Historical list of all administrative districts of the Federal Republic of Germany

This list shows all administrative districts and administrative units at the same administrative level that ever existed or still exist in the Federal Republic of Germany .

Abbreviations

A = resolution
ÄL = change of nationality
ÄNr = change of the key number
B = entry into the Federal Republic of Germany
BV = district administration
E = inclusion
GA = exchange of territory
N = new formation
NÄ = name change
TA = outsourcing of a part (partial outsourcing)
TE = integration of a part (part integration)
U = reclassification
(grt) = mostly
(t) = partially
= current administrative district

list

Administrative district	No.	date	measure
Aachen	05 4	May 23, 1949	B.
		01/01/1972	TA> Cologne
		08/01/1972	A> Cologne
Arnsberg	05 8 ^I.05 9 ^I.	May 23, 1949	B.
Arnsberg	^II05 9 ^II	01/01/1975	GA <> Münster
Aurich	03 6	May 23, 1949	B.
Aurich	03 6	02/01/1978	A> Weser-Ems
Baden, regional district		May 23, 1949	B; BV in Karlsruhe
Baden, regional district		04/25/1952	ÄL> Baden-Württemberg ; NE> North Baden
Braunschweig, administrative district	^II03 1 ^II	02/01/1978	N < Braunschweig administrative district , Hildesheim (t) and Lüneburg (t)
Braunschweig, administrative district	^II03 1 ^II	01/01/2005	A> Lower Saxony
Braunschweig, administrative district	03 7	May 23, 1949	B.
		07/01/1972	GA <> Hildesheim ; TA> Lüneburg
		03/01/1974	GA <> Hildesheim
		02/01/1978	A> Braunschweig
Chemnitz, administrative district	14 5	08/01/2008	N < Chemnitz and Leipzig (t)
Chemnitz, administrative district	14 5	03/01/2012	A> Saxony
Chemnitz, administrative district	¹14 0 ¹	01/01/1991	N < Saxony
	14 1	December 31, 1995	ÄNr
	14 1	08/01/2008	A> Chemnitz district
Darmstadt	06 1	May 23, 1949	B.
		05/06/1968	E < Wiesbaden
		07/01/1974	TA> Kassel
	06 4	01/01/1981	TA> casting
Dessau	15 1	10/03/1990	N < Saxony-Anhalt
Dessau	15 1	01/01/2004	A> Saxony-Anhalt
Detmold	05 7	May 23, 1949	B.
Detmold	05 7	01/01/1973	TE < Münster
Dresden, administrative district	14 6	08/01/2008	N < Dresden
Dresden, administrative district	14 6	03/01/2012	A> Saxony
Dresden, administrative district	²14 0 ²	01/01/1991	N < Saxony
	14 2	December 31, 1995	ÄNr
	14 2	08/01/2008	A> Dresden district
Dusseldorf	^I.05 1 ^I 05 2	May 23, 1949	B.
Dusseldorf	^II05 1 ^II	01/01/1975	GA <> Münster ; TA> Cologne
Freiburg	^II08 3 ^II	01/01/1973	N < South Baden (t) and South Württemberg-Hohenzollern (t)
to water	06 5	01/01/1981	N < Darmstadt (t) and Kassel (t)
Hall	15 2	10/03/1990	N < Saxony-Anhalt
Hall	15 2	01/01/2004	A> Saxony-Anhalt
Hanover	^I.03 1 ^I.	May 23, 1949	B.
	^I.03 1 ^I.	03/01/1974	TE < Lueneburg
	^II03 2 ^II	02/01/1978	TE < Hildesheim
	^II03 2 ^II	01/01/2005	A> Lower Saxony
Hildesheim	^I.03 2 ^I.	May 23, 1949	B.
		07/01/1972	GA <> Braunschweig administrative district
		03/01/1974	GA <> Braunschweig administrative district
		02/01/1978	A> Braunschweig and Hanover
Karlsruhe	^II08 2 ^II	01/01/1973	N < North Baden (t), North Württemberg (t), South Baden (t) and South Württemberg-Hohenzollern (t)
kassel	06 2	May 23, 1949	B.
	06 2	07/01/1974	TE < Darmstadt
	06 6	01/01/1981	TA> casting
Koblenz	07 1	May 23, 1949	B.
		10/01/1968	E < Montabaur
		06/07/1969	TA> Rheinhessen-Pfalz
		01/01/2000	A> Rhineland-Palatinate
Cologne	05 3	May 23, 1949	B.
		01/01/1972	TE < Aachen
		08/01/1972	E < Aachen
		01/01/1975	TE < Düsseldorf
Leipzig, administrative district	14 7	08/01/2008	N < Leipzig (t)
Leipzig, administrative district	14 7	03/01/2012	A> Saxony
Leipzig, administrative district	¹14 0 ³	01/01/1991	N < Saxony
	14 3	December 31, 1995	ÄNr
