History of district formation in Germany

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Administrative division at district level on January 1, 1900

The history of district formation in Germany records the formation or foundation of the districts, i.e. the independent cities ( urban districts ) and districts ( rural districts ). Within the federal states, the administrative districts are given in alphabetical order instead of the official order which, for historical reasons, sometimes deviates from this (as was or is the case with the Prussian provinces or Bavarian administrative districts).

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In 1863, six districts were formed in the Duchy of Anhalt .

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→ Main article: District (Baden)

With the law on the organization of internal administration of October 5, 1863 , the previous four districts in Baden were dissolved and the now only 59 district offices were directly subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. As a supervisory authority, four state commissioners are superordinate to the district offices . These district offices, which were comparable to rural districts, were newly formed with effect from October 1, 1864.

Bavaria

In 1862, the regional courts in the Kingdom of Bavaria were converted into regional courts for the justice system (from 1879: local courts ) and district offices for the administration to separate justice and administration . The eight administrative districts were now divided into district offices and immediate cities. The district offices were the forerunners of today's districts. The term district was only introduced in 1939. In 1939, the cities immediately within the district became independent cities.

Braunschweig

The Duchy of Braunschweig was divided into circles with effect from January 1, 1833.

Bremen

On June 15, 1817, in the Bremen rural area, in addition to the city of Bremen, instead of the four Gohen, two land lords were formed.

  • Landlordships: Landlordship on the left bank of the Weser, Landlordship on the right bank of the Weser
    Independent city: Bremen

Alsace-Lorraine

The districts of Alsace-Lorraine were re-established in 1872 on the basis of the cantons with the abolition of the previous French arrondissements.

Hamburg

The Hamburg rural area has been divided into rulers since the 15th century , which can be roughly compared with today's counties:

In addition, there were extensive possessions of the Hamburg monasteries and hospitals, which have also been controlled by the Hamburg Senate and the College of the Elderly since the Reformation . After restructuring in 1830 and 1874, the area in the State of Hamburg was divided into four territorial domains:

The city of Hamburg initially consisted of today's districts of old and new town . Little by little the suburbs were separated from the land rulers and incorporated into Hamburg; In 1924 Bergedorf , Cuxhaven and Geesthacht also left the rural area as other cities. Thereupon the four land lords were merged into one, which from 1937 onwards was designated as Landgebiet Hamburg and which was dissolved in 1938 when the unified municipality was formed. The district Prussian municipalities that were incorporated into the area of ​​the State of Hamburg by the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937 were briefly merged into a district of Hamburg, which was also dissolved in 1938 when the unified municipality was formed.

Hesse

The provinces of Upper Hesse and Starkenburg in the Grand Duchy of Hesse were divided into districts in 1821/22 . In 1832 these were newly divided into counties and administrative districts. The province of Rheinhessen was divided into districts in 1835. On July 31, 1848, the provinces, counties and administrative districts were abolished in favor of the establishment of eleven administrative districts. However, this reform was reversed on May 12, 1852. The previous division into provinces has been restored and a comprehensive division into districts has now been created.

Province of Upper Hesse

Province of Rheinhessen

Starkenburg Province

Kurhessen

On August 21, 1821, Kurhessen was divided into 22 districts. On October 31, 1848, the districts were abolished in favor of the establishment of 21 administrative offices in nine districts. However, this reform was reversed on September 15, 1851. The earlier circles have been restored.

Province of Fulda

Hanau Province

Province of Lower Hesse

Province of Upper Hesse

lip

In 1816, Lippe was divided into eleven offices that could not be considered the forerunners of the districts, and eight independent cities.

On July 23, 1879 the now 13 offices were dissolved and 5 administrative offices were formed.

  • Administrative offices: Detmold from the offices of Detmold, Lage and Horn, Lipperode-Cappeln from the office of Lipperode, Blomberg from the offices of Blomberg, Schieder and Schwalenberg without the town of Schwalenberg, Brake from the offices of Brake, Sternberg-Barntrup, Hohenhausen and Varenholz and Schötmar from the Offices Schötmar and Oerlinghausen
    Independent towns: Barntrup, Blomberg, Detmold, Horn, Lage, Lemgo, Salzuflen and Flecken Schwalenberg, town since 1906

On November 1, 1927, the 5 administrative offices were dissolved and 4 district offices were formed.

