Editing Saxony-Anhalt

{{Short description|State in Germany}}
{{About|the modern state of Germany|the state between 1945 and 1952|Saxony-Anhalt (1945–1952)}}
{{Redirect|Anhalt}}
{{Distinguish|text = the German states of [[Saxony]] and [[Lower Saxony]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| official_name           = Saxony-Anhalt
| native_name             = <small>{{native name|de|Sachsen-Anhalt}}<br/></small><small>{{native name|nds|Sassen-Anholt}}</small>
| settlement_type         = [[States of Germany|State]]
| image_skyline           = 
| imagesize               = 270px
| image_caption           = 
| image_flag              = Flag_of_Saxony-Anhalt_(state).svg
| flag_size               = 120px
| image_shield            = Wappen Sachsen-Anhalt.svg
| shield_size             = 75px
| anthem                  = {{native name|de|[[Lied für Sachsen-Anhalt]]}}<br />{{smaller|"Song for Saxony-Anhalt"}}
| image_map               = Locator map Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.svg
| mapsize                 = 155px
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|52|00|N|11|42|E|type:adm1st_region:DE|display=it}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Germany]]
| subdivision_type1       = 
| seat_type               = Capital
| seat                    = [[Magdeburg]]
| seat1_type              = Largest city
| seat1                   = Magdeburg
| governing_body          = [[Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt]]
| leader_party            = [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
| leader_title            = [[List of Minister-Presidents of Saxony-Anhalt|Minister-President]]
| leader_name             = [[Reiner Haseloff]]
| leader_title1           = Governing parties
| leader_name1            = {{Polparty|Germany|CDU}} / {{Polparty|Germany|SPD}} / {{Polparty|Germany|FDP}}
| leader_title2           = [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat votes]]
| leader_name2            = 4 (of 69)
| leader_title3           = [[Bundestag|Bundestag seats]]
| leader_name3            = [[Results of the 2021 German federal election#Saxony-Anhalt|18 (of 736)]]
| total_type              = Total
| area_footnotes          = <ref name=area/>
| area_total_km2          = 20451.7
| elevation_m             = 
| population_footnotes    = <ref name=pop/>
| population_total        = {{Population Germany|key=15}}
| population_as_of        = {{Population Germany|key=15|datref=STAND}}
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_urban        = 
| population_metro        = 
| population_demonym      = 
| demographics_type1 = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bruttowertschöpfung {{!}} Statistikportal.de |url=http://www.statistikportal.de/de/vgrdl/ergebnisse-laenderebene/bruttoinlandsprodukt-bruttowertschoepfung |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder {{!}} Gemeinsames Statistikportal |language=de}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = €75.436 billion (2022)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = €34,505 (2022)
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
| registration_plate      = 
| iso_code                = DE-ST
| blank_name_sec2         = [[First level NUTS of the European Union#Germany|NUTS Region]]
| blank_info_sec2         = DEE
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2018)
| blank2_info_sec2        = 0.917<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web |url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab |website=hdi.globaldatalab.org |language=en |access-date=13 September 2018 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br/>{{color|green|very high}} · [[List of German states by Human Development Index|16th of 16]]
| website                 = [https://ea.sachsen-anhalt.de/english-version sachsen-anhalt.de]
}}

'''Saxony-Anhalt''' ({{langx|de|Sachsen-Anhalt}} {{IPA|de|ˌzaksn̩ ˈʔanhalt||De-Sachsen-Anhalt.ogg}}; {{langx|nds|Sassen-Anholt}}) is a [[States of Germany|state]] of [[Germany]], bordering the states of [[Brandenburg]], [[Saxony]], [[Thuringia]] and [[Lower Saxony]]. It covers an area of {{convert|20451.7|km2}}<ref name=area>{{cite web |url=https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/gebiet-und-wahlen/gebiet/tabellen-bodenflaeche |title=Tabellen Bodenfläche |publisher=[[Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt]] |access-date=20 November 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120102005/https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/gebiet-und-wahlen/gebiet/tabellen-bodenflaeche |url-status=live }}</ref>
and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants,<ref name=pop>{{Population Germany|key=15|datref=QUELLE}}</ref> making it the [[List of German states by area|8th-largest state in Germany by area]] and the [[List of German states by population|11th-largest by population]]. Its capital and most populous city is [[Magdeburg]].<ref name=population>{{cite web |url=https://genesis.sachsen-anhalt.de/genesis/online?operation=statistic&levelindex=0&levelid=1738169020367&code=12411#abreadcrumb |title=Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus 2022 |lang=de |date=2023-12-12 |website=genesis.sachsen-anhalt.de |publisher=Federal Office for statistics |access-date=2025-01-30}}</ref>

The state of Saxony-Anhalt was formed in July 1945 after [[World War II]], when the [[Soviet Military Administration in Germany|Soviet army administration]] in [[Allied-occupied Germany]] formed it from the former [[Free State of Prussia|Prussian]] [[Province of Saxony]] and the [[Free State of Anhalt]]. Saxony-Anhalt became part of the [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] in 1949, but was dissolved in 1952 during [[Administrative divisions of East Germany|administrative reforms]] and its territory was divided into the districts of [[Halle (Bezirk)|Halle]] and [[Magdeburg (Bezirk)|Magdeburg]]. Following [[German reunification]], the state of Saxony-Anhalt was re-established in 1990 and became one of the [[New states of Germany|new states]] of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Saxony-Anhalt is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and possesses the highest concentration of [[List of World Heritage Sites in Germany|UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany]].

