Baden-Württemberg, a constituent Land of the Federal Republic (see Bundesrepublik Deutschland), founded in 1952 (see Baden and Württemberg). Stuttgart, its capital, is by far the largest city of this culturally flourishing state that borders on France along the Rhine in the west and on Switzerland in the south, with Lake Constance (der Bodensee) in its far corner. Baden, one of Germany's most enlightened principalities (see Karl Friedrich of Baden), was also one of the first to be granted a constitution (in 1818), followed by Württemberg (in 1819), which laid the foundation for its progressive tradition. (See also Karlsbader Beschlüsse, 1819.) Germany's oldest university was founded in Heidelberg (1386), Freiburg and Tübingen, whose university is associated with the Tübinger Stift, followed in the 15th c. The Swabians (see Schwaben) are particularly attached to their region, which shows, for example, in the spirit of solidarity implied in the description Schwäbischer Dichterkreis. Hölderlin died in Tübingen, Mörike was born in Ludwigsburg, and Schiller in Marbach, the seat of the Schiller-Nationalmuseum and the Deutsches Literaturarchiv.




