In November 1944 Himmler was put in command of the eastern bank of the Upper Rhine.

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Last year, her party lost its majority in the Upper House after failing to hold on to another highly populated region, North Rhine-Westphalia.

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The centre-right has a majority not only in the Bundestag, the lower house, but also in the Bundesrat, the upper house made up of state representatives, which it will retain so long as it keeps control of North Rhine-Westphalia next May.

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