Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein Slesvig-Holsten (Danish) Sleswig-Holsteen (Low German) Slaswik-Holstiinj (North Frisian)
State
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Coordinates: 54°28′12″N 9°30′50″E / 54.47000°N 9.51389°E / 54.47000; 9.51389
Country	Germany
Capital	Kiel
Government
• Body	Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein
• Minister-President	Daniel Günther (CDU)
• Governing parties	CDU / Greens
• Bundesrat votes	4 (of 69)
• Bundestag seats	28 (of 736)
Area
• Total	15,763.17 km2 (6,086.19 sq mi)
Population  (4 January 2022)[1]
• Total	2,920,850
• Density	190/km2 (480/sq mi)
GDP [2]
• Total	€112.755 billion (2022)
• Per capita	€41,925 (2022)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	DE-SH
Vehicle registration	formerly: S (1945–1947), SH (1947), BS (1948–1956)[3]
NUTS Region	DEF
HDI (2021)	0.921[4] very high · 13th of 16
Website	schleswig-holstein.de

Schleswig-Holstein (pronounced [ˌʃleːsvɪç ˈhɔlʃtaɪn] ^ⓘ; Danish: Slesvig-Holsten [ˌsle̝ːsvi ˈhʌlˌste̝ˀn]; Low German: Sleswig-Holsteen; North Frisian: Slaswik-Holstiinj; English: Sleswick-Holsatia^[5]) is 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; other notable cities are Lübeck and Flensburg. It covers an area of 15,763 km² (6,086 sq mi), making it the 5th smallest German federal state by area (including the city-states). Historically, the name can also refer to a larger region, containing both present-day Schleswig-Holstein and the former South Jutland County (Northern Schleswig; now part of the Region of Southern Denmark) in Denmark.

Between 500 and 1200, Schleswig was an integral part of Denmark, but during the 12th century, Duke Abel of Schlewig came into conflict with his brother King Eric IV. Abel managed to gain autonomy from his brother, making Schleswig an autonomous duchy. Later, Abel had Eric assassinated and seized the throne. Despite this, Schleswig remained an autonomous duchy within the Kingdom, setting the stage for future conflicts. Beginning in 1460, both the Duchy of Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, were ruled together by the Danish king, who acted as the duke of both regions. Holstein being a duchy within the Holy Roman Empire created a situation where the Danish king was sovereign of Denmark but also a duke within the Holy Roman Empire. In the 19th century, fueled by nationalism both Danes and Germans claimed Schleswig-Holstein. The Germans wanted both Schleswig and Holstein to separate from Denmark and join the German Confederation, invoking the Treaty of Ribe stating that the two duchies should stay "Forever Undivided". The Danes on the other hands, furthered the Eider Policy, stating that the natural Danish border was the Eider (river) as first recognised in the Treaty of Heiligen. Therefore the Danes wanted to reintegrate Schleswig with the Kingdom of Denmark and release Holstein to join to the German Confederation. The resulting long-term political and territorial dispute was known as the Schleswig-Holstein Question.

Holstein was entirely German-speaking, while Schleswig was predominantly Danish-speaking until the late 1700 and early 1800s. During this period, a linguistic shift began in southern Schleswig, transitioning from Danish to German. This meant that Schleswig was linguistically divided with a Danish-speaking north and a German-speaking south. In 1848, Denmark tried to formally reintegrate Schleswig into the Kingdom. The German-speaking Schleswig-Holsteiners rebelled, supported by the Kingdom of Prussia, the Austrian Empire and the German Confederation, thus starting the First Schleswig War. Against unbelievable odds, Denmark emerged victorious, managing to politically outmaneuver the German alliance by garnering support from the British Empire, the Russian Empire and the Second French Empire while decisively defeating the Germans at the Battle of Bov, the Battle of Dybbøl (1848), the Battle of Fredericia and the Battle of Isted. However, under pressure from the great powers, led by the Russian Tsar, which had supported Denmark and forced Prussia and Austria out of Denmark and into passivity, the Danes was not permitted to reintegrate Schleswig despite winning the war. The reasoning was that the Russian Tsar wanted to maintain the current European order, leading to the signing of the 1852 London Protocol. This protocol did not offer any solution to the problem but only maintained the status quo. In 1864, Denmark attempted once more to formally reintegrate Schleswig, which was a breach of the 1852 London Protocol. This left Denmark politically isolated and led to the Second Schleswig War, with Prussia and Austria invading once again. Denmark achieved some initial victories in the Battle of Mysunde (1864), and Battle of Sankelmark, but these successes were short-lived. The Austrians defeated the Danes in the Battle for Königshügel and Battle of Vejle. However, it was the Prussians who decided the war by decisively winning the pivotal Battle of Dybbøl and Battle of Als. With the peace treaty, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig to Prussia and Holstein to Austria. The two victors divided the duchies despite their casus belli being the defense of the German-speaking Schleswig-Holsteiners' wish to remain unified. But the division would not stand for long, as war broke out between Prussia and Austria in 1866, called the Austro-Prussian War. Prussia emerged victorious and annexed Holstein in 1867, thus uniting the duchies once more.