  • District offices: Detmold from the administrative offices Detmold and Lipperode-Cappeln , Blomberg from the administrative office Blomberg, Brake from the administrative office Brake and Schötmar from the administrative office Schötmar
    Independent cities: Barntrup, Blomberg, Detmold, Horn, Lage, Lemgo, Oerlinghausen (since 1926), Bad Salzuflen and Schötmar (since 1922)

On April 1, 1932, the district offices were dissolved and two districts were formed.

  • Districts: Detmold from the district offices of Detmold and Blomberg and the independent cities of Lage, Horn, Blomberg and Schwalenberg, Lemgo from the district offices of Brake and Schötmar and the independent cities of Barntrup, Schötmar and Oerlinghausen
    independent cities: Detmold (until April 1, 1934), Lemgo (until April 1, 1934) and Bad Salzuflen (until April 1, 1934)

On April 1, 1934, the independent cities of Detmold were incorporated into the Detmold district and Lemgo and Bad Salzuflen into the Lemgo district.

Lübeck

At the beginning of the 19th century, the area of ​​the state of Lübeck was divided into three administrative units.

  • Land area: Land area outside the Landwehr, land area within the Landwehr
    Independent city: Lübeck

Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg-Schwerin

In 1815 the country was divided into offices and free cities.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz

In 1815 the country was divided into offices and free cities.

Principality of Ratzeburg

The Principality of Ratzeburg was not further subdivided under administrative law.

Strelitz

Mecklenburg

With the merger of the previous states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1934, the state was reorganized into offices (later districts ) and city districts.

Nassau

Nassau was divided into 28 offices on July 1, 1816. On April 4, 1849, the offices were abolished in favor of the establishment of ten district offices . However, this reform was reversed on October 1, 1854. The previous offices were restored.

Oldenburg

Birkenfeld region

The Principality of Birkenfeld was from 1817 to 1879 in the three offices Birkenfeld , Nohfelden and Oberstein divided. In 1919 the Principality of Birkenfeld became the Birkenfeld region, which on April 1, 1937 became the Birkenfeld district in the Prussian Rhine Province .

Lübeck region

The Principality of Luebeck was in the city to 1843 Eutin as well as in the offices Eutin , United bailiwick , Kaltenhof and collegiate divided; from 1843 to 1879 only in the offices of Eutin, Schwartau and (from 1867) Ahrensbök . In 1919 the Principality of Lübeck became part of the state of Lübeck, which on April 1, 1937 became the Eutin district in the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein .

Oldenburg region

In 1814 the administrative structures in the Duchy of Oldenburg were fundamentally reformed and the state was divided into districts and offices. The districts served as judicial districts, while the offices were responsible for general administration. Administrative special forms initially formed the rule Kniphausen (from 1854 Amt Kniphausen) and the glory Dinklage (1826 to Amt Steinfeld). In 1824 there was the following administrative structure:

The division into circles was abolished in 1858. The number of offices was gradually reduced to six, last in 1933. The offices of Ammerland , Cloppenburg , Friesland , Oldenburg , Vechta and Wesermarsch became districts in 1939.

Prussia

After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the state of Prussia was divided into ten provinces with the ordinance of 30 April 1815 to improve the establishment of the provincial authorities , which, with the exception of East Prussia, West Prussia and Posen, were administrative units of Prussia and were part of the territory of the German Confederation . The provinces were divided into administrative districts and these in turn into districts and immediate cities.

Brandenburg Province

The districts in the province of Brandenburg were formed in 1816/17.

On October 1, 1920, Berlin, which had been expanded by incorporations, left the province of Brandenburg and was placed on an equal footing with the provinces.

Province of the Grand Duchy of Lower Rhine

The districts in the province of Grand Duchy of Lower Rhine were formed in 1816/18.

The province formed from June 22, 1822 together with the province of Jülich-Cleve-Berg the Rhine province .

Hanover Province

After the incorporation into Prussia, the previous administrative units ( control groups and offices ) initially remained in the province of Hanover . With effect from April 1, 1885, administrative units with the usual Prussian designation circle were formed.

Hesse-Nassau Province

After its incorporation into Prussia, the province was restructured by ordinance of February 22, 1867.

Jülich-Cleve-Berg Province

The districts in the Jülich-Cleve-Berg province were formed in 1816/18.

The province formed from June 22, 1822 together with the province of Grand Duchy of Lower Rhine the Rhine province .

East Prussia Province

The districts in the province of East Prussia were formed in 1816/18.

