Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein Slesvig-Holsten (Danish) Sleswig-Holsteen (Low German) Slaswik-Holstiinj (North Frisian)
State
Flag Coat of arms
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 (2018)	0.924[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 Schleswig and 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, whereas the Danes wanted to reintegrate Schleswig with the Kingdom of Denmark while keeping Holstein as an autonomous duchy. 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 Prussia and the German Confederation, thus starting the First Schleswig War. Against the odds, Denmark emerged victorious. However, pressured by the great powers led by the Russian Tsar, Denmark 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. Sadly, this protocol did not offer any solution to the problem but only maintained the status quo. In 1864, Denmark tried again to formally reintegrate Schleswig, which resulted in the Second Schleswig War. This time, Prussia and Austria utterly defeated the Danes and shared the territory between them. The Austrians administered Holstein, while Prussia governed Schleswig. War broke out between them in 1866, called the Austro-Prussian War. Prussia emerged victorious and annexed Holstein in 1867. 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 de:Septembernote Denmark's then Prime Minister, the Liberal Party's Knud Kristensen, enthusiastically accepted the offer. 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 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 chose to proclaim that the 1920 plebiscites would stand and the borders would remain unchanged, opting instead for cooperation with the Germans. Rather than altering the border, the new government chose to support the Danish minority in South Schleswig with financial aid, a support that continues to this day. 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.