==Geography==
Saxony-Anhalt is one of 16 [[States of Germany|constituent states]] of Germany. It is located in the western part of eastern Germany. By size, it is the 8th largest state in Germany and by population, it is the 11th largest.

It borders four other states: [[Brandenburg]] to the north-east, [[Saxony]] to the south-east, [[Thuringia]] to the south-west and [[Lower Saxony]] to the north-west.

In the north, the Saxony-Anhalt landscape is dominated by the [[plain|flat expanse]] of the [[North German Plain]]. The old [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] towns [[Salzwedel]], [[Gardelegen]], [[Stendal]] and [[Tangermünde]] are located in the sparsely populated [[Altmark]]. The Colbitz-Letzlingen Heath and the [[Drömling]] near [[Wolfsburg]] mark the transition between the Altmark region and the Elbe-Börde-Heath region with its fertile, sparsely wooded [[Magdeburg Börde]]. Notable towns in the Magdeburg Börde are [[Haldensleben]], [[Oschersleben (Bode)]], [[Wanzleben]], [[Schönebeck (Elbe)]], [[Aschersleben]] and the capital [[Magdeburg]], from which the [[Börde]] derives its name.

The [[Harz mountains]] are located in the south-west, comprising the [[Harz National Park]], the Harz Foreland and [[Mansfeld Land]]. The highest mountain of the Harz (and of [[Northern Germany]]) is [[Brocken]], with an elevation of 1,141 meters (3,735&nbsp;ft). In this area, one can find the towns of [[Halberstadt]], [[Wernigerode]], [[Thale]], [[Eisleben]] and [[Quedlinburg]].

The wine-growing area Saale-Unstrut and the towns of [[Zeitz]], [[Naumburg (Saale)]], [[Weißenfels]] and [[Freyburg (Unstrut)]] are located on the rivers [[Saale]] and [[Unstrut]] in the south of the state.

The metropolitan area of [[Halle (Saale)]] forms an agglomeration with [[Leipzig]] in Saxony. This area is known for its highly developed chemical industry (the ''Chemiedreieck'' – chemical triangle), with major production plants at [[Leuna]], [[Schkopau]] (''Buna-Werke'') and [[Bitterfeld]]. Finally, in the east, [[Dessau-Roßlau]] and [[Wittenberg]] are situated on the Elbe (as is the capital Magdeburg) in the Anhalt-Wittenberg region.

==Administrative subdivisions==<!--This heading linked from Category:Saxony-Anhalt cities, towns and municipalities by former district templates-->
[[File:Aerial view of Magdeburg.jpg|thumb|Aerial view to the city centre of [[Magdeburg]], Saxony-Anhalt's [[capital city]]]]
[[File:Halleuniplatz.JPG|thumb|Saxony-Anhalt's second most populous city, [[Halle (Saale)]], is the seat of the [[Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg|state's largest university]]]]
[[File:Wittenberg - Stadtbach in der Schlossstrasse (Town Stream in the Schlossstrasse) - geo.hlipp.de - 28216.jpg|thumb|[[Wittenberg]] was once one of the most important cities in Germany, especially for its close connection with [[Martin Luther]]]]
{{Further|Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony-Anhalt}}<!-- place here; or Politics section? -->

The capital and largest city of Saxony-Anhalt is [[Magdeburg]]. The second-largest city in the state is [[Halle (Saale)]]. From 1994 to 2003, the state was divided into three regions ({{Lang|de|[[Regierungsbezirk]]e}}), [[Dessau (region)|Dessau]], [[Halle (region)|Halle]] and [[Magdeburg (region)|Magdeburg]] and, below the regional level, 21 [[Districts of Germany|districts]] (''Landkreise''). Since 2004, however, this system has been replaced by 11 rural districts and three urban districts.<ref>[http://st.juris.de/st/LKreisGebNRG_ST_rahmen.htm District reform law] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719051202/http://st.juris.de/st/LKreisGebNRG_ST_rahmen.htm |date=19 July 2011 }} 11 November 2005 {{in lang|de}}</ref>
[[File:LandkreiseSachsenAnhalt2007.png|300px|Map of Saxony-Anhalt showing the current district boundaries.]]