	14 3	08/01/2008	A> Chemnitz and Leipzig directorate (grt)
Luneburg	03 3	May 23, 1949	B.
		07/01/1972	TE < Braunschweig administrative district
		03/01/1974	TA> Hanover
		02/01/1978	E < Stade ; TA> Braunschweig
		06/30/1993	U < Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
		01/01/2005	A> Lower Saxony
Magdeburg	15 3	10/03/1990	N < Saxony-Anhalt
Magdeburg	15 3	01/01/2004	A> Saxony-Anhalt
Middle Franconia	09 5	May 23, 1949	BV in Ansbach
Middle Franconia	09 5	07/01/1972	TE < Upper Franconia ; TA> Upper Bavaria
Montabaur	^I.07 3 ^I.	May 23, 1949	B.
Montabaur	^I.07 3 ^I.	10/01/1968	A> Koblenz district
Muenster	^I.05 5 ^I 05 6	May 23, 1949	B.
	^I.05 5 ^I 05 6	01/01/1973	TA> Detmold
	^II05 5 ^II	01/01/1975	GA <> Arnsberg
Lower Bavaria	09 2	May 23, 1949	BV in Regensburg
		1959	BV in Landshut
		07/01/1972	TA> Upper Palatinate
North Baden	^I.08 2 ^I.	04/25/1952	ÄL < Württemberg-Baden ; NÄ < Baden district ; BV in Karlsruhe
North Baden	^I.08 2 ^I.	01/01/1973	A> Karlsruhe (grt) and Stuttgart
North Württemberg	^I.08 1 ^I.	04/25/1952	ÄL < Württemberg-Baden ; NÄ < State District of Württemberg ; BV in Stuttgart
North Württemberg	^I.08 1 ^I.	01/01/1973	A> Karlsruhe , Stuttgart (grt) and Tübingen
Upper Bavaria	09 1	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Munich
Upper Bavaria	09 1	07/01/1972	TE < Middle Franconia and Upper Palatinate ; GA <> Swabia
Upper Franconia	09 4	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Bayreuth
Upper Franconia	09 4	07/01/1972	TA> Middle Franconia
Upper Palatinate	09 3	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Landshut
Upper Palatinate	09 3	07/01/1972	TE < Lower Bavaria ; TA> Upper Bavaria
Oldenburg, administrative district	03 8	May 23, 1949	B.
Oldenburg, administrative district	03 8	02/01/1978	A> Weser-Ems
Osnabrück	03 5	May 23, 1949	B.
Osnabrück	03 5	02/01/1978	A> Weser-Ems
Palatinate	07 5	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Speyer
Palatinate	07 5	10/01/1968	A> Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Rheinhessen	07 4	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Mainz
Rheinhessen	07 4	10/01/1968	A> Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Rheinhessen-Palatinate	^II07 3 ^II	10/01/1968	N < Palatinate and Rheinhessen ; BV in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
		06/07/1969	TE < Koblenz
		01/01/2000	A> Rhineland-Palatinate
Swabia	09 7	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Augsburg
Swabia	09 7	07/01/1972	GA <> Upper Bavaria
Stade	^I.03 4 ^I.	May 23, 1949	B.
Stade	^I.03 4 ^I.	02/01/1978	A> Lueneburg
Stuttgart	^II08 1 ^II	01/01/1973	N < North Baden (t) and North Württemberg (t)
South Baden	^I.08 3 ^I.	04/25/1952	ÄL < bathing ; BV in Freiburg im Breisgau
South Baden	^I.08 3 ^I.	01/01/1973	A> Freiburg (grt), Karlsruhe and Tübingen
South Württemberg-Hohenzollern	^I.08 4 ^I.	04/25/1952	ÄL < Württemberg-Hohenzollern ; BV in Tübingen
South Württemberg-Hohenzollern	^I.08 4 ^I.	01/01/1973	A> Freiburg , Karlsruhe and Tübingen (grt)
trier	07 2	May 23, 1949	B.
trier	07 2	01/01/2000	A> Rhineland-Palatinate
Tübingen	^II08 4 ^II	01/01/1973	N < North Württemberg (t), South Baden (t) and South Württemberg-Hohenzollern (t)
Lower Franconia	09 6	May 23, 1949	B; BV in Würzburg
Weser-Ems	^II03 4 ^II	02/01/1978	N < Aurich , Oldenburg and Osnabrück ; BV in Oldenburg (Oldenburg)
Weser-Ems	^II03 4 ^II	01/01/2005	A> Lower Saxony
Wiesbaden	06 3	May 23, 1949	B.
Wiesbaden	06 3	05/06/1968	A> Darmstadt
Württemberg, state district		May 23, 1949	B.
Württemberg, state district		04/25/1952	ÄL> Baden-Württemberg ; NE> North Württemberg ; BV in Stuttgart

