Bavarians

ETHNONYMS: none

Orientation

Identification. The Free State (Freistaat) of Bavaria, the largest state in Germany, is divided into seven regions. Upper and Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate form "Old Bavaria," the original homeland of the Bavarian tribes and the core area of the Grand Duchy of Bavaria. Upper, Middle, and Lower Franconia and Swabia became part of the state after 1803.

Location. Bavaria is bounded to the northwest by the German state of Hesse, due north by the territory that was the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), to the east by the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic and Austria, to the south by Austria, and to the west by the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Its location is 47°16′ by 50°34′ N and 8°58′ by 13°50′ E. The landscape consists of plateaus and moderately sized northern mountain ranges, the alpine foothills (Alpenvorland), and the Alps to the south, culminating in the Zugspitze at 2,963 meters. One-third of the state is Forested. The continental climate is generally severe, except for the Main and Danube basins. Average temperatures range from a high of 18° C in July to a low of —2° C in January, while extremes are common (32° C in the summer to —18° C in winter). Spring begins in April, and Bavaria has relatively long periods of frost (from 90 to 150 days, depending on proximity to the Alps). Mountain areas experience cool, wet summers and more precipitation in general, with an annual average in excess of 178 centimeters.

Demography. In 1986, the population of Bavaria was 11,026,490, with 85 percent living in communities of 2,500 or more. In 1900 61.7 percent of the population lived in Villages of less than 2,000 inhabitants.

linguistic Affiliation. High German is the official Language of the state. The North or Middle version of the Bavarian dialect is spoken as well, while South Bavarian is spoken in the South Tirol of Italy. Local variations are common: often, the dialect spoken in one village may be difficult to understand in a neighboring village. The nearest related dialects are Franconian and Swabian, spoken by the Franks and Swabians in Bavaria and neighboring German states.

History and Cultural Relations

Bavaria has been populated by Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons, and a number of Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples including the Bandkeramik, Urnfield, Hallstatt, and the Celtic La Tène cultures, the last group being defeated by the Romans in 15 b.c. After the fall of Rome, Bavaria was settled by the Alemanni, the Franks, the Thuringians, and the Baiuvarii, or Bavarians, who settled in the south between a.d. 500 and 800. Bavaria was converted to Christianity in the seventh and eighth centuries, and it was ruled by the Agilofings and then the Franks until Duke Otto of Wittelsbach received the Territory from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in 1180. The Wittelsbach family ruled until 1918. After centuries of political upheaval, Bavaria was united in 1500, with Munich as its capital. During the Protestant Reformation Bavaria chose Roman Catholicism. By 1638, the end of the Thirty Years' War, the invasion of Swedish and French troops and widespread outbreaks of the bubonic plague had devastated Bavaria. Bavaria sided with Napoleon in 1800, secularized church lands, and annexed Franconia and Swabia in 1803, becoming a kingdom on 1 January 1806. Shortly thereafter, the government established its first constitution, consolidated political power, and instituted much-needed reforms. Munich became a major European cultural center, attaining a population of 600,000 by 1910. The Wittelsbach rulers were generally popular with their subjects; the most Unusual, "Mad" King Ludwig II, was deposed in 1886 in part Because he almost bankrupted the state to construct several palaces, now popular tourist attractions. Bavaria reluctantly joined the German Empire in 1871, but it managed to retain its own railway and postal services. After World War I, a short-lived socialist revolution was followed by a growing trend toward fascism. Bavaria was occupied by the United States after World War II, drew up a new constitution on 2 December 1946, and officially became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1948.

Originally settled by Bavarians, Franks, and Swabians, more than 2,000,000 East European refugees fled to Bavaria after World War II, increasing the population by 28 percent. Foreign workers migrated to Bavaria during the postwar period of economic expansion, 318,936 of whom (28 percent Turks and 24 percent Yugoslavs) still resided in Bavaria in 1977. While the East European refugees were eventually assimilated, foreign workers seldom were. One recent development has been the formation and success of the neofascist Republican party, an aggressive opponent of foreign workers.

