Municipalities ( German : Gemeinden , pronounced [ɡəˌmaɪ̯ndn̩] ; singular Gemeinde ) are the lowest level of official territorial division in Germany . This 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").
8-493: Ottobrunn ( German: [ɔtoˈbʁʊn] ) is a municipality southeast of Munich , Bavaria , Germany , founded in 1955. Ottobrunn consists of mainly semi-detached and detached houses, as well as extensive garden areas. Ottobrunn is also the German Headquarters of Airbus Defense and Space (former European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) ), with the majority of Airbus DS grounds situated in
16-628: 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 . Status as of January 2024. The number of municipalities of Germany has decreased strongly over
24-511: 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
32-463: Is a memorial Doric order column , called the Ottosäule, made by the chiseler Anton Ripfel, commemorating the day in 1832 when Otto of Greece traveled past the present community area on his way to become king of Greece . It was originally situated exactly 12 km (7.5 mi) from the center of Munich, marking the exact spot on the route where Otto of Greece's father left his son. The column
40-678: The neighbouring community of Taufkirchen . According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany , the municipality is the second-most densely populated in all of Germany, trailing only Munich , and ahead of Berlin . The town's center was established in the mid-1980s with the town hall (1983) and the community centre (1986). The community centre was named after the German-Italian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari who lived in Ottobrunn between 1915 and 1931. There
48-499: The same time, many districts and also urban districts were merged into larger districts. 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: In all municipalities, the mayor and the members of the municipal council are appointed by local elections that take place on
56-600: 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
64-540: Was moved, however, 9 m (30 ft) southwest, to make room for widening the Rosenheimer Landstrasse. Municipalities of Germany 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 they retained
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