Pomeranian Province

The districts in the province of Pomerania were formed in 1816/18.

Poznan Province

The districts in the Posen Province were formed in 1816/18.

Province of Saxony

The districts in the province of Saxony were formed in 1816/18.

Province of Silesia

The districts in the province of Silesia were formed in 1816/18.

Schleswig-Holstein Province

The province of Schleswig-Holstein was divided into 19 districts and one urban district with effect from September 22, 1867. Initially, two administrative districts were formed. The Holstein administrative district was dissolved on October 1, 1868. Its districts were reclassified into the administrative district of Schleswig, which remained alone.

Province of Westphalia

The districts in the province of Westphalia were formed in 1816/18.

West Prussia Province

The districts in the province of West Prussia were formed in 1816/18.

Saxony

With effect from October 15, 1874, an administrative reform came into force in Saxony , with the full separation between the judiciary and the administration in the kingdom. The country was divided into four circular main teams divided, which Amtshauptmann teams were assigned and possibly prefecture-level cities.

Schaumburg-Lippe

On January 15, 1816, there were four offices and two independent cities in Schaumburg-Lippe .

  • Offices: Arensburg, Bückeburg, Hagenburg and Stadthagen
    Independent cities: Bückeburg and Stadthagen

On December 31, 1884, the offices of Bückeburg-Arensburg and Stadthagen-Hagenburg, which had existed since October 1, 1879, became 2 district administrative districts. Bückeburg and Stadthagen remained independent cities.

  • District office districts: Bückeburg-Arensburg from the Bückeburg-Arensburg office, Stadthagen-Hagenburg from the Stadthagen-Hagenburg office.
    Independent cities: Bückeburg and Stadthagen

On March 25, 1899, the two district administration districts were renamed into districts and the two independent cities were renamed the independent cities of Bückeburg and Stadthagen.

Thuringia

When it was founded on May 1, 1920, the state of Thuringia consisted of the administrative units that the predecessor states brought into the new state.

Thuringian countries

Reuss older line

As part of the separation of administration and justice, a district office was set up in Greiz for the entire principality on October 1, 1868 . In the Burgk exclave , the local judicial office took over some of the powers of the district administration.

Reuss younger line

In 1852 the principality was divided into three district offices.

People's State of Reuss

After the unification of the two Russian states to form the People's State of Reuss , three newly delimited district associations were set up on April 17, 1919 .

Saxony-Altenburg

The duchy was divided into two districts in 1826.

  • Districts: Eastern District (Altenburg District) and Western District (Saal-Eisenberg District)

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

The duchy was divided into two administrative districts in 1826.

Saxe-Coburg-Meiningen

In 1815 the duchy was divided into three administrative districts.

  • Administrative districts: communal rule, Oberland and Unterland

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

The duchy was divided into three principalities in 1815.

Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

The duchy was divided into two principalities in 1815.

Saxe-Meiningen-Hildburghausen

The duchy was divided into twelve administrative offices in addition to a residential town in 1826.

  • Administrative offices: Camburg, Eisfeld, Graefenthal, Heldburg, Hildburghausen, Kranichfeld, Meiningen, Römhild, Saalfeld, Salzungen, Sonneberg and Wasungen.
    Residence city: Meiningen

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

The duchy was divided into three districts in 1815.

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

The principality was divided into two administrative areas in 1815.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

The principality was divided into two administrative areas in 1815.

Waldeck

On April 27, 1850, the new circles were formed.

Württemberg

On January 1, 1818, the twelve regional bailiffs formed in 1810 were replaced by four districts. The Danube District , based in Ulm , the Jagst District , based in Ellwangen (Jagst) , the Neckar District , based in Ludwigsburg, and the Black Forest District , based in Reutlingen, emerged . There were a total of 64 upper offices, which were reduced to 63 in 1819 due to the incorporation of the upper office in Albeck into the higher office in Ulm.

