Halle, Deutsche Demokratische Republik - DDR Postcard

Halle (Saale) is the largest city of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the fifth most populous city in the area of former East Germany, trailing (East) Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz. Halle is the 31st largest city of Germany, with a higher population than the state capital of Magdeburg. Together with Leipzig, the largest city of Saxony, Halle forms the Leipzig-Halle metropolitan area. Leipzig/Halle International Airport is located between the two cities, in Schkeudit. The Leipzig-Halle metro area is the heart of the larger Central German Metropolitan Region. After World War II, Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt until 1952, when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (states). As a part of East Germany (until 1990), it functioned as the capital of the administrative district (Bezirk) of Halle. When Saxony-Anhalt was re-established as a Bundesland in 1990, Magdeburg, not Halle, became the capital.