Große Kreisstadt: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Latest revision as of 14:52, 20 August 2024

Große Kreisstadt (German: [ˈɡʁoːsə ˈkʁaɪsˌʃtat], "major district town") is a term in the municipal law (Gemeindeordnung) of several German states.^[1] In some federal states the term is used as a special legal status for a district-affiliated town—as distinct from an independent city—with additional competences in comparison with other municipalities of the district. The title is based on sovereign conferment by the state government.

Administration rules

The term is officially used and quoted. In different German federal states (Bundesländer) there are different laws and administration rules about when exactly a town can obtain this status but they do not differ very much. The mayor of a Große Kreisstadt usually bears the title of an Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor).

At the moment reforms are being discussed in some states. It is not a main goal of these reforms to make the rules more similar; on the contrary, the district towns are thought to be important in order to preserve the existing regional diversity. In Germany federal states have very similar administration rules, so they are not always comparable to U.S. states for example.

Große Kreisstädte in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony

District-affiliated municipalities may apply for the status of a Große Kreisstadt, conferred by decree of the state's interior ministry. Assuming certain sovereign functions of the district, the municipal authorities have to ensure they are able to carry out the assigned responsibilities. In the state of Baden-Württemberg, the necessary population to obtain this status is 20,000. In Bavaria 30,000 inhabitants are necessary;^[2] in Saxony, the minimum population is 17,500 (until 2008: 20,000). Usually, the motion is accepted.

The status of a Große Kreisstadt was first implemented by the Baden-Württemberg Gemeindeordnung on 1 April 1956, followed by Bavaria, where in the course of a 1972 administrative reform, the status was conferred to 23 former independent cities regardless of the population. The smallest Große Kreisstadt is Rothenburg ob der Tauber with about 10,900 inhabitants. Further conferments require a quorum of 30,000, however, in 1998 the historic imperial cities of Dinkelsbühl and Donauwörth were elevated by Bavarian state law, though they did not reach the necessary number of inhabitants. Currently, there are 93 Große Kreisstädte in Baden-Württemberg, 29 in Bavaria, and 50 in Saxony.

Comparable towns in other states

In some German states other terms are used, for example Große selbständige Stadt in Lower Saxony, conclusively assigned by law to the towns of Celle, Cuxhaven, Goslar, Hameln, Hildesheim, Lingen and Lüneburg in the course of the 1970s administrative reform. District-affiliated municipalities with a population of more than 30,000 hold the status of a Selbständige Gemeinde, territorial authorities with more than 20,000 inhabitants could apply for conferment by the Lower Saxon state government.

In the states of Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the status of a Große kreisangehörige Stadt is conferred by the state government to municipalities with a certain population (Brandenburg: 35,000; North Rhine-Westphalia: 60,000; Rhineland-Palatinate: 25,000). In Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, there are also Mittlere kreisangehörige Städte with a population of more than 25,000. In Thuringia, a district-affiliated local authority ensuring adequate administrative and financial parameters may apply for the status. In 2005 the Schleswig-Holstein government declared Norderstedt in Segeberg District (part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region) a Große kreisangehörige Stadt.

In Saarland, the towns of Sankt Ingbert and Völklingen hold the comparable status of a district-affiliated Mittelstadt. In Hesse, seven towns with a population of more than 50,000 obtained the status of a Sonderstatusstadt: Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Fulda, Giessen, Hanau, Marburg, Rüsselsheim and Wetzlar.