The districts are:
*[[Altmarkkreis Salzwedel]]
*[[Anhalt-Bitterfeld]]
*[[Börde (district)|Börde]]
*[[Burgenlandkreis]]
*[[Harz (district)|Harz]]
*[[Jerichower Land]]
*[[Mansfeld-Südharz]]
*[[Saalekreis]]
*[[Salzlandkreis]]
*[[Stendal (district)|Stendal]]
*[[Wittenberg (district)|Wittenberg]]

The independent cities are:
*[[Dessau-Roßlau]]
*Halle (Saale)
*Magdeburg

===Largest towns===
{{See also|List of cities in Saxony-Anhalt by population}}
The largest towns in Saxony-Anhalt as of 30 June 2022:<ref name=population/>
{{clear|left}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px "
|-
!Rank
!City
!Population
|-
|align=left|1
|align=left|[[Magdeburg]]
|241,517
|-
|align=left|2
|align=left|[[Halle (Saale)|Halle]]
|226,586
|-
|align=left|3
|align=left|[[Dessau-Roßlau]]
|75,938
|-
|align=left|4
|align=left|[[Lutherstadt Wittenberg]]
|45,010
|-
| align="left" |5
| align="left" |[[Weißenfels]]
|38,228
|-
|align=left|6
|align=left|[[Halberstadt]]
|36,676
|-
|align=left|7
|align=left|[[Stendal]]
|37,406
|-
| align="left" |8
| align="left" |[[Bitterfeld-Wolfen]]
|36,552
|-
| align="left" |9
| align="left" |[[Merseburg]]
|33,302
|-
| align="left" |10
| align="left" |[[Wernigerode]]
|32,477
|}

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:KST Dom Magdeburg Jann.jpg|[[Magdeburg]] - [[Capital city]] of Saxony-Anhalt - The [[Magdeburg Cathedral]] is the city's landmark.
File:2012-03 Halle 02 Marktplatz.jpg|[[Halle (Saale)|Halle]] is the second-largest city in Saxony-Anhalt.
File:Dessau marktplatz 01.jpg|Dessau market square
File:WittenbergMittelstr.JPG|Inside the old town of Wittenberg, a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]]
File:Halberstadt Stadt der Kirchen Foto 2005 Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany PICT0042.jpg|Halberstadt with its churches
File:MerseburgDomschloßsaale.JPG|[[Merseburg]] with its castle and cathedral
File:Agnesberg.JPG|Castle in Wernigerode
</gallery>

==History==
{{main|History of Saxony-Anhalt}}
[[File:Coat of arms of Saxony-Anhalt 1947-1952.svg|thumb|upright|Coat of arms of Saxony-Anhalt between 1946 and 1952]]

Saxony-Anhalt is a federal state with a relatively short history, compared to other German federal states. It was formed in 1945 out of former [[Prussia|Prussian territories]] and mainly consists of three distinct historical regions: the area around [[Magdeburg]], the formerly independent [[Free State of Anhalt|Anhalt]] and a southern part which once was part of [[Province of Saxony|Saxony]] but had been annexed by Prussia in the 19th century. This historical origin can still be seen in the coat of arms of the federal state.

In April 1945 the [[US Army]] took control of most of the western and northern area of the future Saxony-Anhalt. The ''U.S. Group Control Council, Germany'' (a precursor of the [[Office of Military Government, United States|OMGUS]]) appointed the first non-Nazi officials in leading positions in the area. [[Erhard Hübener]], put on leave by the Nazis, was reappointed [[Landeshauptmann#Prussia|Landeshauptmann (state governor)]]. By early July the US Army withdrew from the former Prussian [[Province of Saxony]] to make way for the [[Red Army]] to take it as part of the [[Soviet occupation zone]], as agreed by the [[London Protocol (1944)|London Protocol]] in 1944.

On 9 July the Soviet [[Soviet Military Administration in Germany|SVAG]] ordered the merger of the [[Free State of Anhalt]], [[Halle-Merseburg]], the [[Magdeburg (region)|governorate of Magdeburg]] (in its then borders), [[Allstedt]] (before Thuringia) and some [[Free State of Brunswick|Brunswickian]] eastern [[exclave]]s and [[Salient (geography)|salients]] ([[Calvörde]] and the eastern part of the former [[Blankenburg am Harz|Blankenburg]] district<ref>The latter, however, a salient originally not assigned as part of the Soviet zone, was unilaterally handed over by the Britons only on 22 July.</ref>) with the Province of Saxony.<ref name="dessau gedenk">[http://www.gedenkkultur-dessau-rosslau.de/1945-1949/chronik1 "1945–1949"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312064959/http://www.gedenkkultur-dessau-rosslau.de/1945-1949/chronik1 |date=12 March 2012 }}, on: [http://www.gedenkkultur-dessau-rosslau.de ''Gedenkkultur Dessau-Roßlau''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826105028/http://www.gedenkkultur-dessau-rosslau.de/ |date=26 August 2011 }}. Retrieved on 16 August 2011.</ref> The previously Saxon [[Erfurt (region)|Erfurt governorate]] had become a part of [[Thuringia]].

''Anhalt'' takes its name from [[Anhalt Castle]] near [[Harzgerode]]; the origin of the name of the castle remains unknown. Anhalt was once an independent German federal state dating back centuries.

The SVAG appointed Hübener as president of the provincial Saxon administration, a newly created function. The administration was seated in Halle an der Saale, which became the capital, also of later Saxony-Anhalt until 1952. On 3 September 1945 the new administration enacted by Soviet-inspired ordinance the mass expropriations, mostly hitting holders of large real estates, often of noble descent.