Settlements

Agricultural settlements include isolated scattered farmsteads (Einöden ), small clusters of farms (Weiler), and small or larger villages, usually with a church. Barns, dairies, and outbuildings can be found in the center of these rural villages, competing for space with shops and gas stations. "Urban" places, including chartered towns (Städte ) or markets (Märfete), are often quite small and sometimes retain a medieval flavor, with fortified walls, castles, stuccoed merchant houses, and elaborate churches. The traditional Bavarian farmhouse is a long, rectangular, stuccoed building combining two-storied living quarters with a barn. External features include intricately carved wooden balconies ablaze with geraniums in the summer, colorfully decorated windows and doors, and whitewashed walls, often with religious murals. Modern housing, in contrast, is functional in design and Usually plain.

Economy

Subsistence and Commercial Activities. Bavaria, traditionally an agrarian society, has become highly industrialized, with only 15 percent of the population involved in agriculture by 1970. Farms of 10 hectares or less (50.8 percent of all farms) are often owned by worker-farmers, who leave the bulk of the farm chores to their wives. Only 3.4 percent of the state's output comes from agriculture and forestry products. The principal crops are wheat and barley; oats, potatoes, rye, and sugar beets are also grown. Crops for animal feed, especially field corn, are especially prevalent in the south, where dairying predominates. Milk and dairy products such as cheeses, yogurt, and "Quark" (similar to yogurt) are Important exports, although a "butter mountain" and surpluses of powdered milk have resulted from Common Market subsidy programs. Bavarians traditionally eat their main meal at noontime, and it consists of meat (usually pork), starch (noodles, potato dumplings), and a vegetable (often salad). Beer, an integral part of Bavarian culture, is the beverage of choice.

Industrial Arts. In 1986, 42.8 percent of Bavarians were employed in mining, manufacturing, construction, and power. Handicrafts remain important, with more than 800,000 individuals employed as artisans in 1976—68,000 more than in 1956.

Trade. Modern shops, specialty stores, artisan workshops, and open-air produce markets cluster around a town square in the downtown area of most of the larger Bavarian towns and villages, and pedestrian zones (Fussgäangerzone ) are prevalent. Tourism produces significant profits, especially in Old Bavaria where Alpine scenery and sports, numerous spas, and popular folk festivals such as Munich's Oktoberfest draw millions of tourists annually.

Division of Labor. Traditionally, artisan wives usually tended the shop in addition to managing the household. Both men and women actively worked on the farm, but the jobs alloted to each were usually defined on the basis of Gender, with men doing heavy work in the fields while women worked closer to the home. Today, women comprise approximately 40 percent of the workforce.

Land Tenure. Except for a small amount of state-owned land, property is privately owned. Since World War II, the Bavarian government has continued a large-scale program of land consolidation, or Flurbereinigung, begun in the nineteenth century, which has facilitated the mechanization of many farming techniques. While the postwar trend has been to expand farm holdings, the average Bavarian farm remains moderately sized and family-run.

Kinship, Marriage, and Family

Kinship. The "traditional" Bavarian farm family was patrilineal, patrilocal, patriarchal, and extended. Bilateral kinship predominates in modern Bavaria, although the wife usually takes the family name of her husband after marriage. Marriage. Prior to 1800, marriage in Bavaria was relatively pragmatic, often occurring as a result of pregnancy. One illegitimate child was tolerated, but repeated illegitimacy was not. Stringent laws controlling marriage were passed in the 1800s in an attempt to control the sudden population explosion, causing a sudden rise in illegitimate births. Gradually, the excess population was absorbed by newly developing industries, and the laws were rescinded. In 1977, 7.4 percent of births were illegitimate, 1.7 percent fewer than in 1960. Marriage has declined significantly since 1900 in spite of population increase, with some fluctuation in response to wars, recessions, and economic recovery. Conversely, divorces have increased sharply from 435, or 1.2 percent of all marriages, in 1900 to 18,352, or 27.5 percent, in 1986. In 1977 the average age for marriage in Bavaria was 25.9 for single males and 23.1 for single females, a rate relatively stable since 1960. Domestic Unit. The basic elements of Bavarian family life revolved around a strong conservatism, a deep faith in the Roman Catholic church, a belief in strict discipline, and the ideal of having many children. The family might include the grandparents, retired and living in separate quarters; the active son, his wife, and their unmarried children; renters or tenants; unmarried male and female servants; and widowed or destitute family members. In postwar Bavaria, elderly parents often live in apartments in their children's home or farm.

