bundesland

sachsen-anhalt

Sachsen-Anhalt is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation.  It was in Wittenberg in 1517 that the monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the cathedral. 

Although the history of Sachsen-Anhalt is perhaps better known than its present status, it holds quite a bit of importance within eastern Germany.  Sachsen-Anhalt has risen as a leader of industrial production in the former East Germany.  Furthermore, it has a relatively high agricultural production compared to the other eastern states. The federal state was the chemical and coal center for the former East Germany, but reunification decreased the need for the region's natural resources.  Sachsen-Anhalt is certainly on its way to becoming a major center of economic activity in Germany, but like many of the other states in the former East Germany, however, Sachsen-Anhalt lacks a corporate headquarters. 

Besides Wittenberg, other major cities of importance in Sachsen-Anhalt include Halle and Dessau, famous for the architecturally important Bauhaus.  The capital city is Magdeburg.