Saxony-Anhalt has no Große Kreisstädte and instead provides a largely homogenous range of servies by the different levels of local government.^[3]

References

^ Pahl-Weber, Elke; Landesplanung (Germany), Akademie für Raumforschung und (2008). The Planning System and Planning Terms in Germany: A Glossary. Acad. for Spatial Research and Planning. ISBN 978-3-88838-233-8.
^ Hirsch, Bernhard; Nitzl, Christian; Schauß, Joachim (2015). "The Influence of Management Accounting Departments Within German Municipal Administrations". Financial Accountability & Management. 31 (2): 192–218. doi:10.1111/faam.12052. ISSN 1468-0408. S2CID 154680890.
^ Haug, Peter (2013). "Grant Dependence, Regulation and the Effects of Formula-based Grant Systems on German Local Governments: A Data Report for Saxony-Anhalt". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[1] Pahl-Weber, Elke; Landesplanung (Germany), Akademie für Raumforschung und (2008). The Planning System and Planning Terms in Germany: A Glossary. Acad. for Spatial Research and Planning. ISBN 978-3-88838-233-8.

[2] Hirsch, Bernhard; Nitzl, Christian; Schauß, Joachim (2015). "The Influence of Management Accounting Departments Within German Municipal Administrations". Financial Accountability & Management. 31 (2): 192–218. doi:10.1111/faam.12052. ISSN 1468-0408. S2CID 154680890.

