Germany is made up of 16 states or “Länder,” a term first used during the Weimar Republic, the Second Reich. During the era of the Third Reich, Germany was divided into 32 administrative districts, each referred to as a “Gau.” Prior to this, the 25 constitutes states making up the German Empire were known as “Staaten.” In 1796, the Holy Roman Empire was comprised of more than 300 political divisions. This number was sharply reduced to less than 40 through the formation of Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine.