On the occasion of the first (and one and only) election in the Soviet zone, allowing parties truly to compete for seats in provincial and state parliaments, on 20 October 1946, the Province of Saxony was renamed as the Province of Saxony-Anhalt (''{{langx|de|Provinz Sachsen-Anhalt}}''), taking the prior merger into account.<ref name="dessau gedenk"/> On 3 December 1946 the members of the new provincial parliament elected Hübener the first [[minister-president]] of Saxony-Anhalt, with the votes of the [[Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)|CDU]] and [[Liberal Democratic Party of Germany|Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD)]]. Thus he became the only [[governor]] in the Soviet zone who was not a member of the communist [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)]], making him an inconvenience for the Soviet forces.

After the official Allied decision to dissolve the [[Free State of Prussia]], which had remained in limbo since the [[Preußenschlag|Prussian coup of 1932]], [[Provinces of Prussia|its former provinces]], in as far as they still existed, achieved statehood; thus the province emerged into the ''State of Saxony-Anhalt'' on 6 October 1947.<ref name="dessau gedenk"/> It became part of the [[German Democratic Republic]] ([[East Germany]]) in 1949. From 1952 on the East German states were dissolved, and Saxony-Anhalt's territory was divided into the East German districts of [[Halle (Bezirk)|Halle]] and [[Magdeburg (Bezirk)|Magdeburg]], except that the territory around [[Torgau]] was assigned to [[Leipzig (Bezirk)|Leipzig]]. In 1990, in the course of [[German reunification]], the districts were reintegrated as a state. The territory around Torgau did not return to the state and joined Saxony. Torgau is now the centre of the [[Nordsachsen]] district (since 2008).

In 2015 the skeletal remains of an [[Karsdorf remains|ancient inhabitant of Karsdorf]] dated from the Early Neolithic (7200 BP) were analysed; he turned out to belong to the [[Haplogroup T-M184|paternal T1a-M70 lineage]] and maternal lineage H1.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marres.education/far-forbears.htm |title=Our Far Forebears |first=E.C.W.L. (Boed) |last=Marres |website=www.marres.education |access-date=1 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912003826/http://www.marres.education/far-forbears.htm |archive-date=12 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe |year=2015 |doi=10.1038/nature14317 |arxiv=1502.02783 |last1=Haak |first1=Wolfgang |last2=Lazaridis |first2=Iosif |last3=Patterson |first3=Nick |last4=Rohland |first4=Nadin |last5=Mallick |first5=Swapan |last6=Llamas |first6=Bastien |last7=Brandt |first7=Guido |last8=Nordenfelt |first8=Susanne |last9=Harney |first9=Eadaoin |last10=Stewardson |first10=Kristin |last11=Fu |first11=Qiaomei |last12=Mittnik |first12=Alissa |last13=Bánffy |first13=Eszter |last14=Economou |first14=Christos |last15=Francken |first15=Michael |last16=Friederich |first16=Susanne |last17=Pena |first17=Rafael Garrido |last18=Hallgren |first18=Fredrik |last19=Khartanovich |first19=Valery |last20=Khokhlov |first20=Aleksandr |last21=Kunst |first21=Michael |last22=Kuznetsov |first22=Pavel |last23=Meller |first23=Harald |last24=Mochalov |first24=Oleg |last25=Moiseyev |first25=Vayacheslav |last26=Nicklisch |first26=Nicole |last27=Pichler |first27=Sandra L. |last28=Risch |first28=Roberto |last29=Rojo Guerra |first29=Manuel A. |last30=Roth |first30=Christina |journal=Nature |volume=522 |issue=7555 |pages=207–211 |pmid=25731166 |pmc=5048219 |bibcode=2015Natur.522..207H |display-authors=1 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{historical populations|13=1990|14=2,873,957|15=1995|16=2,738,928|17=2000|18=2,615,375|19=2005|20=2,469,716|21=2011|22=2,287,040|23=2022|24=2,146,443|footnote=Source:<ref>{{cite web |author=Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt |url=https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/bevoelkerung-erwerbstaetigenrechnung-mikrozensus-evs/bevoelkerung/tabellen-bevoelkerungsstand/#c234712 |title=Bevölkerungsentwicklung seit 1966 |publisher=statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de |language=de |access-date=2020-05-04 |archive-date=6 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406150808/https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/bevoelkerung-erwerbstaetigenrechnung-mikrozensus-evs/bevoelkerung/tabellen-bevoelkerungsstand/#c234712 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Germany: States and Major Cities|url=https://citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/}}</ref>}}Since German reunification, there has been a continuous downward trend in the population of Saxony-Anhalt. This is partly due to outward migration and partly because the death rate exceeds the birth rate. Although the birth rate has been steady since 1994, the [[net reproduction rate]] is only approximately 70%. However, the [[total fertility rate]] reached 1.50 in 2014, the highest value since 1990.