The upper offices, which were formed in 1818 and corresponded to the later districts, were:

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ordinance sheet of the Duchy of Nassau dated June 7, 1816 ( online )
  2. ↑ Oldenburgischer Staats-Kalender 1824. S. 165 ff. , Accessed on August 16, 2011 .
  3. ^ Historical administrative structures of the state of Oldenburg
  4. ↑ Prussian ordinance on the formation of a district in the administrative districts of Cassel and Wiesbaden of March 11, 1867 (digitized version)
  5. ^ Law on the organization of the judicial and administrative authorities on September 1, 1868 . In: Collection of laws of the Principality of Reuss older line . tape 1868 , no. 20 . Greiz 1868, p. 277 ff . ( Digitized version ).
  6. ↑ Government ordinance on the law on the organization of judicial and administrative authorities . In: Collection of laws of the Principality of Reuss older line . tape 1868 , no. 51 . Greiz 1868, p. 524 ( digitized version ).
  7. ^ Ordinance on the organization of the administrative authorities of July 29, 1852 . In: Collection of laws for the Princely Reussian Lands younger line . tape 1852 , no. 129 . Schleiz 1852, p. 131 ff . ( Digitized version ).
  8. ^ Law on the unification of the two Free States of Reuss of April 4, 1919 . In: Collection of laws for both Free States of Reuss . tape 1919 , no. 5 . Greiz 1919, p. 27 ff . ( Digitized version ).
  9. ^ Edict on the division of the kingdom into four administrative districts of November 18, 1817

literature

Walther Hubatsch (Ed.): Outline of German administrative history 1815–1945 , Johann Gottfried Herder Institute, Marburg / Lahn;
Row A: Prussia ;

  • Volume 1: East and West Prussia , edited by Dieter Stüttgen, 1975, ISBN 3-87969-108-8 ,
  • Volume 2: Posen , 1975, ISBN 3-87969-109-6 ,
    • Part I: Province of Posen , edited by Dieter Stüttgen,
    • Part II: Province of Grenzmark Posen-West Prussia , edited by Walther Hubatsch,
  • Volume 3: Pomerania , edited by Dieter Stüttgen, 1975, ISBN 3-87969-115-0 ,
  • Volume 4: Silesia , edited by Dieter Stüttgen, Helmut Neubach and Walther Hubatsch, 1976, ISBN 3-87969-116-9 ,
  • Volume 5: Brandenburg , edited by Werner Vogel, 1975, ISBN 3-87969-117-7 ,
  • Volume 6: Province of Saxony , edited by Thomas Klein, 1975, ISBN 3-87969-118-5 ,
  • Volume 7: Rhineland , edited by Rüdiger Schütz, 1978, ISBN 3-87969-122-3 ,
  • Volume 8: Westphalia , edited by Walther Hubatsch, 1980, ISBN 3-87969-123-1 ,
  • Volume 9: Schleswig-Holstein , edited by Klaus Friedland and Kurt Jürgensen, 1977, ISBN 3-87969-124-X ,
  • Volume 10: Hanover , edited by Iselin Gundermann and Walther Hubatsch, 1981, ISBN 3-87969-125-8 ,
  • Volume 11: Hessen-Nassau , edited by Thomas Klein, 1979, ISBN 3-87969-126-6 ,
  • Volume 12: Prussia ; Part B, II: The Hohenzollern Lands , edited by Walther Hubatsch, 1978, ISBN 3-87969-127-4

Thomas Klein (Ed.): Outline of German Administrative History 1815–1945, Johann Gottfried Herder Institute, Marburg / Lahn;
Row B: Central Germany (except Prussia) ;

  • Volume 13: Mecklenburg , edited by Helge Bei der Wieden, 1976, ISBN 3-87969-128-2
  • Volume 14: Saxony , edited by Thomas Klein, 1982, ISBN 3-87969-129-0
  • Volume 15: Thuringia , edited by Thomas Klein, 1983, ISBN 3-87969-130-4
  • Volume 16: Central Germany (Smaller Countries) , 1981, ISBN 3-87969-131-2
    • Part I: Braunschweig , edited by Christoph Römer,
    • Part II: Anhalt , edited by Thomas Klein,
    • Part III: Lippe , edited by Walther Hubatsch and Thomas Klein,
    • Part IV: Schaumburg-Lippe , edited by Dieter Poestges,
    • Part V: Waldeck , edited by Thomas Klein
  • Volume 17: Hanseatic cities and Oldenburg , 1978, ISBN 3-87969-142-8
    • Part I: Lübeck , edited by Antjekathrin Graßmann,
    • Part II: Bremen , edited by Wilhelm Lührs,
    • Part III: Hamburg , edited by Heinz Postel,
    • Part IV: Oldenburg , edited by Stefan Hartmann

Wilhelm Volkert (Ed.): Handbook of Bavarian Offices, Municipalities and Courts 1799–1980 , Munich, 1983, ISBN 3-406-09669-7

See also