Saxony is a state in east-central Germany. In the 1400’s, the eastern part of the Duchy of Saxony came under the rule of the Wettin family, who called it Saxony. Saxony joined the German Empire in 1871. It became a republic after World War I (1914-1918). From 1919 until 1945, it was a German state. The Soviet Union occupied Saxony after Germany surrendered in World War II (1939-1945). From 1949 until 1952, Saxony was a state in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Saxony was abolished as a political unit in 1952 and divided into the districts of Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz (named Karl-Marx-Stadt during the period 1953-1990). Following the reunification of Germany in October 1990, Saxony was reconstituted as a German state. It now covers an area of 7,112 square miles (18,420 square kilometers) and has a population of 4,056,799.
