Upper Palatinate

Upper Palatinate Oberpfalz (German)
Regierungsbezirk
Flag Coat of arms
Map of Bavaria highlighting Upper Palatinate
Coordinates: 49°18′N 12°12′E / 49.3°N 12.2°E / 49.3; 12.2
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Region seat	Regensburg
Government
• District President	Walter Jonas
Area
• Total	9,692.23 km2 (3,742.19 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2022)[1]
• Total	1,133,741
• Density	120/km2 (300/sq mi)
GDP [2]
• Total	€51.234 billion (2021)
Website	regierung.oberpfalz.bayern.de

The Upper Palatinate (German: Oberpfalz, pronounced [ˈoːbɐˌp͡falt͡s] ^ⓘ, Bavarian: Obapfoiz, Owerpfolz) is an administrative district in the east of Bavaria, Germany. It consists of seven districts and 226 municipalities, including three cities.

Geography

The Upper Palatinate is a landscape with low mountains and numerous ponds and lakes in its lowland regions. By contrast with other regions of Germany it is more rural in character and more sparsely settled. It borders (clockwise from the north) on Upper Franconia, the Czech Republic, Lower Bavaria, Upper Bavaria and Middle Franconia.

Notable regions are:

• Stiftland, former estate and territorial lordship of Waldsassen Abbey with the market town of Konnersreuth, Fockenfeld Abbey, the town of Waldsassen and about 150 other villages.
• Upper Palatine Forest with deep valleys and many castles
• Upper Palatine Lake District with the Steinberger See
• Upper Palatine Jura, part of the Franconian Jura
• Steinwald including the Teichelberg and Pechbrunn
• Waldnaab/Wondreb Depression
• Bavarian Forest, together with the Bohemian Forest a large-scale protected area. A rock outcrop west of the summit cross of the Großer Arber (1,455.5 m above sea level (NHN)) is 1,439.6 m, the highest point in Upper Palatinate.
• Kunisch Mountains
• Naab valley
• Vils valley
• Danube valley, western part of the Gäuboden^[3]
• Lower Bavarian Hills
  south of the Danube

History

At the beginning of the

From the mid-13th century, much of the region was controlled by the

After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria, the state was totally reorganised and, in 1808, divided into 15 administrative districts (German: Regierungsbezirke; singular Regierungsbezirk) called Kreise (literally "Circles", singular: Kreis). They were created in the fashion of the French departments, quite even in size and population, and named after their main rivers. In the following years, due to territorial changes (e.g. the loss of Tyrol, the addition of the Palatinate), the number of Kreise in the kingdom was reduced to 8. One of these was the Regenkreis (Regen District). In 1837, king Ludwig I of Bavaria renamed the Kreise after historical territorial names and tribes of the area. This also involved some border changes or territorial swaps. Thus, the district name of Regenkreis was changed to Upper Palatinate.

Districts

Population

Historical Population of Upper Palatinate:

• 1900: 553,841
• 1910: 600,284
• 1939: 694,742
• 1950: 906,822
• 1961: 898,580
• 1970: 963,833
• 1987: 969,868
• 2002: 1,088,929
• 2005: 1,089,543
• 2006: 1,087,939
• 2008: 1,085,216
• 2010: 1,081,206
• 2015: 1,092,339
• 2019: 1,112,102

Economy

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was €47.3 billion in 2018, accounting for 1.4% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,200 or 130% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 103% of the EU average.^[4]

Main sights

Major tourist attractions include the former ducal residences

• 
  Walhalla

  memorial
• 
  Trinity church of Kappl
• 
  Maria-Hilf

See also

• Lower Palatinate

References

External links

• Official website (German)
• Official website of government (German, English, Czech)
• wiki-en.genealogy.net