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The shock YouGov poll has revealed a huge amount of support for a Bavarian break-away, with support also at 20 per cent or above in five other states. In Bavaria 32 per cent of respondents answered yes to the question: “Do you agree with the following statement: my state should be independent of Germany.” Bild newspaper, who requested the poll, said they found the results “frightening”.

GETTY One-third of Bavarians would like to become independent from Germany

They said: "So far the idea of becoming independent from Germany was mostly known from Bavaria. "A frightening number of citizens want their state to turn their back to Germany." Bavaria is home to Munich, Germany’s third-largest city, and boasts a total land mass of 27,239 square miles.

The many faces of Angela Merkel Wed, May 17, 2017 German Chancellor, Angela Merkel through the years Play slideshow 1 of 16

It is also home to some 12,843,500 people - more than 15 per cent of the country’s total population. But while the state is home to the highest number of separatists, support is still high in several other states. Saarland, Thuringia, Saxony, Meck Pom and Saxony-Anhalt all saw at least one-in-five respondents come out in favour of leaving Germany.

Seven other states saw separatists number around one-in-ten of the population. Just two of Germany’s 16 states saw less than 10 per cent of their population support separatism, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate. The poll took place in the aftermath of a request for an independent referendum by the ‘Freedom for Bavaria’ party.

GOOGLE MAPS Bavaria is home to some 12 million people and Germany's third-largest city Munich

GETTY One-third of all Bavarians want to quit Angela Merkel's Germany