

Education and Culture

The University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Universities are also located in Chemnitz, Dresden, and Freiburg. The state has an ancient and well-developed education system—Germany’s first statewide system of gymnasiums (classical high schools) was established in Saxony in 1528 based on the plans of Protestant reformer Melanchthon.

Saxony is rich in literary and cultural associations. Famous writers, poets, and artists born in Saxony include Novalis, Erich Kästner, Stefan Heym, Karl May, and Georg Baselitz. Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Leipzig between 1723 and 1750, where he was musical director at the Thomasschule. The city of Dresden is famous for its fine examples of architectural style, including the Baroque pavilions of the Zwinger Palace, built between 1709 and 1732, and the Italian Renaissance-inspired Semper Opera House (1878). Two sites in Saxony were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In the north-east of the state, straddling the Neisse River and extending across the Polish border into Lubuskie Province is Muskauer Park, a landscaped park designed by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau between 1815 and 1844. The second site—an 18-km (11-mi) stretch of land in the Dresden Elbe Valley—was awarded the designation for its 18th- and 19th-century cultural landscape, including the palaces of Übigau and Pillnitz and the monuments and landmarks of Dresden city centre.