With its beginnings predating the Roman Empire, the German region known as Bavaria has a rich and tumultuous history that spans several thousand years and a unique culture that can still be experienced today. For those who can’t make a pilgrimage all the way to Bavaria itself, the region’s culture and history can still be experienced through the authentic German hotel and museum culture that is prevalent in the U.S. Book a German hotel today and browse below for a brief crash-course on Bavarian history to prepare for your stay.
Bavarian flag pattern
Bavaria and the Roman Empire
During the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus, much of the area that is today called Bavaria in southeast Germany was occupied by the Celts and became part of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th Century, the region fell under the control of Bajuwares, a tribe formed from the Celts, invading Germans from the north, and the remaining Romans in the region.
The Bavarian Duchy
The Bavarian duchy, a system of government under the rule of a duke, began in 555 A.D. and met its first demise when invading Karl the Great defeated Bavarian Duke Tassilo in 788. The Duchy later regained power after the fall of another dynasty, the Carolingians, several hundred years later near the turn of the millennium.
For nearly 800 years, from 1180 to 1918, Bavaria continued as a territorial duchy under the rule of the Wittelsbach line. It was during this period that much of Bavaria’s unique culture began to develop. During Wittelsbach rule, Bavaria was proclaimed an electorate in 1623 after the Thirty-Year War, a kingdom during the time of Napoleon (first siding with France and then against them), and then finally, in 1871, it was absorbed as part of the newly-founded Deutsche Reich.
Modern-Day Bavaria
It was not until 1918 that the Wittelsbach rule crumbled during the German “November Revolution.” Bavaria was then declared a “free-state” and Socialist groups installed a new council republic. After the events of WWII, Bavaria was assimilated as a federal state in the newly-founded Federal Republic of Germany, where it remains to this day.
Today, Bavaria is famous for its food and drink—including world famous beer gardens and white sausage—as well as a rich cultural history and unique architecture, which has been immitated around the world. For a true Bavarian expereince right here in the U.S., visit an authentic German hotel in your area. The Bavarian Inn Lodge is the German hotel you are looking for when you want family fun and Bavarian culture.
