Saxony's history goes back over 1,000 years. It went from being a duchy to a kingdom under King August the Strong in the beginning of the 18th century.

After World War II, Saxony was part of East Germany. It was divided up into three districts, focused on its main cities Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, which at the time was called Karl-Marx-City. Saxony was newly founded as a state after Germany was reunified on Oct. 3, 1990.

In the 16th Century, Saxony developed through brisk trade, industry and mining into one of the richest German states. In the 19th century, Saxony was a center of industrialization.

Fast-growing economy

The most important industries once were mining, machine-making and car-making, as well as textiles and chemicals.

But since reunification, Saxony has been undergoing a deep structural change. Most factories and businesses have close and unemployment is very high.

For the past several years, a solid middle class of people working in trade, business and service industry has developed. Industry has focused on machine-making and car-making, as well as future-oriented high-tech industries like microelectronics, solar energy and biotech.

Today, Saxony has the second-fastest economic growth of all the German states, after Bavaria.

Rich in museums and culture

Saxony has a rich cultural life. The beautiful Baroque architecture of Dresden, the state's capital, is the perfect cultural stage. It is the home of the Semper Opera, several theaters, numerous festivals and over 40 museums.

The most important of these are the Old Masters Picture Galerie (Gemaeldegalerie), the Green Vault (Gruenes Gewoelbe), which is the treasury of the Saxon kings, and the German Hygiene Museum. In Chemnitz in 2007, a new gallery opened up that contains one of the most important collections of post-war painting.

In the countryside, a number of castles and palaces - notably Pillnitz Castle, the Augustusburg Castle and Castle Stolpen - invite visitors to learn about the region's history.

Lively Leipzig

Leipzig has seen a rejuvenation of its book fair, and continues the city's traditions as a trade and publishing center. And the state has a lot of musical tradition to offer. The Leipzig Thomaner Choir was led in the 18th century by Johann Sebastian Bach, and the Dresden Kreuzchor choir dates back some 700 years. Moreover, there are dozens of orchestras and music festivals.