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Saxony-Anhalt – 2018
|left1=religion
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Protestant Church in Germany|EKD Protestants]]|DodgerBlue|11.9}}
{{bar percent|[[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholics]]|DarkOrchid|3.3}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|Non religious]]|SlateGray|82.8}}
{{bar percent|Other religion|LimeGreen|2}}
}}
The region has historically been associated with the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] faith, but under Communist rule, church membership was strongly discouraged and much of the population disassociated itself from any religious body. Saxony-Anhalt contains many sites tied to Martin Luther's life, including [[Lutherstadt Eisleben]] and [[Lutherstadt Wittenberg]].

In 2018, the majority of citizens in Saxony-Anhalt were irreligious and more were leaving the churches than entering them<ref name="sachsen-anhalt-wahl.de">[http://www.sachsen-anhalt-wahl.de/das-land-sachsen-anhalt/religion-in-sachsen-anhalt.htm#more-15] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317152800/http://www.sachsen-anhalt-wahl.de/das-land-sachsen-anhalt/religion-in-sachsen-anhalt.htm#more-15|date=17 March 2012}}</ref> – in fact, Saxony-Anhalt is the most irreligious state in Germany. Of the Saxon-Anhaltish, 15.2% adhered to the major denominations of Christianity (11.9% were members of the [[Protestant Church in Germany]] and 3.3% were [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholics]]),<ref name="ekd">[https://www.ekd.de/ekd_de/ds_doc/Ber_Kirchenmitglieder_2018.pdf Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland – Kirchemitgliederzahlen Stand 31. Dezember 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219200647/https://www.ekd.de/ekd_de/ds_doc/Ber_Kirchenmitglieder_2018.pdf |date=19 February 2020 }} EKD, January 2020</ref> 2% were members of other religions<ref name="sachsen-anhalt-wahl.de"/> (mostly Islam, Judaism, the [[New Apostolic Church]] and [[Mandeism]]). Of the citizens of Saxony-Anhalt, 82.8% were religiously unaffiliated.<ref name="sachsen-anhalt-wahl.de"/><ref name="ekd"/> As of July 2019 there were 1,892 Jehovah's Witnesses (publishers) in Sachsen-Anhalt. Originally their branch office for Germany was in Magdeburg. When World War II ended in 1945, the property in Magdeburg, then part of East Germany, was returned and the branch was reestablished. But on 30 August 1950 Communist police stormed the facilities and arrested the workers, and the Jehovah's Witnesses in the German Democratic Republic (DDR) were banned.

===Foreigners===

The percentage of foreigners in Saxony-Anhalt was 4.9 percent by 31 December 2018, the third lowest among the 16 states of Germany (together with Saxony and Thuringia).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.statistikportal.de/de/bevoelkerung/auslaendische-bevoelkerung |title=Ausländische Bevölkerung |website=statistikportal.de |date=2019-07-17 |language=de |access-date=2020-05-04 |archive-date=22 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022145250/https://www.statistikportal.de/de/bevoelkerung/auslaendische-bevoelkerung |url-status=live }}</ref>

The largest foreign resident groups by 31 December 2022 were:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/bevoelkerung-erwerbstaetigenrechnung-mikrozensus-evs/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstand/ |title=1/3 der Ausländerinnen und Ausländer im Rahmen der EU-Freizügigkeit in Sachsen-Anhalt |website=statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de |date=2020-04-08 |language=de |access-date=2020-05-04 |archive-date=6 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406142019/https://statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/themen/bevoelkerung-erwerbstaetigenrechnung-mikrozensus-evs/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstand/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Nationality || Population (31 December 2022) || Population (31 December 2023)
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}}||34,678 || 33,760
|-
|{{flag|Syria}}||21,240 || 28,805
|-
|{{flag|Poland}}||13,257 || 14,155
|-
|{{flag|Romania}}||8,243 || 10,910
|-
|{{flag|Afghanistan}}||045 || 8,875
|-
|{{flag|India}}||4,720 || 5,925
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}}||4,285 || 5,800
|-
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}||5,085 || 5,000
|-
|{{flag|Russia}}||4,650 || 4,960
|-
|{{flag|Vietnam}}||8,754 || 4,680
|}

==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of Saxony-Anhalt}}

===List of minister presidents===
{{main|List of minister-presidents of Saxony-Anhalt}}

=== Ministry of Finance ===
{{main|Ministry of Finance (Saxony-Anhalt)}}

===Landtag===
{{main|Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt}}

===2021 state election===
{{See also|2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election}}
{{Election results
|image       = [[File:2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election - composition chart.svg]]
|firstround  = Constituency
|secondround = Party list

|party1    = [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
|votes1    = 362333
|sw1       = +4.58
|seats1    = 40
|votes1_2  = 394808
|sw1_2     = +7.37
|seats1_2  = 0
|totseats1 = 40
|sc1       = +10

|party2    = [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
|votes2    = 231875
|sw2       = –1.28
|seats2    = 1
|votes2_2  = 221498
|sw2_2     = –3.45
|seats2_2  = 22
|totseats2 = 23
|sc2       = –2

|party3    = [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (LINKE)
|votes3    = 135419
|sw3       = –5.91
|seats3    = 0
|votes3_2  = 116902
|sw3_2     = –5.33
|seats3_2  = 12
|totseats3 = 12
|sc3       = –4