Inheritance. Beginning in the fifteenth century the Government passed a series of laws in Old Bavaria requiring unigeniture, which is still common today. Although all heirs have equal claim to the inheritance, only one may own the farm. Conversely, in Franconia, partible inheritance was customary. As a result, by the 1800s, moderate-sized family farms predominated in Old Bavaria, while large landed estates and extremely small, fragmented farmsteads of less than 1 hectare were common in Franconia. In postwar Bavaria it has been difficult to find anyone willing to take over small holdings.

Socialization. Traditional farm discipline was strict and involved corporal punishment. It was common for children aged 6 or 7 to be sent away as servants, in the case of farm families, or as apprentices, in the case of artisan families. Postwar middle-class Bavarian children do not generally do household chores because of the demands of schoolwork. Rather than relying on corporal punishment, modern Bavarian mothers often try to distract small and unruly children. Children are expected to be quiet and tidy when in their own homes; by the age of 13, most free time is spent with peer groups. Bavaria retains a conservative approach to education, with a tripartite system of elementary school, middle school, and "Gymnasium" (college-preparatory high school). School attendance is 100 percent and most children attend elementary school until age 16, then transfer to trade school and begin apprenticeship. Less than 10 percent (162,708) attend one of Bavaria's eleven universities.

Sociopolitical Organization

Germany, a federal republic, is governed by the Federal Parliament at Bonn. States have important rights and a great deal of autonomy. Federal elections occur every three to four years and representatives are elected by the proportional (d'Hondtische ) method in districts determined by population size.

Social Organization. Bavaria has a class structure based on socioeconomic status, similar to most West European nations. Traditionally, rural communes were ruled by the "Honorationen," usually the wealthiest landowning peasant or petty noble, the schoolteacher, and the parish priest. In larger towns and cities the council was composed of the artisan elite, often a patriciate, and control was absolute. In smaller communities, political power was more fluid and diffuse and less absolute. Until 1800, the Catholic church Controlled much land and property, at times up to 50 percent in southern Bavaria, and played a significant role in the power structure.

Political Organization. Bavaria is divided into seven Regions, 71 counties, and 2,051 communes, the smallest of which are combined into 345 administrative unions. The state of Bavaria has an assembly with deputies elected by Direct vote every four years. These deputies, in turn, elect a minister president and a cabinet. A senate consisting of appointed officials from various Bavarian associates completes the state-level political organization. State government has been controlled by the conservative Christian-Social Union (CSU) since 1957 and was headed most notably by the flamboyant Franz Josef Strauss for ten years, until his death on 1 October 1988. Regional, county, and communal political units are similar in organization. Each is headed by an official chosen by direct vote (president, Landrat, and mayor, respectively), each has a general assembly to which representatives are elected (every four years for the region, every six years for county and commune), with assembly size based on population.

Social Control. Formal controls are similar to those that were established in any Western European democracy, and they include a constitutional court, regular courts at the Regional and local level, as well as courts of appeal and a state supreme court. In addition, there are specialized courts for labor, social affairs, finance, and administration. Informally, in all but the largest cities, gossip and an efficient network of "moral guardians," often elderly women, effectively control behavior.

