In Germany the term free state (in German, Freistaat) comes from the 19th century as a German word for republic. After the German Revolution of November 1918, when Imperial Germany became the Weimar Republic, most of the German states within the German Reich called themselves a Free State. Others used expressions like Republik or Volksstaat (people's state) - however, Republik proved unpopular as that term was associated with the enemy France.公仔箱論壇+ A* R- Y$ M8 p) H( F- y6 [5 d3 S
. S* Q( ^* V X9 A2 ^ y' S$ O+ OAfter the Nazis came to power they abolished the concept of a federal republic and all the states, and re-organized Germany into Gaue with appointed leadership. The states were re-established after World War II, however from 1952 only Bavaria still called itself a Free State and that made Freistaat a synonym for Bavaria. In 1990 the reestablished Saxony used the name again, and since 1993 Thuringia (Thüringen) for the first time. + c" N4 U7 {' Y$ k% h/ r5 ?公仔箱論壇 # k9 O' Y2 V* @6 K公仔箱論壇Historically Germany had Imperial Free Cities, who were subject only to the Emperor. In 1871 Germany knew only three Free Cities, Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck; the latter lost its status in 1937. Since 1949 the Federal Republic of Germany has Hamburg (Freie und Hansestadt, Free and Hanseatic City) and Bremen (Freie Hansestadt), and also Berlin as a city which is also a Land (state). Like the Free States these three cities have no special rights in the federation.