Municipalities ( German : Gemeinden , pronounced [ɡəˌmaɪ̯ndn̩] ; singular Gemeinde ) are the lowest level of official territorial division in Germany . This can be the second, third, fourth or fifth level of territorial division, depending on the status of the municipality and the Land (federal state) it is part of. The city-states Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are second-level divisions. A Gemeinde is one level lower in those states which also include Regierungsbezirke (singular: Regierungsbezirk ) as an intermediate territorial division (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia). The Gemeinde is one level higher if it is not part of a Gemeindeverband ("municipal association").
9-403: Pfarrkirchen is a municipality in southern Lower Bavaria Germany, the capital of the district Rottal-Inn . It has about 12,500 inhabitants and is an important school centre with about 10,000 pupils from all over Lower Bavaria. The town spreads over an area of about 52 square kilometers and lies approximately 377 meters above sea level. Pfarrkirchen lies at the small river " Rott ", which gives
18-616: A higher measure of autonomy than the other municipalities of the Kreis (e.g. Große Kreisstadt ). Municipalities titled Stadt (town or city) are urban municipalities while those titled Gemeinde are classified as rural municipalities. With more than 3,600,000 inhabitants, the most populous municipality of Germany is the city of Berlin ; and the least populous is Gröde in Schleswig-Holstein . Status as of January 2024. The number of municipalities of Germany has decreased strongly over
27-502: A regular basis. Elections for the municipal councils ( Kommunalwahlen ) take place every 4 years in Bremen, every 6 years in Bavaria and every 5 years in all other states. The office of mayor is full-time ( hauptamtlich ) in larger municipalities, and voluntary ( ehrenamtlich ) in smaller municipalities, for instance those that are part of a municipal association. Mayors are elected for
36-576: The "Rottal" region its name. One of Pfarrkirchen's important industries include abattoirs which is due to the rural environment. The first settlers came to Pfarrkirchen some 7,000 years ago, as excavations in Untergaiching (a small suburb) prove. The first official written document where the name "Pharrachiricha" is mentioned, appeared in between 875 and 899 AD by the Catholic Bishop "Engilmar". The name means "parish church". In 1262 Pfarrkirchen and
45-570: The high status of horse breeding in the Rottal region. Pfarrkirchen also possesses Bavaria's oldest Harness Racing Track , where horse races have been held since 1894. Municipalities of Germany The highest degree of autonomy may be found in the Gemeinden which are not part of a Kreis ("district"). These Gemeinden are referred to as Kreisfreie Städte or Stadtkreise , often translated as "urban district". In some states they retained
54-579: The nearby "Castle Reichenberg" passed into the possession of the Bavarian dynasty Wittelsbach , who granted the village the right to hold public markets in 1317. Since 1862 Pfarrkirchen can officially call itself a town, and in 1972 it became the capital of the district Rottal-Inn . The town's best known landmark is the "Gartlbergkirche", a pilgrimage church for the Virgin Mary . It was built upon Pfarrkirchen's highest hill in between 1661 and 1715, according to
63-538: The plans of the Italian architect Domenico Zuccali. The two towers of the Baroque Church dominate the town's scenery and can be seen even from miles away. Another well known sight of Pfarrkirchen is the so-called "Wimmer-Roß", an oversized bronze statue, which is located at the heart of the town, showing a black stallion. It was built in 1942 by the sculptor Hans Wimmer, who donated the statue to his hometown. It symbolizes
72-494: The same time, many districts and also urban districts were merged into larger districts. There are several types of municipalities in Germany, with different levels of autonomy. Each federal state has its own administrative laws, and its own local government structure. The main types of municipalities are: In all municipalities, the mayor and the members of the municipal council are appointed by local elections that take place on
81-587: The years: in 1968 there were 24,282 municipalities in West Germany , and in 1980 there were 8,409. The same trend occurred in the New states of Germany after the German reunification: from 7,612 municipalities in 1990 to 2,380 as of 1 January 2024. While in some cases growing cities absorbed neighbouring municipalities, most of these mergers were driven by a need to increase the efficiency and reduce costs of administration. At
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