Why Germany’s most industrial state became the Greens’ stronghold

Dear Reader,

Baden-Württemberg holds state elections on Sunday. These are the first major elections since Friedrich Merz took office last year.

Das Ländle, as Baden-Württemberg is colloquially known, is the third-largest state in the country by population — and the second richest. It is home to the stunning scenery of the Black Forest and the great research institutions of Freiburg, Heidelberg and Tübingen. The narrow valleys of the Swabian Alb, stuffed with factories, form the beating heart of Germany’s Mittelstand. State capital Stuttgart is home to Daimler, Porsche and Bosch.

The state’s majority population — the Swabians — have a reputation for industriousness and thrift. Those traits raised the region from widespread poverty in the 19th century to prosperity today. “Schaffe, schaffe, Häusle baue” — work hard and build a house — is an idiom that is said to sum up the Swabian mindset. For locals, it expresses a mentality that emphasises hard work and long-term planning. For those who …