OBERBAYERN

English Upper Bavaria Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), southeastern Bavaria Land (state), southern Germany. Oberbayern is bordered by Austria to the east and south and the Regierungsbezirke of Schwaben (Swabia) to the west, Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) and Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) to the north, and Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) to the northeast. It is the largest of seven districts in Bavaria, and together with Niederbayern and Oberpfalz it comprises most of the historic region of Bavaria (q.v.). The district derives its name from that of the Baiuvarii, or Baiuwarii, a mixture of Germanic people who moved up the Danube valley between AD 488 to 520 to an area bounded by the Alps and the Lech, Danube, and Enns rivers. The region, ruled by the house of Wittelsbach from 1180 to 1918, experienced frequent territorial division, expansion, and conflict until Napoleon's reorganization of Germany in 1806. Despite the conflicts, Munichlocated in central Oberbayernemerged as a strong political and cultural centre, becoming capital of the united duchy of Bavaria in 1506 and capital of the kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. Today Munich is the capital and largest city of Bavaria Land and the administrative seat of Oberbayern Regierungsbezirk. The Bavarian Alps extend from the extreme southwestern corner of Oberbayern to the Inn River, forming a section of the district's southern border with Austria. Beautiful scenery and easy access to the glaciated limestone mountains by way of deeply cut U-shaped valleys have made Garmisch-Partenkirchen, located at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze (9,718 feet ), one of Europe's most popular mountain resorts. Farther east along the Austrian border are the Chiemgauer Alps and the Berchtesgadener Alps. In the Berchtesgaden National Park (80 square miles [208 square km]) flat-topped mountains fall steeply down to Knigs Lake, a beautiful glacial lake and popular tourist stop. A large part of Oberbayern lies in southern Germany's Alpine Foreland east of the Lech River, a plateau region with diversified landscapes. North of the Alps in the Upper Bavarian Morainic Uplands, the Isar, Inn, and Salzach rivers flow northeast toward the Danube through morainic hills covered with forests, lakes, and bogs. Embedded between the hills the large glacial lakes Ammer, Starnberger, and Chiem offer ideal recreation escapes from the congested urban area of Munich. Although the soil in this area is fertile, agriculture is limited to dairy farming because of harsh climatic conditions found at high elevations. Near the capital city the Munich Plain, formed from glacial outwash gravels, dips below the water table, creating marshland and large peat bogs including the Dachauer Moor and Erdinger Moor. The Lower Bavarian Uplands, a region of low, hilly relief and broad valleys, is located north of the Munich Plain. The most productive agricultural land here is Hallertau, Germany's largest hop-growing region. Near Ingolstadt on the Danube River, the Alpine Foreland falls away to the Danube Moor, fertile farmland lying on raised alluvium river deposits. The chief crops produced in the Danube River basin are sugar beets, wheat, rye, and potatoes. In the extreme northwest, Oberbayern extends into the Franconian Jura. Industry in Oberbayern is concentrated around the cities of Munich and Ingolstadt and in smaller cities along the Inn, Mangfall, Isar, and Danube rivers. Munich, the largest industrial centre in Bavaria and a major transportation junction, produces precision optical and electrical equipment, machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, clothing, and beer. Ingolstadt's industries manufacture motor vehicles and machinery. Bavaria's chemical industry is centred near the junction of the Inn and Salzach rivers and along the Danube between Ingolstadt, Vohburg, and Neustadt. The people of Oberbayern speak Bavarian, one of three main German dialects in Bavaria. They are famous for their traditional Upper Bavarian-Alpine costumes of leather knee breeches and padded jackets, developed from the dress of the huntsman. The predominant rural housing pattern in the hills of southern Oberbayern is one of dispersed farmsteads, while in the north farms stand singly or grouped into hamlets. Houses in the highlands are built in the chalet form and usually have wooden balconies and elaborately painted facades. Many beautiful examples of Rococo architecture can be seen in Oberbayern, one of the art style's strongest areas of development outside France. Higher education in the Regierungsbezirk is centred in Munich and includes the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (1472), the Munich Technical University (1868), and many specialized academies. In autumn Munich celebrates Oktoberfest, the world's largest popular folk festival, with beer, music, and traditional costumes. The population of Oberbayern is predominantly Roman Catholic. Area 6,768 square miles (17,529 square km). Pop. (1991 est.) 3,801,448.