[3] Haug, Peter (2013). "Grant Dependence, Regulation and the Effects of Formula-based Grant Systems on German Local Governments: A Data Report for Saxony-Anhalt". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Administrative divisions of Germany|small=yes}}
-{{Unreferenced|date=December 2006}}
+{{Politics of Germany}}
+'''''Große Kreisstadt''''' ({{IPA|de|ˈɡʁoːsə ˈkʁaɪsˌʃtat|lang}}, "major district town") is a term in the [[municipal law]] (''[[Gemeindeordnung]]'') of several [[States of Germany|German states]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Pahl-Weber|first1=Elke|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFPaAAAAMAAJ|title=The Planning System and Planning Terms in Germany: A Glossary|last2=Landesplanung (Germany)|first2=Akademie für Raumforschung und|date=2008|publisher=Acad. for Spatial Research and Planning|isbn=978-3-88838-233-8|language=en}}</ref> In some federal states the term is used as a special legal status for a [[Districts of Germany|district]]-affiliated [[town]]—as distinct from an [[independent city]]—with additional competences in comparison with other [[Municipalities of Germany|municipalities]] of the district. The title is based on sovereign conferment by the state government.
+==Administration rules==
-'''Große Kreisstadt''' ([[German language|German]] for ''major district town'' or ''major county town'') is a term in the German municipal law. In some German federal states the term is used as a special legal status for district-affiliated cities or towns with additional competences in comparison with other municipalities or towns of the district. The title is based on souvereign conferment.
+The term is officially used and quoted. In different German federal states (''Bundesländer'') there are different laws and administration rules about when exactly a town can obtain this status but they do not differ very much. The [[mayor]] of a ''Große Kreisstadt'' usually bears the title of an ''Oberbürgermeister'' (Lord Mayor).
+At the moment reforms are being discussed in some states. It is not a main goal of these reforms to make the rules more similar; on the contrary, the district towns are thought to be important in order to preserve the existing regional diversity. In Germany federal states have very similar administration rules, so they are not always comparable to [[U.S. state]]s for example.
-<!--
-== Große Kreisstädte in the German States ==
-=== Baden-Württemberg ===
+== ''Große Kreisstädte'' in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony ==
+District-affiliated municipalities may apply for the status of a ''Große Kreisstadt'', conferred by decree of the state's interior ministry. Assuming certain sovereign functions of the district, the municipal authorities have to ensure they are able to carry out the assigned responsibilities. In the state of [[Baden-Württemberg]], the necessary population to obtain this status is 20,000. In [[Bavaria]] 30,000 inhabitants are necessary;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hirsch|first1=Bernhard|last2=Nitzl|first2=Christian|last3=Schauß|first3=Joachim|date=2015|title=The Influence of Management Accounting Departments Within German Municipal Administrations|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/faam.12052|journal=Financial Accountability & Management|language=en|volume=31|issue=2|pages=192–218|doi=10.1111/faam.12052|s2cid=154680890|issn=1468-0408}}</ref> in [[Saxony]], the minimum population is 17,500 (until 2008: 20,000). Usually, the motion is accepted.
-necessary population for the status: 20,000
+The status of a ''Große Kreisstadt'' was first implemented by the Baden-Württemberg ''Gemeindeordnung'' on 1 April 1956, followed by Bavaria, where in the course of a 1972 administrative reform, the status was conferred to 23 former independent cities regardless of the population. The smallest ''Große Kreisstadt'' is [[Rothenburg ob der Tauber]] with about 10,900 inhabitants. Further conferments require a quorum of 30,000, however, in 1998 the historic [[Free imperial city|imperial cities]] of [[Dinkelsbühl]] and [[Donauwörth]] were elevated by Bavarian state law, though they did not reach the necessary number of inhabitants. Currently, there are 93 ''Große Kreisstädte'' in Baden-Württemberg, 29 in Bavaria, and 50 in Saxony.
-=== Bavaria ===
-,000 inhabitants necessary
+== Comparable towns in other states ==
-=== Saxony ===
+In some German states other terms are used, for example ''Große selbständige Stadt'' in [[Lower Saxony]], conclusively assigned by law to the towns of [[Celle]], [[Cuxhaven]], [[Goslar]], [[Hameln]], [[Hildesheim]], [[Lingen, Germany|Lingen]] and [[Lüneburg]] in the course of the 1970s administrative reform. District-affiliated municipalities with a population of more than 30,000 hold the status of a ''Selbständige Gemeinde'', territorial authorities with more than 20,000 inhabitants could apply for conferment by the Lower Saxon state government.
-,000 inhabitants necessary
--->
+In the states of [[Brandenburg]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], the status of a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' is conferred by the state government to municipalities with a certain population (Brandenburg: 35,000; North Rhine-Westphalia: 60,000; Rhineland-Palatinate: 25,000). In Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, there are also ''Mittlere kreisangehörige Städte'' with a population of more than 25,000. In [[Thuringia]], a district-affiliated local authority ensuring adequate administrative and financial parameters may apply for the status. In 2005 the [[Schleswig-Holstein]] government declared [[Norderstedt]] in [[Segeberg]] District (part of the [[Hamburg Metropolitan Region]]) a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt''.
-==Administration rules==
-The term is officially used and quoted. In different German federal states there are different laws and administration rules about when exactly a town can become a "Große Kreisstadt" but they do not differ very much. In some German states other terms are used, for example "Große selbständige Stadt". At the moment reforms are discussed in some states. It is not a main goal of these reforms to make the rules more similar, in opposite, the district towns are thought to be important to keep the existing diversity of regions. In Germany federal states have very similar administration rules, so the states (Bundesland) are not always comparable to US states for example.
+In [[Saarland]], the towns of [[Sankt Ingbert]] and [[Völklingen]] hold the comparable status of a district-affiliated ''Mittelstadt''. In [[Hesse]], seven towns with a population of more than 50,000 obtained the status of a ''Sonderstatusstadt'': [[Bad Homburg vor der Höhe]], [[Fulda]], [[Giessen]], [[Hanau]], [[Marburg]], [[Rüsselsheim]] and [[Wetzlar]].
+[[Saxony-Anhalt]] has no ''Große Kreisstädte'' and instead provides a largely homogenous range of servies by the different levels of local government.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haug|first=Peter|date=2013|title=Grant Dependence, Regulation and the Effects of Formula-based Grant Systems on German Local Governments: A Data Report for Saxony-Anhalt|url=https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/iwhdps/iwh-2-13.html|language=en}}</ref>
-{{Germany-stub}}
+== References ==
-[[als:Große Kreisstadt]]
+{{Reflist}}{{Authority control}}
-[[de:Große Kreisstadt]]
-[[fr:Große Kreisstadt]]
-[[it:Grande città circondariale]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosse Kreisstadt}}
-[[Category:German law]]
+[[Category:Law of Germany]]
+[[Category:Local government in Germany]]