Conflict. Warfare has been common in Bavaria since the Romans fought the La Tène Celts. Important conflicts include battles with the Alemanni, Slavs, and Hungarians; conflicts engendered by eastward colonization; quarrels between various branches of the Wittelsbach family for control; the Peasants' Wars of 1525 and 1706; the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648); the Napoleonic Wars (Bavaria sided with France) ; the Prussian-Austrian War (Bavaria sided with Austria) ; the Franco-German War (this time Bavaria sided with Prussia); World War I; the ill-fated socialist revolution of 1919; and World War II. Since World War II Bavaria, as the rest of West Germany, has been committed to peace, postwar economic development, and rapid industrialization.

Religion and Expressive Culture

Religious Beliefs and Practices. Roman Catholicism (69.9 percent of the Bavarian population in 1970) is the Religion of Old Bavaria, whereas the Evangelical (Lutheran) church (25.7 percent) predominates in Franconia. Both Religions are officially recognized and supported by the state. Bavaria was one of the centers of the Old Catholic movement, a schism resulting from the papacy's stand on infallibility in the 1870s. Religious festivals have always been an integral part of life in Old Bavaria; church dedication, or Kirchweih, was Especially significant. This three-day harvest festival became so economically disruptive that in 1803 all Kirchweih feasts were required by law to be celebrated within the same three-day period, a practice which continues today. Fasching, the Bavarian version of carnival, begins in early January with Numerous costume balls and continues to the day before Ash Wednesday. In addition to the regular church holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost, the patron saints of the markets, artisan groups, and other organizations were also honored. Even today, Bavaria has fourteen official holidays, more than any other German state. Bavarian Catholics tend to be more regular in church attendance than their Protestant neighbors; however, as in many Roman Catholic countries, a serious shortage of priests has resulted in a growing lay ministry.

Arts. Old Bavaria has experienced a renaissance in all aspects of the folk arts. Bavarian folk costumes, or Trachten, are worn increasingly for both formal and informal occasions. The woman's Dirndl, a tight-bodiced, full-skirted outfit worn with a contrasting white blouse and apron, is especially Popular, as are Lederhosen, leather shorts for men. Original folkmusic compositions and traditional tunes are played on traditional instruments such as the Hackbrett, or chimes, the zither, and the folk harp, or sung by soloists or groups. Folk dancing—especially the Schuhplattler, or slapping dance—is also popular, and many communes may have two or more groups devoted to various aspects of folk culture. A lively folk literature consisting of stories and poetry in dialect is regularly featured in local newspapers, books, and television.

Medicine. In addition to their efficient modern medical system Bavarians are interested in herbal medical cures, and herbal teas are available in most local pharmacies. Midwives are common and are trained and licensed by the state.

Death and Afterlife. Bavarians are generally pragmatic about death. They observe the religious death rituals normally found in the Roman Catholic or Protestant liturgy. Death notices are published in the local press by family Members, by appropriate voluntary associations, and by the firm where the deceased was currently or formerly employed. In addition to a sequence of memorials held for the first year of death, the deceased is remembered on All Saints' Day on 4 November when family members gather in the cemeteries, clean and decorate the graves, and participate in a religious service.

Bibliography

Bavaria, Government of. State Agency for Statistics and Data Processing (1978). Gemeindedaten (Communal Data). Rev. ed. 1982. Munich.

Bavaria, Government of. State Agency for Statistics and Data Processing (1978). Statistical Yearbook for Bavaria. Munich.

Bavaria, Government of. State Agency for Statistics and Data Processing (1979). Kreisdated (County Data). Rev. ed. 1983. Munich.

Hubensteiner, Benno (1977). Bayerische Geschichte: Staat und Volk, Kunst und Kuultur. Munich: Suddeutscher Verlag.

Knauer, Ingobert (n.d.). Chronik Westerndorf-St. Peter.

Spindler, Max, ed. (1978). Bayerische Geschichte im 19 und 20. Jahrhundert: 1800-1970. Vol. 1, Staat und Politic. Vol. 2, Innere Entwicklung, Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft, Kirche, geistiges Leben. Munich: C. H. Beck.

PATRICIA R. GIBSON