Altbayern

Old Bavaria (often Bavaria ) comprises the three oldest parts of the country the Free State of Bavaria, the earlier components of the Electorate of Bavaria were. At the same time the term is the name for the inhabitants of this area, which are in the cultural tradition of the medieval tribe of the Bavarians. Old Bavaria thus includes the areas of the State in which the Bairische dialect is based.

Demarcation

Old Bavaria largely coincides with the area of the three Bavarian administrative districts of Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate.

Today's administrative boundaries indicate the extent of Old Bavaria but only about again. Since the term primarily focused on linguistic and cultural distinction to the tribes of Franconia and Swabia, smaller parts of the territory in the districts of Swabia, Upper and Central Franconia can be added with some justification to Old Bavaria. For example, is strongly influenced by the culture of Bavarian alpine region of the district of Swabia. Some today for the administrative region of Swabia associated counties and individual communities east of Lech were before the administrative reform in Bavaria in 1972, Upper Bavaria or the then still politically Swabian but bavarian speaking district of Neuburg an der Donau and speak Bavarian dialect ( Aichach- Friedberg, parts of the districts of Donau Ries and Augsburg ); they refer to themselves colloquially today as "forced Swabians" or "must Swabia " because they were largely administrative politically affiliated against the will of the people in Swabia. Also, some districts of the city of Augsburg ( Lechhausen and Hochzoll ) include up today to Altbayern because they belonged until 1913 to the Upper Bavarian district office Friedberg.

On the other hand, not all parts of the territory of today's government districts of Upper and Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate components of the Electorate of Bavaria. From 1329 to 1628, large parts of today's Upper Palatinate were not politically connected to the neighboring Southern Bavarian duchies, but with the Palatinate. Hence it is also the name of Upper Palatinate. Today's Upper Austrian Innviertel however, still belonged to the Peace of Teschen (1779 ) to the Electorate of Bavaria.

City and County of Eichstätt changed only with the local government reform of 1972 by Middle Franconia in Upper Bavaria.

North of Augsburg forms of Lech a distinctive language or dialect transition boundary, while the language transition south of Augsburg is far more fluid. In the Upper Bavarian counties Weilheim- Schongau and Landsberg am Lech is called a Swabian dialect with strong Bavarian strikes ( Lechrainerisch ).

History

The state " Bavaria " since King Ludwig I (1825-1848) "Bavaria" is, because the passion of the king of the ancient Greek culture should also be reflected in the name of his state.

Actually, the term Bavarians would be for the region Bavarians already sufficient identification. As this is, however, acoustically indistinguishable from Bavaria and would also represent writing too much confusion, instead of the term Old Bavaria has established itself. The usual term for the tribe of the indigenous population is " the Bavarians " or " Bavarians ". Science also used these terms.

The other areas that have been added, especially after 1801 State of Bavaria and not part of Old Bavaria, Franconia are the districts of Central, Lower and Upper Franconia and Swabia.

Since both culturally and linguistically differ markedly latter of Old Bavaria and also there are political only in the early 19th century, with confirmation by the Congress of Vienna, the political structure of Bavaria, this separation is drawn primarily in cultural terms. The Franks and the Bavarian Swabia are indeed today "Bayern" ( "y ", ie a national of the Free State of Bavaria), but they are not " Bavaria " ( "i", so do not belong to the tribe of the Bavarians ) and no residents " Old Bavaria ". In Old Bavaria Bavarian is spoken in the East Frankish Franks and in the administrative region of Swabia Swabian dialect one.

In the television program of the Bayerischer Rundfunk regular broadcast exists " from Swabia & Old Bavaria ", a magazine for the entire south of the Free State, which addresses current, cultural and political issues. The counterpart to the Franconian part of Bavaria is the "Franken Show". The programs will be aired regionally separated simultaneously. Such a separation in two regions, there are also some BR- radio programs (eg, the folk music on Bayern 1 or the home mirror on Bayern 2 )

Confessions

Old Bavaria is one of Germany's regions with a relatively high proportion of Catholics. The country is church of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, the dioceses of Passau and Regensburg, and subordinated to a small extent also Eichstätt and Augsburg. In contrast to the Frankish no enhanced mixing of denominations took place until the Second World War here. In the aftermath of World War II, however, attracted increasingly Protestant citizens, mostly displaced persons, in the formerly purely Catholic areas.