The Länder: How they Became what they are

There were Lander before the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) came into being. The second chapter provides an overview of the creation of the Lander, and their contribution to the founding of the two German states in 1949, as well as to the drafting and adoption of the Basic Law and the Constitution of the German Democratic Republic, respectively. It also presents: the creation of the Land of Baden-Wurttemberg, the accession of the Saarland to the Federal Republic of Germany, the failed merger of Berlin and Brandenburg, and the accession of the five new Lander to the scope of the Basic Law. Finally, socio-economic and cultural differences between the Lander are examined.