Unterfranken (region)
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Lower Franconia Unterfranken |
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|---|---|
| Regierungsbezirk | |
 Map of Bavaria highlighting the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia |
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| Country | Germany |
| State | Bavaria |
| Region seat | Würzburg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8,530.99 km2 (3,293.83 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2015) | |
| • Total | 1,306,048 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (400/sq mi) |
| Website | regierung.unterfranken.bayern.de |
Lower Franconia (German: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia.
After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally reorganised and, in 1808, divided into 15 administrative government regions (German: Regierungsbezirke (singular Regierungsbezirk)), in Bavaria called Kreise (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 Tyrol, addition of the Palatinate), the number of Kreise was reduced to 8. One of these was the Untermainkreis (Lower Main 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 name Untermainkreis changed to Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg, but the city name was soon dropped, leaving just Lower Franconia.
In 1933, the regional Nazi Gauleiter Otto Hellmuth insisted on renaming the district Mainfranken, but after 1945 the name Unterfranken was resurrected.
The municipal reform (Kreisreform) of June 1972 consolidated the 22 country districts of Lower Franconia into nine.
Unterfranken is the north-west part of Franconia and consists of three district-free cities ("Kreisfreie Städte") and nine country districts ("Landkreise").
The major portion of the Franconian wine region is situated in Lower Franconia.
The Coat of Arms includes the Arms of Duchy of Franconia in the upper portion, the “Rennfähnlein,” a banner, quarterly argent (silver) and gules (red), on a lance or (gold), in bend, on an azure (blue) field, associated with Würzburg in the lower left quadrant, and a white/silver wheel on a red field symbolizing the clerical state of Mainz, in the lower right quadrant.
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Wikipedia