Municipalities of Germany
Lowest level of official territorial division in Germany
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The Gemeinde level can be the second, third, fourth or fifth level of territorial division, depending on the status of the municipality and the Land (federal state) it is part of. The city-states Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are second-level divisions. A Gemeinde is one level lower in those states which also include Regierungsbezirke (singular: Regierungsbezirk) as an intermediate territorial division (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia). The Gemeinde is one level higher if it is not part of a Gemeindeverband ("municipal association").
The highest degree of autonomy may be found in the Gemeinden which are not part of a Kreis ("district"). These Gemeinden are referred to as Kreisfreie Städte or Stadtkreise, often translated as "urban district". In some states, bigger Gemeinden that do form part of a Kreis retain a higher measure of autonomy than the other municipalities of the Kreis (e.g. Große Kreisstadt). Municipalities titled Stadt (town or city) are urban municipalities while those titled Gemeinde are classified as rural municipalities.
With more than 3,600,000 inhabitants, the most populous municipality of Germany is the city of Berlin; and the least populous is Gröde in Schleswig-Holstein.
Municipalities per federal state
Status as of January 2024.
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Municipal reforms
The number of municipalities of Germany has decreased strongly over the years: in 1968 there were 24,282 municipalities in West Germany, and in 1980 there were 8,409. The same trend occurred in the New states of Germany after the German reunification: from 7,612 municipalities in 1990 to 2,380 as of 1 January 2024. While in some cases growing cities absorbed neighbouring municipalities, most of these mergers were driven by a need to increase the efficiency and reduce costs of administration. At the same time, many districts and also urban districts were merged into larger districts.
Types of municipalities
There are several types of municipalities in Germany, with different levels of autonomy. Each federal state has its own administrative laws, and its own local government structure. The main types of municipalities are:
- city state (German: Stadtstaat): Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are both municipalities and federal states
- urban district (Kreisfreie Stadt, in Baden-Württemberg: Stadtkreis): a municipality that is not part of a district, and hence fulfills the responsibilities of both a municipality and a district. As of 2018, there are 107 urban districts (including Berlin and Hamburg)
- major district town (varies by state, mainly Große Kreisstadt): a municipality that is part of a district and has town privileges, but due to its size also fulfills the responsibilities usually fulfilled by a district. As of 2025, there are a total of 462 municipalities with special status.
- town (Stadt): a municipality with the right to call itself "Stadt". The title "Stadt" does not imply any duties or rights anymore. Many towns received town privileges in the Middle Ages, others were elevated to town status more recently because they reached a certain size, e.g. more than 10,000 inhabitants
- market town (Markt): a type of municipality unique to Bavaria, can be part of a municipal association or not, is considered to be between municipality (Gemeinde) and town (Stadt). In the Middle Ages the title was given to municipalities with the right to hold markets (Marktrecht). Today usually implies that the municipality holds a central location/status in providing services to local communities. As of 2025, there are 386 Markts in Bavaria.
- municipality forming part of a municipal association (Amtsangehörige Gemeinde, Verwaltungsgemeinschaftsangehörige Gemeinde, Mitgliedsgemeinde or Ortsgemeinde in Rhineland-Palatinate): a municipality with a mayor and a municipal council, but no other administrative institutions. Administrative duties are performed by the Gemeindeverband ("municipal association")
- municipality not forming part of a municipal association: an Amtsfreie Gemeinde (independent municipality), an Einheitsgemeinde (unified municipality) or, in Rhineland-Palatinate, a Verbandsfreie Gemeinde (association-free municipality) - a municipality that fulfills all responsibilities of a municipality
Local elections
In all municipalities, the mayor and the members of the municipal council are appointed by local elections that take place on a regular basis. Elections for the municipal councils (Kommunalwahlen) take place every 4 years in Bremen, every 6 years in Bavaria and every 5 years in all other states.
The office of mayor is full-time (hauptamtlich) in larger municipalities, and voluntary (ehrenamtlich) in smaller municipalities, for instance those that are part of a municipal association. Mayors are elected for a specific term, which is different in every state. Since mayoral elections also have to be held when a mayor resigns from office, these do not take place at the same time for all municipalities in a state. The terms for mayors are:
- Baden-Württemberg: 8 years
- Bavaria, Hesse, Thuringia: 6 years
- Berlin, Hamburg: 5 years, indirect elections
- Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate: 8 years for full-time mayors, 5 years for voluntary mayors
- Bremen: 4-6 years, indirect elections
- Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia: 5 years
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: 7-9 years for full-time mayors, 5 years for voluntary mayors
- Saarland: 10 years
- Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt: 7 years
- Schleswig-Holstein: 6-8 years for full-time mayors, 5 years for voluntary mayors