|party4    = [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
|votes4    = 116453
|sw4       = –3.32
|seats4    = 0
|votes4_2  = 89475
|sw4_2     = –2.22
|seats4_2  = 9
|totseats4 = 9
|sc4       = –2

|party5    = [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
|votes5    = 70725
|sw5       = +1.19
|seats5    = 0
|votes5_2  = 68305
|sw5_2     = +1.56
|seats5_2  = 7
|totseats5 = 7
|sc5       = +7

|party6    = [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (GRÜNE)
|votes6    = 60521
|sw6       = +0.42
|seats6    = 0
|votes6_2  = 63148
|sw6_2     = +0.76
|seats6_2  = 6
|totseats6 = 6
|sc6       = +1

|party7    = [[Free Voters]]
|votes7    = 57536
|sw7       = +3.35
|seats7    = 0
|votes7_2  = 33288
|sw7_2     = +0.97
|seats7_2  = 0
|totseats7 = 0
|sc7       = ±0

|party8    = dieBasis
|votes8    = 7564
|sw8       = New
|seats8    = 0
|votes8_2  = 15621
|sw8_2     = New
|seats8_2  = 0
|totseats8 = 0
|sc8       = ±0

|party9    = [[Human Environment Animal Protection]]
|votes9    = 1056
|sw9       = +0.10
|seats9    = 0
|votes9_2  = 15274
|sw9_2     = –0.04
|seats9_2  = 0
|totseats9 = 0
|sc9       = ±0

|party10    = Garden Party
|votes10    = 3216
|sw10       = +0.08
|seats10    = 0
|votes10_2  = 8577
|sw10_2     = +0.38
|seats10_2  = 0
|totseats10 = 0
|sc10       = ±0

|party11    = [[Die PARTEI]]
|votes11    = 3909
|sw11       = +0.26
|seats11    = 0
|votes11_2  = 7770
|sw11_2     = +0.20
|seats11_2  = 0
|totseats11 = 0
|sc11       = ±0

|party12    = Animal Protection Here!
|votes12    = 0
|sw12       = New
|seats12    = 0
|votes12_2  = 6239
|sw12_2     = New
|seats12_2  = 0
|totseats12 = 0
|sc12       = ±0

|party13    = Animal Protection Alliance
|votes13    = 4517
|sw13       = +0.19
|seats13    = 0
|votes13_2  = 5108
|sw13_2     = –0.56
|seats13_2  = 0
|totseats13 = 0
|sc13       = ±0

|party14    = [[Partei für Gesundheitsforschung|Party for Health Research]]
|color14    = #000000
|votes14    = 0
|sw14       = New
|seats14    = 0
|votes14_2  = 3947
|sw14_2     = New
|seats14_2  = 0
|totseats14 = 0
|sc14       = ±0

|party15    = [[Pirate Party Germany]]
|votes15    = 0
|sw15       = New
|seats15    = 0
|votes15_2  = 3814
|sw15_2     = New
|seats15_2  = 0
|totseats15 = 0
|sc15       = ±0

|party16    = [[National Democratic Party of Germany|National Democratic Party]]
|votes16    = 160
|sw16       = +0.02
|seats16    = 0
|votes16_2  = 2897
|sw16_2     = –1.62
|seats16_2  = 0
|totseats16 = 0
|sc16       = ±0

|party17    = WiR2020
|votes17    = 0
|sw17       = New
|seats17    = 0
|votes17_2  = 1649
|sw17_2     = New
|seats17_2  = 0
|totseats17 = 0
|sc17       = ±0

|party18    = Free Citizens of Central Germany
|votes18    = 2932
|sw18       = –0.16
|seats18    = 0
|votes18_2  = 1603
|sw18_2     = –0.22
|seats18_2  = 0
|totseats18 = 0
|sc18       = ±0

|party19    = [[Party of Humanists|The Humanists]]
|color19    = #110077
|votes19    = 0
|sw19       = New
|seats19    = 0
|votes19_2  = 1409
|sw19_2     = New
|seats19_2  = 0
|totseats19 = 0
|sc19       = ±0

|party20    = [[Ecological Democratic Party]]
|votes20    = 145
|sw20       = New
|seats20    = 0
|votes20_2  = 1062
|sw20_2     = New
|seats20_2  = 0
|totseats20 = 0
|sc20       = ±0

|party21    = Climate List Saxony-Anhalt
|votes21    = 0
|sw21       = New
|seats21    = 0
|votes21_2  = 827
|sw21_2     = New
|seats21_2  = 0
|totseats21 = 0
|sc21       = ±0

|party22    = [[Liberal Conservative Reformers]]
|votes22    = 0
|sw22       = ±0.00
|seats22    = 0
|votes22_2  = 473
|sw22_2     = –0.83
|seats22_2  = 0
|totseats22 = 0
|sc22       = ±0

|party23    = [[Independent politician|Independents]]
|votes23    = 3153
|sw23       = –0.10
|seats23    = 0
|votes23_2  = 0
|sw23_2     = 0
|seats23_2  = 0
|totseats23 = 0
|sc23       = ±0

|validsw     = 
|validsw2    = 
|invalidsw   = 
|invalidsw2  = 
|turnoutsw   = –0.78
|turnoutsw2  = –0.78

