View source for Lower Bavaria

{{Short description|Administrative region of Bavaria, Germany}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Lower Bavaria
| native_name             = {{native name|de|Niederbayern}}<br>{{native name|bar|Niedabayern}}
| official_name           = 
| settlement_type         = [[Regierungsbezirk]]
| image_flag              = Flag of Lower Bavaria.svg
| flag_size               = 150px
| image_shield            = DEU Niederbayern COA.svg
| image_map               = Locator map RB Niederbayern in Bavaria.svg
| map_caption             = Map of [[Bavaria]] highlighting Lower Bavaria
| coordinates             = {{Wikidatacoord|Q10559|type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = Germany
| subdivision_type1       = [[States of Germany|State]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Bavaria]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| extinct_title           = Disestablished
| extinct_date            = 
| seat_type               = Region seat
| seat                    = [[Landshut]]
| leader_party            = 
| leader_name             = Rainer Haselbeck
| leader_title            = [[Regierungspräsident (Germany)|District President]]
| area_total_km2          = 10329.87
| population_footnotes    = {{#tag:ref| {{Population Germany|key=092|datref=QUELLE}} }}
| population_total        = {{Population Germany|key=092 }}
| population_as_of        = {{#time:j F Y|{{Population Germany|key=092|datref=STAND}} }}
| population_density_km2  = auto
| demographics_type1      = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en |title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat |access-date=18 September 2023 |archive-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227213552/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
| demographics1_title1    = Total
| demographics1_info1     = €52.914 billion (2021)
| website                 = [http://www.regierung.niederbayern.bayern.de regierung.niederbayern.bayern.de]
}}
'''Lower Bavaria''' ({{langx|de|Niederbayern}}, {{IPA|de|ˈniːdɐˌbaɪɐn|pron|De-Niederbayern.ogg}}; {{langx|bar|Niedabayern, Niadabayern, Niedabayan or Niadabayan}}) is one of the seven [[Regierungsbezirk|administrative region]]s of [[Bavaria]], [[Germany]], located in the east of the state. It consists of nine districts and 258 municipalities (including three cities).

== Geography ==
Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions ({{lang|de|Planungsverband}}) – Landshut and Donau-Wald. Recent [[election]] results mark it as the most [[Conservatism|conservative]] part of Germany,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany: CSU and CDU victorious in Bavaria and Hesse – DW – 10/09/2023 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/bavaria-hesse-2023-elections-live-blog/live-67030785 |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref> generally giving huge margins to the [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria|CSU]]. This part of Bavaria includes the [[Bavarian Forest]], a well-known tourist destination in Germany, and the [[Lower Bavarian Upland]].

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
'''''Landkreise''<br>(districts)'''
# [[Deggendorf (district)|Deggendorf]]
# [[Dingolfing-Landau]]
# [[Freyung-Grafenau]]
# [[Kelheim (district)|Kelheim]]
# [[Landshut (district)|Landshut]]
# [[Passau (district)|Passau]]
# [[Regen (district)|Regen]]
# [[Rottal-Inn]]
# [[Straubing-Bogen]]
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
'''''Kreisfreie Städte''<br>(district-free towns)'''
# [[Landshut]]
# [[Passau]]
# [[Straubing]]
{{col-end}}

== Population ==
{{historical populations |cols=2
| align=none |percentages=pagr
| 1900 | 678,192
| 1910 | 724,331
| 1939 | 755,980
| 1950 | 1,041,333
| 1960 | 927,399
| 1970 | 977,166
| 1980 | 998,192
| 1990 | 1,078,110
| 2000 | 1,176,206
| 2005 | 1,196,923
| 2010 | 1,189,701
| 2015 | 1,212,119
| 2019 | 1,244,169
}}

== Economy ==
The gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was €48.5 billion in 2018, accounting for 1.4% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €36,100 or 120% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 100% of the EU average.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018 |website=Eurostat |access-date=2020-03-08 |archive-date=2022-10-09 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Main sights ==
[[Image:2013 Weltenburg 18.jpg|thumb| [[Befreiungshalle]] in [[Kelheim]] with River [[Danube]]]]
Next to the former ducal residences [[Landshut]] and [[Straubing]] and the baroque episcopal city of [[Passau]], the city of Kelheim with the [[Befreiungshalle]] and [[Weltenburg Abbey]] belong to the major tourist attractions. To the scenic attractions belong the River [[Danube]] including the Donaudurchbruch at Weltenburg and the [[Bavarian Forest]] with Mount [[Großer Arber]].

== History ==
The Duchy of Lower Bavaria was created for the first time with the ''First Bavarian [[Partition (politics)|partition]]'' in 1255 under duke [[Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria|Henry]] but there was no exact identity with the current territory. After the reunification in 1340, Bavaria was divided again in 1349, then in 1353 [[Bavaria-Straubing]] and [[Bavaria-Landshut]] were created in Lower Bavaria. In 1505 Bavaria was permanently reunited. For administrative purposes, Bavaria was split into {{langx|de|Rentämter|label=none}} (plural of ''{{ill|Rentamt|bar||de||es|Mayordomía}}''). Lower Bavaria consisted of the Rentamt Landshut and Rentamt Straubing.

Control of Lower Bavaria was one of the issues involved in the [[War of the Bavarian Succession]] in 1778-9.<ref>Swafford, Jan, "Mozart: The Reign of Love", Harpercollins, 2020.</ref>{{rp|244}}

After the founding of the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] following the dissolution of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1805, the state was totally reorganized and, in 1808, divided into 15 administrative districts ({{langx|de|Regierungsbezirke}}, singular ''Regierungsbezirk''), in Bavaria called {{langx|de|Kreise|label=none}} (singular ''Kreis''). They were created in the fashion of the French departements, quite even in size and population, and named after their main rivers. In the following years, due to territorial changes (e. g. loss of [[German Tyrol|Tyrol]] [to [[Italy]] and [[Austria]]], addition of the [[Palatinate (region)|Palatinate]]), the number of districts was reduced to 8. One of these was the [[Unterdonaukreis]] (Lower Danube District). In 1837, King [[Ludwig I of Bavaria]] renamed the Kreise after historical territorial names and tribes. This also involved border changes or territorial swaps. Thus the Unterdonaukreis changed to Lower Bavaria. The district capital was moved from [[Passau]] to [[Landshut]] which was added from [[Isarkreis]].

Lower Bavaria and [[Upper Palatinate]] were consolidated in 1932 in one administrative district. In 1954 the two districts were restored again. In 1972 Lower Bavaria was reshaped when the rural districts covered were reshaped too.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.regierung.niederbayern.bayern.de Official website of government] {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.bezirk-niederbayern.de Official website of region] {{in lang|de|fr}}

{{Regierungsbezirk (Bavaria)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lower Bavaria| ]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Government regions of Germany]]
[[Category:Regions of Bavaria]]