Die deutschen Stämme

Unlike England or France, Germany was not formed through the expansion of a conquering center, but rather through the voluntary union of several Germanic tribes. These included the (Low) Saxons, Franks, Swabians, and Bavarians. In the early centuries of German history, the tribes, as tribal duchies, were also the most important political units within Germany. After the dissolution of the tribal duchies into numerous smaller principalities in the 13th century, the tribes persisted as cultural and linguistic units, as expressed in their dialects and folk culture. Even today, there is a regionally varying awareness of tribal affiliation, which is most pronounced among the Bavarians. In eastern Germany, the formation of the new federal states has led to a revival of tribal identity.