|invalid     = 17773
|electorate  = 1788955
|invalid2    = 15593
|electorate2 = 1788955
|source      = [https://wahlergebnisse.sachsen-anhalt.de/wahlen/lt21/erg/kreis/lt.15.ergtab.php State Returning Officer]
}}
{{bar box
| title = Popular vote
| float = 
| titlebar = #ddd
| width = 500px
| barwidth = 400px
| bars =
{{bar percent|CDU|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|37.12}}
{{bar percent|AfD|{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|20.82}}
{{bar percent|LINKE|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|10.99}}
{{bar percent|SPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|8.41}}
{{bar percent|FDP|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|6.42}}
{{bar percent|GRÜNE|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|5.94}}
{{bar percent|FW|{{party color|Free Voters}}|3.13}}
{{bar percent|Other|#777777|7.17}}}}
{{bar box
| title = Landtag seats
| float = 
| titlebar = #ddd
| width = 500px
| barwidth = 400px
| bars =
{{bar percent|CDU|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|41.24}}
{{bar percent|AfD|{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|23.71}}
{{bar percent|LINKE|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|12.37}}
{{bar percent|SPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|9.28}}
{{bar percent|FDP|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|7.22}}
{{bar percent|GRÜNE|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|6.19}}}}

Minister-president [[Reiner Haseloff]] (CDU) retained his position in a coalition with former partner SPD and newly the FDP. Before the election the coalition had consisted of the CDU, SPD and Greens.

==Economy==
{{Update|section|reason=Outdated Data|talk=Outdated economic data needs an update|date=January 2023}}

The [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) of the state was 62.7 billion euros in 2018, which accounts for 1.9% of Germany's total economic output and [[List of German states by GRP|ranks 13th]] among the 16 German states. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,000 euros or 86% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 88% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the second lowest of all German states.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018 |website=Eurostat}}</ref> 

By 2020, the GDP of the state dropped to 62.654 billion euros, shortly after reaching an all-time high of 64.115 billion euros in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany GDP: Sachsen Anhalt {{!}} Economic Indicators {{!}} CEIC |url=https://www.ceicdata.com/en/germany/esa-2010-gdp-by-region/gdp-sachsen-anhalt |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=www.ceicdata.com}}</ref>

===Development===
Saxony-Anhalt was part of the communist German Democratic Republic. After the breakdown of communism and the German reunification in 1990, the collapse of non-competitive former GDR industries temporarily caused severe economic problems. In 2000, Saxony-Anhalt had the highest unemployment rate of all German states, at 20.2%.<ref>{{cite web |author=Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt |url=http://www.statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/Internet/Home/Daten_und_Fakten/1/13/132/13211/Arbeitsmarktdaten_im_Land_Sachsen_Anhalt.html |title=Statistical Office of the State of Saxony-Anhalt (2010) |publisher=Statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de |date=29 January 2014 |access-date=16 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819125542/http://www.statistik.sachsen-anhalt.de/Internet/Home/Daten_und_Fakten/1/13/132/13211/Arbeitsmarktdaten_im_Land_Sachsen_Anhalt.html |archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref>

However, the process of economic transformation towards a modern [[market economy]] seems to be completed. Massive investments in modern infrastructure have taken place since 1990, and the remaining and newly created businesses are highly competitive. For example, the industry has doubled its share of international revenue from 13 percent in 1995 to 26 percent in 2008.<ref>[http://www.halle.ihk.de/webKreator/upload/temp_dokumente/1034285159/Regionalstatistik%202010.pdf Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Halle-Dessau (2010), p. 14]{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has fallen considerably.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ihk-berlin.de/linkableblob/818034/.23./data/Fakten_Arbeitsmarkt-data.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ihk-berlin.de/linkableblob/818034/.23./data/Fakten_Arbeitsmarkt-data.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin (2011), p. 2 |language=de |access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref> By 2010 the GDP of Saxony-Anhalt was almost two and a half times higher than it was in 1991.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fdiatlas.com/area/Europe/Germany/region/Saxony-Anhalt |title=(2010) |publisher=fDi Atlas |access-date=16 August 2014 |archive-date=4 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404155856/http://www.fdiatlas.com/area/Europe/Germany/region/Saxony-Anhalt |url-status=live }}</ref>

Even though part of this recovery was brought on by the positive performance of the German economy, Saxony-Anhalt not only followed the national trend, but clearly outperformed other German states. For example, it outperformed three German states in terms of unemployment (10.8%, as of September 2011): the German capital and [[city-state]] of [[Berlin]] (12.7%), the city-state [[Bremen (state)|Free Hanseatic City of Bremen]] (11.3%) and [[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]] (11%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://m.ihk-berlin.de/linkableblob/818034/.28./data/Fakten_Arbeitsmarkt-data.pdf;jsessionid=DDE8292A29242A352F72A9D35E869F0F.repl1 |title=Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin |page=2 |date=2011 |access-date=16 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201204441/http://m.ihk-berlin.de/linkableblob/818034/.28./data/Fakten_Arbeitsmarkt-data.pdf;jsessionid=DDE8292A29242A352F72A9D35E869F0F.repl1 |archive-date=1 February 2014}}</ref>

