Majority of Germans in vacation disagreement with "Bayern DNA" organization
Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg Maintain Late Summer Vacation Amidst National Rotation System
A debate over the start of summer vacation in Germany has been ongoing, with Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg standing firm on their decision to take vacation last. The two states have traditionally resisted participating in the rotation system that most other German states follow.
The summer vacation staggering system, established by the "Hamburg Agreement" of 1964, aims to distribute the total population as evenly as possible to avoid traffic jams and scarce accommodation during vacation periods. However, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have consistently been exempt from this system.
The reasons behind this preference are rooted in historical and regional traditions, political decisions, and a desire to maintain their traditional school calendar structure. Bavarian leaders describe the late summer vacation as deeply ingrained in their regional identity, with Markus Söder, the Bavarian Minister-President, stating that it is "engraved in the Bavarian DNA."
One of the main reasons for the late start of vacation in Bavaria is the temporal distance from the Whitsun holidays. This timing allows for sufficient exam preparation time before the holidays, a factor that political leadership in Bavaria has strongly emphasized.
The decision to maintain the late vacation start has been met with mixed reactions. A recent ZDF "Politbarometer" survey conducted from July 22 to 24 found that 62% of respondents believe Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg should participate in the vacation rotation. On the other hand, 26% of respondents support the states' decision to maintain their exemption.
Bavaria's Minister of Culture, Anna Stolz, has stated that the late vacation start is justified in Bavaria. However, Sven Teuber, the Minister of Education of Rhineland-Palatinate, disagrees, stating that summer vacation times are not hereditary estates of federal states.
The debate over the start of summer vacation comes up every few years, with arguments similar to the current one. Despite calls from other states like North Rhine-Westphalia to harmonize vacation timing or start later, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remain committed to their own "holiday rhythm."
The negotiation results for the following period of summer vacation will be determined by the end of this year. However, Bavaria's Minister-President, Markus Söder, has stated that if Baden-Württemberg wants to swap its vacation with North Rhine-Westphalia, it's fine by him, but Bavaria won't do that.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg will maintain their exemption from the vacation rotation system or whether they will eventually join the rest of Germany in staggering their summer holidays.
[1] "Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are exempt from the school vacation rotation system and always take summer holidays last because they have consistently resisted participating in the rotating schedule that most other German states follow." (Source: The Bavarian State Newspaper)
- Despite calls for harmonization, education-and-self-development schedules in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remain unique, with these states continuing to maintain their late summer vacation, a tradition deeply rooted in regional identity and politics.
- General news outlets report ongoing debates about school vacation timings in Germany, with the education-and-self-development choices of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg contrasting the rotating system followed by most states, a difference influenced by historical, political, and cultural factors.
