Schleswig-Holstein

TRUE NORTH

»Moin«

Welcome to Schleswig-Holstein, home to the happiest people in Germany!

Here, more than anywhere else in the country, rain is quickly followed by sunshine – and then more rain. The weather in the “True North” may be a little unpredictable, but the people here certainly aren’t. We don’t sit around talking, we get stuck in and get things done – whether it’s clearing up after a storm flood or volunteering for a fairer society.

We love our countryside, the undulating fields, shimmering lakes, rivers and the wide, glittering expanse of the Wadden Sea. And because we love our home state, we do all we can to protect it: we already generate more electricity from wind, water and the sun than we consume ourselves, putting us at the forefront of the transition to green energy in Germany.

It’s commonly assumed that industry and the environment are natural antagonists. We demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be that way – with emission-free electric car batteries, green hydrogen and climate-neutral cement.

We’re also showing the world how to do digital transformation: as a frontrunner in the expansion of fibre optics and as a leading centre for artificial intelligence.

Nature and business, analogue and digital, high-tech and high culture – if you can have it all, then you know you’re in Schleswig-Holstein.

Capital

Population

Founded

Area

Location

Willkommen (High German)
Willkamen (Plattdeutsch)
Velkommen (Danish)
Wäljkiimen (Frisian)
Bainvegni (Romansh)

5 Highlights
in Schleswig-Holstein

KIEL WEEK – THE BIGGEST SAILING EVENING IN NORTHERN EUROPE

The Kiel Week is an annual sailing regatta that has been held in Kiel since the end of the 19th century. It is one of the largest sailing events in the world.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

Classical music, pop, jazz and hip-hop: there’s something for everyone at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Hundreds of artists perform in multiple venues, ranging from large concert halls to barns.

WACKEN OPEN AIR

The small town of Wacken in the district of Steinburg in northern Germany has long punched above its weight in the culture stakes: every year, as many as 85,000 fans come to the biggest, loudest heavy metal festival in the world.

FC HOLSTEIN KIEL

First-class: in 2024, the “Storks” of KSV Holstein made a miracle come true and next season will be representing the True North in the first Bundesliga football league.

WADDEN SEA

The Wadden Sea in Schleswig-Holstein covers a total area of 4,367 square kilometres. The area is one of the most fertile regions on earth and is home to more than 10,000 animal and plant species.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN AT THE FESTIVAL OF GERMAN UNITY

HAPPINESS IS A STATE … OF MIND

The happiest people in Germany live in Schleswig-Holstein. Why is that? Visit us and we’ll show you some solid proof!

We’ll be revealing all the things we do to make the planet a good place to live for everyone: gain exciting insight into R&D in Schleswig-Holstein and marvel at the lightest, most energy-efficient car in the world. Have your photo taken in front of our photo mirror with your wish for the planet. Learn what simple thing you can do to help to save our oceans while you’re on holiday.

And what would happiness be without culture? Our creative comic artists will sketch your personal caricature as a memento, and the smallest shanty choir in the world will be sailing into town on their own boat. Of course, there’s plenty to keep the youngest visitors amused too.

Need a bit of downtime? Relax behind our marquee as you watch award winning films from the GreenScreen Nature Film Festival on our mobile screen. Or soak up some chilled lounge beats and treat yourself to tasty food and regional drinks from the True North.

We look forward to sharing happy moments with you!

FOR GERMAN UNITY DAY 2024:

THE MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN,
Daniel Günther

Schleswig-Holstein says hello to its Baltic neighbour: Moin!

We’re excited to be celebrating German Unity Day with you at the festival in Schwerin – and to be setting sail together for diversity, democracy and optimism. The fall of the Berlin Wall also brought down the border that separated Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. For us, German Unity Day is a day of joy and happiness, and we want to celebrate that with you.

At the Ländermeile, Schleswig-Holstein will be presenting its joyful and maritime character – and showing why it is home to the happiest Germans. Living in the True North is the key to happiness, as is living in a united Germany. See you on the 3rd of October in Schwerin!

Daniel Günther
Minister-President
of the State of Schleswig-Holstein

FIVE THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

GIGANTIC DITHMARSCHEN: THE LARGEST CABBAGE-GROWING AREA IN EUROPE

The largest cabbage growing area is in Dithmarschen, where the Cabbage Days are celebrated every year in autumn. Cabbage has been grown here since 1889, and a good 90 million cabbages – one for every German citizen – thrive in the bracing North Sea climate every year. At the festival, this culinary speciality is celebrated with many different preparation methods.

THE WORLD IS A VILLAGE IN SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

Did you know that there are fewer than 200 true “citizens of the world” – and that they all come from Schleswig-Holstein? In the south-west of Schleswig-Holstein, in the district of Nordfriesland, lies a village called “Welt”, the German word for world. People have lived here since the 9th century, making it one of the oldest settlement areas in the Eiderstedter Marsch.

WALK THE DOG

What one item connects dog owners and their pets in 90 countries around the world? The answer is the flexi-leash, a retractable lead that has been manufactured in Bargteheide since 1973. In 2010, the family business with almost 300 employees was officially recognised as one of the “Brands of the Century”.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN – A STATE OF CONTRASTS

Clear, crisp air and broad horizons are what most people associate with Schleswig-Holstein. Mountains? Not so much. At 167 metres, the Bungsberg in Holstein Switzerland may be the highest mountain in Schleswig-Holstein, but it is definitely the smallest in Germany. On the other hand, Germany’s largest national park by a wide margin, the Wadden Sea, lies off our coast.

SAVING LIVES, THE SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN WAY / STYLE

Most drivers will have completed a first aid course at some point. But did you know that the first formal training in first aid originated in Schleswig-Holstein? The surgeon Friedrich von Esmarch (1832 – 1908), the director of the Surgical Clinic in Kiel, defined first aid as we know it today. His work “Die erste Hülfe bei plötzlichen Unglücksfällen” (First Aid in Sudden Accidents) was translated into 30 languages.