The unemployment began to fall under 10% in 2016, and stood at 7.1% in October 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/36651/umfrage/arbeitslosenquote-in-deutschland-nach-bundeslaendern/ |title=Arbeitslosenquote nach Bundesländern in Deutschland 2018 {{!}} Statista |website=Statista |language=de |access-date=13 November 2018 |archive-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627171657/https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/36651/umfrage/arbeitslosenquote-in-deutschland-nach-bundeslaendern/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Year<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online/data;sid=8605C2647C4C92D731CC1EC4BAC5AF53.GO_1_3?operation=ergebnistabelleUmfang&levelindex=3&levelid=1542098063701&downloadname=13211-0007 |title=Federal Statistical Office Germany – GENESIS-Online |last=(Destatis) |first=Statistisches Bundesamt |date=13 November 2018 |website=www-genesis.destatis.de |language=en |access-date=13 November 2018 |archive-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113170119/https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online/data;sid=8605C2647C4C92D731CC1EC4BAC5AF53.GO_1_3?operation=ergebnistabelleUmfang&levelindex=3&levelid=1542098063701&downloadname=13211-0007 |url-status=live }}</ref>
!2000
!2001
!2002
!2003
!2004
!2005
!2006
!2007
!2008
!2009
!2010
!2011
!2012
!2013
!2014
!2015
!2016
!2017
|-
|Unemployment rate in %
|20.2
|19.7
|19.6
|20.5
|20.3
|20.2
|18.3
|15.9
|13.9
|13.6
|12.5
|11.6
|11.5
|11.2
|10.7
|10.2
|9.6
|8.4
|}

===Structure===
*The [[chemical industry]] is quite important, with almost 25,500 employees across 214 plants in 2010.<ref name="fDi Atlas">[http://www.fdiatlas.com/area/Europe/Germany/region/Saxony-Anhalt/sectorstrengths fDi Atlas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404155917/http://www.fdiatlas.com/area/Europe/Germany/region/Saxony-Anhalt/sectorstrengths |date=4 April 2012 }} (2010)</ref> One of the biggest chemical producing areas can be found around the city of [[Bitterfeld-Wolfen]]. Because of the chemical industry, Saxony-Anhalt attracts more [[foreign direct investment]]s than any other state in eastern Germany.
*The state is the location of numerous [[wind farm]]s producing wind-turbine energy.
*Saxony-Anhalt is also famous for its good soil. Hence, the [[food industry]] has an important role with almost 19,500 employees across 190 plants in 2010.<ref name="fDi Atlas"/> Some of the best known products are [[Baumkuchen]] from [[Salzwedel]] and [[Halloren Chocolate Factory|Halloren chocolate globes]] from Germany's oldest chocolate factory in Halle.

===Tourism===
{{See also|List of World Heritage Sites in Germany}}

Saxony-Anhalt has seven [[World Heritage Sites]], the highest number of all states in Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1026842/umfrage/denkmaeler-in-der-unesco-liste-des-welterbes-in-deutschland-nach-bundesland/ |title=Denkmäler in der UNESCO Liste des Welterbes in Deutschland nach Bundesland 2019 |website=Statista |language=de |access-date=2020-05-19 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323140232/https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1026842/umfrage/denkmaeler-in-der-unesco-liste-des-welterbes-in-deutschland-nach-bundesland/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Quedlinburg asv2018-10 img03 Castle.jpg|Collegiate church, castle, and the old town of [[Quedlinburg]]
File:Wittenberg,Luthers Hochzeit.jpg|Luther memorials in [[Wittenberg]]
File:Lutherstadt Eisleben Markt.jpg|Luther memorials in [[Eisleben]]
File:Dessau Bauhaus-Gebäude asv2024-06 img1.jpg|Bauhaus [[Dessau]]
File:WörlitzAmaliengrotte.JPG|[[Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm]]
File:Naumburger Dom 3.jpg|[[Naumburg Cathedral]]
</gallery>

==Education==
[[Image:Blick auf die Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg.JPG|thumb|right|Aerial view of the main campus in Magdeburg]]

Saxony-Anhalt has several universities, including:

*[[Anhalt University of Applied Sciences]]
*[[Harz University of Applied Studies]]
*[[Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences]]
*[[Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg]]
*[[Merseburg University of Applied Sciences]]
*[[Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg]]

==Anthem==
*"[[Lied für Sachsen-Anhalt]]" ("Song for Saxony-Anhalt")
*Motto: "Land of the Early Risers"

==See also==

{{Portal|Germany}}
* [[Duchy of Anhalt]]
*[[Outline of Germany]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[https://ea.sachsen-anhalt.de/english-version Official governmental portal]
*[https://saxony-anhalt-tourism.com/ Official website for tourists]
*[https://www.mein-takt.de/en/timetable/line-network Official Directory]
*{{Osmrelation-inline|62607}}

{{States of the Federal Republic of Germany}}
{{Germany districts Saxony-Anhalt}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Saxony-Anhalt| ]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1990]]
[[Category:States of Germany]]