Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate was established in 1946 after World War II from territory of the historically separate regions of the Free State of Prussia, People's State of Hesse, and Bavaria, by the French military administration in Allied-occupied Germany. Rhineland-Palatinate became part of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, and shared the country's only border with the Saar Protectorate until it was returned to German control in 1957. Rhineland-Palatinate has since developed its own identity built on its natural and cultural heritage, including the extensive Palatinate winegrowing region, its picturesque landscapes, and many castles and palaces.
Germersheim (district)
Most of the region was part of the Palatinate from the 11th century on. The bishops of Speyer owned some lands, too. The Palatinate was destroyed in the Napoleonic Wars, and the clerical states of Germany were dissolved in 1803. After a period of French occupation the Congress of Vienna decided to hand the territories over to Bavaria. The region remained a part of Bavaria until World War II; afterwards it was incorporated into the newly established state of Rhineland-Palatinate.