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Regierungsbezirke as from 1st of August 2008. In the map there are also shown the former RB Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt

A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states (Bundesländer). It is responsible (above) for the districts (Kreise), either Landkreise or urban districts: cities which constitute a district in their own right (kreisfreie Städte).^[1] The Regierungsbezirk is governed by a Bezirksregierung and led by a Regierungspräsident.

History

The first Regierungsbezirke were created by the Kingdom of Prussia, which divided its provinces into 25 Regierungsbezirke in in 1808/16. The Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia are in direct continuation of those created in 1815. Other states of the German Empire created similar entities, named Kreishauptmannschaft (in Saxony) or Kreis (in Bavaria and Württemberg) (not to be confused with the Kreis or Landkreis today). During the Third Reich, the Nazi government unified the naming; since then all these entities are called Regierungsbezirk.

On January 1, 2000 Rhineland-Palatinate disbanded its three Regierungsbezirke Koblenz, Rheinhessen-Pfalz and Trier - the employees and assets of the three Bezirksregierungen were converted into three public authorities responsible for the whole state, each covering a part of the former responsibilities of the Bezirksregierung.

On January 1, 2004, Saxony-Anhalt disbanded its three Regierungsbezirke: Dessau, Halle and Magdeburg. The responsibilities are now covered by a Landesverwaltungsamt with three offices at the former seats of the Bezirksregierungen.

On January 1, 2005, Lower Saxony disbanded its four Regierungsbezirke: Braunschweig, Hanover, Lüneburg, and Weser-Ems.

In 2005, North Rhine-Westphalia planned to abolish its five Regierungsbezirke and create three self-government entities. The old, "Prussian-style", Regierungsbezirk had no self-government organs. In conclusion this is the most famous region.

Local existence

Not all Bundesländer have this subdivision; some are directly divided into districts. Currently, five states are divided into 22 Regierungsbezirke, ranging in population from 5,255,000 (Düsseldorf) to 1,065,000 (Gießen):

• Baden-Württemberg: Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Tübingen
• Bavaria: Oberbayern, Niederbayern, Oberpfalz, Oberfranken, Mittelfranken, Unterfranken, Schwaben
• Hessen: Darmstadt, Gießen, Kassel
• North Rhine-Westphalia: Arnsberg, Cologne, Detmold, Düsseldorf, Münster
• Saxony: Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig

References

External links

• Media related to Regierungsbezirk at Wikimedia Commons

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