195. Which present-day German federal state used to belong to the territory of the GDR?

Official German wording

Welches heutige deutsche Bundesland gehörte früher zum Gebiet der DDR?

  1. Hessen
  2. Sachsen-Anhalt
  3. Nordrhein-Westfalen
  4. Saarland

Answer options

  1. Hesse
  2. Saxony-Anhalt
  3. North Rhine–Westphalia
  4. Saarland

Correct answer

Saxony-Anhalt

Explanation

The GDR comprised the Länder Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia; they were replaced by districts (Bezirke) in 1952 and reconstituted in 1990 by the Länder Reintroduction Act. Under Article 23 (former version) of the Basic Law and the Unification Treaty of 31 August 1990, these Länder acceded to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990. Hesse, North Rhine–Westphalia, and the Saarland were West German states; the Saarland joined the FRG in 1957 under the Saar Treaty. Hence the correct choice is Saxony-Anhalt.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.