Around 50 years later, after The German Empires defeat in World War I, the Allies mandated the return of Schleswig to Denmark, while France advocated for the new border to extend as far south as the Kiel Canal. Denmark lead by Carl T. Zahle and the Social Liberal Party wanted to find a solution to the Schleswig question that would not provoke the Germans and potentially lead to future conflicts, fearing a repetition of the Second Schleswig War. They suggested deciding the matter through plebiscites, leading to the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, which resulted in the return of the Danish-speaking North Schleswig to Denmark.

After World War II, the British and Soviets offered Denmark South Schleswig, in what would be called the Septembernote. In this note, they gave Denmark carte blanche on how to deal with the German-speaking South Schleswigers, whether to integrate them into the Danish state or to forcibly expel them from South Schleswig, as was being done to the Germans in Eastern Europe. Denmark's then Prime Minister, the Liberal Party's Knud Kristensen, enthusiastically accepted the offer of South Schleswig reunification with Denmark. A survey showed that 75% of the Danish population supported the incorporation, 500,000 signatures had been collected in support of it and The Danish South Schleswig Association had sent the government a formal request for incorporation. However, the dominating Social Liberal Party feared that Denmark might again face destructive wars like the two Schleswig Wars once Germany recovered from World War II. Given that the Germans had conquered Denmark in six hours during the German invasion of Denmark (1940), they believed Denmark would not stand a chance in such a scenario. Therefore, they pressured the Prime Minister to call for new elections, where the Liberal Party did not secure enough mandates to form a government. The Social Democrats won the election with a minority government and could not gather enough mandates for the incorporation of South Schleswig. This outcome created an outrage within the danish population and was considered a scandal.

Realizing that the incorporation of South Schleswig was not feasible, the new government proclaimed that the 1920 plebiscites would stand and the borders would remain unchanged, opting instead for cooperation with the Germans—an invitation the now West Germans welcomed with open arms. Instead of perpetuating the generational battle over Schleswig, the two governments cultivated a cooperative relationship that culminated in the Bonn-Copenhagen declarations. These agreements granted special rights to their respective minority populations. Consequently, rather than fighting for the entirety of Schleswig, the two nations agreed to divide it along majority language lines. They also committed to provide financial support to their minorities residing on the opposite side of the border. Both minorities now enjoy their own schools, organizations, newspapers, official recognised languages and a regional party with guaranteed representation. The German Schleswig Party in Denmark and the Danish South Schleswig Voters' Association in Germany.

As for the Social Liberal Party, blamed for the lost opportunity of South Schleswig's reunification with Denmark, would never again see the influence they had prior to this incident and remains a smaller and less influential party to this day.

Today, Schleswig-Holstein's economy is known for its agriculture, such as its Holstein cows. Its position on the Atlantic Ocean makes it a major trade point and shipbuilding site; it is also the location of the Kiel Canal. Its offshore oil wells and wind farms produce significant amounts of energy. Fishing is a major industry, and the basis of its distinctive unique local cuisine. It is a popular tourist destination for Germans and tourists across the globe.