Old states of Germany
Appearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Germany%2C_Federal_Republic_of_location_map_January_1957_-_October_1990.svg/220px-Germany%2C_Federal_Republic_of_location_map_January_1957_-_October_1990.svg.png)
The old states of Germany (German: Alte Bundesländer) are the complement to the so-called new states of Germany that acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany upon German reunification on 3 October 1990. It comprises the following German states:
- Baden-Württemberg
- Bavaria
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Hesse
- Lower Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Schleswig-Holstein
Whether West Berlin is considered an "old state" depends on the context, since it was closely associated to the Federal Republic of Germany, but its status was deputed because of the Four Power Agreement on Berlin.
The old states are colloquially referred to as Former West Germany, although the name West Germany has additional meanings.