What does Bayern mean?

[Catfish]

I know that Munchen is German for Munich, but what does Bayern mean?

Just curious. Thanks.

[Matschr]

Bayern means Bavaria, like the "Bundesland" of Germany where Munich is the capital city.

[IASocFan]

Bayern in English is Bavaria. It's the name of the largest state in Germany covering the southeast quadrant of Germany. The capital is München.

I don't know the origin of the word Bayern, but some of our German scholars may be able to enlighten us.

[Brook]

Here, all this time, I thought it meant "Always the Champions!"

[Matschr]

At the time of the Romans in the present Bavaria there where the "Bayuvaren", a german stem. They are the ancestors of the Bavarians and us Tyroleans. The Germans in the eyes of the Romans was barbarians. Perhaps therefore one stam was called "Bayuvaren".

[SirManchester]

Here, all this time, I thought it meant "Always the Champions!"


THat is the second meaning of course, don't be fooled by anything else. ;)

Looks like Chelsea is finally gonna get their own after a long while too...

[mcweiss]

Just a bit more history for the English speakers...

The borders of Bavaria have varied considerably in its history. The region was inhabited by Celts when Drusus conquered it (15 B.C.) for Rome. The Baiuoarii invaded it (6th cent. A.D.) and set up the duchy to which they gave their name. It was one of the five basic or stem duchies of medieval Germany. Irish and Scottish monks began the Christianization of the area, and it was completed (8th cent.) by St. Boniface. In 788, Charlemagne defeated Duke Tassilo III and added Bavaria to his empire.

The Gepidae, a Gothic people, moved southward from the Baltic at Vistula into the Hungarian plain W of the Danube. Overwhelmed by Attila (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0805260.html), they survived only to be defeated in 489 by Theodoric the Great and in 566 by the Lombards and Avars. They disappeared soon after. The Marcomanni, probably originally part of the Suebi, lived N of the Danube in Germany in the 1st and 2d cent. A threat to the Roman border, they were defeated by Marcus Aurelius in the Marcomannic War (166–180). They moved into the country of the Celtic Boii and probably expanded into Bavaria, where they seem to be the Baiuoarii, or Boiarii, ancestors of the Bavarians.

And of course FC Bayern Munchen simply stated in English is the Football Club of Bavaria in Munich (or something along those lines)...

[BayernWake]

Here, all this time, I thought it meant "Always the Champions!"

Well, since FC Nürnberg, 1860 München, usw. are also in Bayern.........no.

[Matschr]

FC Nürnberg is the second succesfull team of Germany. They won the "Meisterschale" nine times.

[DanielHSV]

FC Nürnberg is the second succesfull team of Germany. They won the "Meisterschale" nine times.

Yeah but this was between 1723 and 1834 ;)

and Nürnberg was the first, last and only team in germany to relegate as champion (back in the 60s)