Remarks

↑ ^a ^b In the state of Württemberg-Baden, the state district was the correct name for the administrative districts.
↑ ^a ^b The administrative districts had more rights than the administrative districts in Lower Saxony. They are the successors of the originally independent states of Braunschweig and Oldenburg, even if they were not completely absorbed by them.
↑ The administrative district and the district of Braunschweig then included the distant exclave Thedinghausen, which is now part of the district of Verden.
↑ ^a ^b The administrative districts of Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate were officially independent of each other. However, they were administered together until 1959.
↑ ^a ^b The district and the independent city of Lindau (Lake Constance) were initially administered from Tübingen (Land Württemberg-Hohenzollern) as they belonged to the French occupation zone. The complete reorganization from the administrative region of Südwürttemberg-Hohenzollern into the administrative region of Swabia did not take place until September 1, 1955.

Number of administrative districts

date	Country (state)	Change	Names of the affected districts	number
May 23, 1949	Federal Republic of Germany			31
04/25/1952	Baden-Württemberg	+ 2	South Baden , South Württemberg-Hohenzollern	33
05/06/1968	Hesse	- 1	Wiesbaden	32
10/01/1968	Rhineland-Palatinate	- 2nd	Montabaur , Rheinhessen	30th
08/01/1972	North Rhine-Westphalia	- 1	Aachen	29
02/01/1978	Lower Saxony	- 4th	Aurich , Hildesheim , Osnabrück , Stade	25th
01/01/1981	Hesse	+ 1	to water	26th
10/03/1990	Saxony-Anhalt	+ 3	Dessau , Halle , Magdeburg	29
01/01/1991	Saxony	+ 3	Chemnitz , Dresden , Leipzig	32
01/01/2000	Rhineland-Palatinate	- 3	Koblenz , Rheinhessen-Palatinate , Trier	29
01/01/2004	Saxony-Anhalt	- 3	Dessau , Halle , Magdeburg	26th
01/01/2005	Lower Saxony	- 4th	Braunschweig , Hildesheim , Lüneburg , Weser-Ems	22nd
03/01/2012	Saxony	- 3	Chemnitz , Dresden , Leipzig	19th

Number of countries with administrative districts

date	measure	Change	number
May 23, 1949	Establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany; Districts in Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Württemberg-Baden		6th
10/03/1990	Integration of the new states into the Federal Republic of Germany; Formation of the administrative districts in Saxony-Anhalt	+ 1	7th
01/01/1991	Formation of the administrative districts in Saxony	+ 1	8th
01/01/2000	Dissolution of the administrative districts in Rhineland-Palatinate	- 1	7th
01/01/2004	Dissolution of the administrative districts in Saxony-Anhalt	- 1	6th
01/01/2005	Dissolution of the administrative districts in Lower Saxony	- 1	5
03/01/2012	Dissolution of the administrative districts in Saxony	- 1	4th

There are currently administrative districts in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.