History and structure of local governments in Germany Jakub Romanowski Aleksandra Zdunek

Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres and about 82 million inhabitants. Germany’s capital city is Berlin. It is a member of the European Union.Germany is a democratic, federal parliamentary republic, and federal legislative power is vested in the Bundestag (the parliament of Germany) and the Bundesrat (the representative body of the Länder, Germany's regional states).

History of constitutional framework The structure and authority of Germany’s government are derived from the country’s constitution, the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). It went into force on May 23, 1949, after formal consent to the establishment of the Federal Republic (then known as West Germany) had been given by the military governments of the Western occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and upon the agreement of the parliaments of the Länder (states) to form the Bund (federation). West Germany then comprised 11 states and West Berlin, which was given the special status of a state without voting rights.

Five levels of government The European Union (or EU). The Federation or national government. The sixteen Länder. The rural districts or counties (Landkreise) and the urban districts or independent towns; The towns and municipalities, which are parts of a district or perhaps suburbs of an urban district.

Germany is a federal parliamentary democracy, made up of 16 states Germany is a federal parliamentary democracy, made up of 16 states. Within the federal system an array of different state and local government systems exist. Largely for historical reasons, there is no common system across Germany. The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, the federal constitution, stipulates that the structure of each Federated States government must "conform to the principles of republican, democratic, and social government, based on the rule of law".

Apart from Lands, Germany is divided into smaller government units as well as self-government units. The division is not the same in every Land, as evidenced by historical and cultural conditions. In simplified terms, the hierarchy of assisting units is as follows: - Lands (Länder) - 16 federal states which are national parliaments - Counties (Kreise) - ranging from 60 to 600 thousands of the population, currently 294 counties. Districts are individual and self-governmental as well as governmental. At the head of each is the starosta as well as the organ of territorial self-government

- Communities (Gemeinde) - local government units - Communities (Gemeinde) - local government units. Municipalities may have the status of a municipality, a town or a market. In municipalities the legislative body is the council, which comes from the general election. The mayor is the head of the council. In northern Germany the mayor is also the chairman of the board she has chosen. In Germany, however, the mayor is elected by the citizens, not the council. In some cases there are several mayors, the most important of which is the mayor or the first mayor.

Local governments’ functions Länder have their own ministerial governments and legislatures. They have primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order; jurisdiction over their own finances, taxes, and administration; and supreme authority in education and other cultural activities. Through the Bundesrat, the Länder have considerable influence in federal legislation. Bundesrat in Berlin

Communes (Gemeinden) are the basic units of local government, apart from the municipalities, and have the right to regulate such local matters as those involving schools, building, cultural affairs, and welfare. Halfway between the Länder and the communes are the counties (Landkreise), which have autonomy in such matters as road building, transportation, and hospitals. They are administered by a Landrat, the chief official, and a Kreistag (country legislature).

States (Länder) - 16 Counties (Landkreise) - 294 Communes - 11054

Local government In all but one of the 16 Lands, the council system exists whereby each local government, in the form of the municipal council, is generally elected on a five year term, though this can vary between four and six years. Each Land elects a regional parliament, or Landtag, this in turn appoints an administration (Landsregierung) headed by a minister-president (Ministerpräsident).

The Lands are responsible for areas such as culture, education, environment and policing, with a number of shared responsibilities with the federal government over legal and penal issues. Common responsibilities include also planning, water management, social welfare and the building and maintenance of schools.

Most of the states are governed by a cabinet led by a Ministerpräsident (minister-president), together with a unicameral legislative body known as the Landtag (State Diet). The states are parliamentary republics and the relationship between their legislative and executive branches mirrors that of the federal system: the legislatures are popularly elected for four or five years (depending on the state), and the minister-president is then chosen by a majority vote among the Landtags members. The minister-president appoints a cabinet to run the state's agencies and to carry out the executive duties of the state's government.

The governments in Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are the "senates" The governments in Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are the "senates". In the three free states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia, the government is the "state government" (Staatsregierung); and in the other ten states, the "Land government" (Landesregierung). The states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg are governed slightly differently from the other states. State government in Munich

In each of those cities, the executive branch consists of a Senate of approximately eight, selected by the state's parliament; the senators carry out duties equivalent to those of the ministers in the larger states. The equivalent of the minister-president is the president of the senate in Bremen, the first mayor in Hamburg, and the governing mayor in Berlin. The parliament for Berlin is called the House of Representatives, while Bremen and Hamburg both have a Bürgerschaft. The parliaments in the remaining 13 states are referred to as Landtag (State Parliament).

Parliament of Bremen

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