History

Schleswig-Holsteinis the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the

historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig. Its capital city is
Kiel and other important cities are Lübeck and Flensburg.

The term "Holstein" derives from Old Saxon, Holseta Land, (Holz and Holt mean wood in modern
Standardised German and in literary English, respectively). Originally, it referred to the central of the
three Saxon tribes north of the River Elbe, Tedmarsgoi, Holstein, and Sturmarii

The term Schleswig comes from the city of Schleswig. The name derives from the Schlei inlet in the
east and vik meaning inlet or settlement in Old Saxon and Old Norse.

Schleswig and Holstein have at different times belonged in part or completely to either Denmark or
Germany, or have been virtually independent of both nations. The exception is that Schleswig had
never been part of Germany until the Second Schleswig War in 1864. For many centuries, the King of
Denmark was both a Danish Duke of Schleswig and a German Duke of Holstein. Essentially, Schleswig
was either integrated into Denmark or was a Danish fief, and Holstein was a German fief and once a
sovereign state long ago.

Geography

Schleswig-Holstein lies on the base of Jutland Peninsula between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Strictly speaking, "Schleswig" refers to the German Southern Schleswig (German: Südschleswig or
Landesteil Schleswig, Danish: Sydslesvig), whereas Northern Schleswig is in Denmark (South Jutland
County). The state of Schleswig-Holstein further consists of Holstein, as well as Lauenburg and the
formerly independent city of Lübeck.

Schleswig-Holstein borders Denmark (Southern Denmark) to the north, the North Sea to the west,
the Baltic Sea to the east, and the German states of Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern to the south.
Religion

The region has been strongly Protestant since the time of the Protestant Reformation. Today,
members of the Evangelical Church in Germany make up 53% of the population, while members of
the Catholic Church comprise 6%.[8] 41% of the population is not religious or adherent of other
religions.

Culture

Schleswig-Holstein combines Scandinavian and German aspects of culture. The castles and manors in
the countryside are the best example for this tradition; some dishes like Rødgrød (German: Rote
Grütze, literal English "red grits" or "red groats") are also shared, as well as surnames such as
Hansen.

The most important festivals are the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, an annual classic music
festival all over the state, and the Lübeck Nordic Film Days, an annual film festival for movies from
Scandinavian countries, held in Lübeck.

The annual Wacken Open Air festival is considered to be the largest heavy metal rock festival in the
world.

The state's most important museum of cultural history is in Gottorf Castle in Schleswig

Languages

Danish, German, Low German and North Frisian are the official languages of the state.[9]

Historically, Low German, Danish (in Schleswig), and Frisian (in Schleswig) were spoken. Low German
is still used in many parts of the state, and a pidgin of Low and standardised German (Missingsch) is
used in most areas

Economy

Schleswig-Holstein is a leader in the country's growing renewable energy industry.[10] In 2014,

Schleswig-Holstein became the first German state to cover 100% of its electric power demand with
renewable energy sources (chiefly wind, solar, and biomass).

Education

Compulsory education starts for children who are six years old on 30 June.[12] All children attend a
"Grundschule", which is Germany's equivalent to primary school, for the first 4 years and then move
on to a secondary school.[12] In Schleswig-Holstein there are "Gemeinschaftsschulen", which is a
new type of comprehensive school.

There are three universities in Kiel, Lübeck and Flensburg.[13] Also, there are four public Universities
of Applied Sciences in Flensburg, Heide, Kiel, and Lübeck.

Politics
Schleswig-Holstein has its own parliament and government which are located in the state capital
Kiel.[14] The Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein is elected by the Landtag of Schleswig-
Holstein.[14]

Lubeck

Kiel