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Rural districts of Germany facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Germany is split into many different areas for local government. There are 401 of these areas in total. This article focuses on the 294 rural districts (called Landkreise in German). Besides these, there are also 107 urban districts (called Kreisfreie Städte or Stadtkreise). You can find a list of these urban districts in List of German urban districts.

What are Rural Districts?

Urban districts are like big cities or towns that manage their own local government. Think of them as cities that handle all their own services.

Rural districts, on the other hand, help out smaller towns and villages in a larger area. They make sure these smaller places get important services. For example, a rural district might organize the fire brigade or manage cemeteries for several small towns.

How Towns and Villages Work Together

In some parts of Germany, smaller towns and villages within a rural district team up even more. They form groups called Ämter. This happens when towns are too small to provide all the services they need on their own.

If a town is big enough to handle its own local matters, it might be "amtfrei." This means it does not need to be part of an Amt.

Bigger Government Areas

Some German states have another level of government above the districts. This is called a Regierungsbezirk or governmental district. A Regierungsbezirk brings together several urban and rural districts.

These larger areas help with bigger tasks. For instance, they might plan how land is used across many districts. This helps make sure everything works well together in a larger region.

List of Rural Districts

Germany has many rural districts, each with its own capital city. Here is a table showing some of these districts, the state they are in, and their capital.

Landkreis Bundesland (State) Capital
Aachen North Rhine-Westphalia Aachen¹
Ahrweiler Rhineland-Palatinate Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Aichach-Friedberg Bavaria Aichach
Alb-Donau Baden-Württemberg Ulm¹
Altenburger Land Thuringia Altenburg
Altenkirchen Rhineland-Palatinate Altenkirchen
Altmarkkreis Salzwedel Saxony-Anhalt Salzwedel
Altötting Bavaria Altötting
Alzey-Worms Rhineland-Palatinate Alzey
Amberg-Sulzbach Bavaria Amberg¹
Ammerland Lower Saxony Westerstede
Anhalt-Bitterfeld Saxony-Anhalt Köthen (Anhalt)
Annaberg Saxony Annaberg-Buchholz
Ansbach Bavaria Ansbach¹
Aschaffenburg Bavaria Aschaffenburg¹
Aue-Schwarzenberg Saxony Aue
Augsburg Bavaria Augsburg¹
Aurich Lower Saxony Aurich
Bad Doberan Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Bad Doberan
Bad Dürkheim Rhineland-Palatinate Bad Dürkheim
Bad Kissingen Bavaria Bad Kissingen
Bad Kreuznach Rhineland-Palatinate Bad Kreuznach
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen Bavaria Bad Tölz
Bamberg Bavaria Bamberg¹
Barnim Brandenburg Eberswalde
Bautzen Saxony Bautzen
Bayreuth Bavaria Bayreuth¹
Bentheim Lower Saxony Nordhorn
Berchtesgadener Land Bavaria Bad Reichenhall
Bergstraße Hesse Heppenheim
Bernkastel-Wittlich Rhineland-Palatinate Wittlich
Biberach Baden-Württemberg Biberach
Birkenfeld Rhineland-Palatinate Birkenfeld
Böblingen Baden-Württemberg Böblingen
Bodenseekreis Baden-Württemberg Friedrichshafen
Börde Saxony-Anhalt Haldensleben
Borken North Rhine-Westphalia Borken
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald Baden-Württemberg Freiburg¹
Burgenlandkreis Saxony-Anhalt Naumburg
Calw Baden-Württemberg Calw
Celle Lower Saxony Celle
Cham Bavaria Cham
Chemnitzer Land Saxony Glauchau
Cleves (Kleve) North Rhine-Westphalia Cleves (Kleve)
Cloppenburg Lower Saxony Cloppenburg
Coburg Bavaria Coburg¹
Cochem-Zell Rhineland-Palatinate Cochem
Coesfeld North Rhine-Westphalia Coesfeld
Cuxhaven Lower Saxony Cuxhaven
Dachau Bavaria Dachau
Dahme-Spreewald Brandenburg Lübben
Darmstadt-Dieburg Hesse Darmstadt¹
Deggendorf Bavaria Deggendorf
Delitzsch Saxony Delitzsch
Demmin Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Demmin
Diepholz Lower Saxony Diepholz
Dillingen Bavaria Dillingen
Dingolfing-Landau Bavaria Dingolfing
Dithmarschen Schleswig-Holstein Heide
Döbeln Saxony Döbeln
Donau-Ries Bavaria Donauwörth
Donnersbergkreis Rhineland-Palatinate Kirchheimbolanden
Düren North Rhine-Westphalia Düren
Ebersberg Bavaria Ebersberg
Eichsfeld Thuringia Heilbad Heiligenstadt
Eichstätt Bavaria Eichstätt
Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm Rhineland-Palatinate Bitburg
Elbe-Elster Brandenburg Herzberg
Emmendingen Baden-Württemberg Emmendingen
Emsland Lower Saxony Meppen
Ennepe-Ruhr Rural District North Rhine-Westphalia Schwelm
Enz Baden-Württemberg Pforzheim¹
Erding Bavaria Erding
Erlangen-Höchstadt Bavaria Erlangen¹
Esslingen Baden-Württemberg Esslingen am Neckar
Euskirchen North Rhine-Westphalia Euskirchen
Forchheim Bavaria Forchheim
Freiberg Saxony Freiberg
Freising Bavaria Freising
Freudenstadt Baden-Württemberg Freudenstadt
Freyung-Grafenau Bavaria Freyung
Friesland Lower Saxony Jever
Fulda Hesse Fulda
Fürstenfeldbruck Bavaria Fürstenfeldbruck
Fürth Bavaria Zirndorf
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bavaria Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Germersheim Rhineland-Palatinate Germersheim
Gießen Hesse Gießen
Gifhorn Lower Saxony Gifhorn
Göppingen Baden-Württemberg Göppingen
Goslar Lower Saxony Goslar
Gotha Thuringia Gotha
Göttingen Lower Saxony Göttingen
Greiz Thuringia Greiz
Groß-Gerau Hesse Groß-Gerau
Günzburg Bavaria Günzburg
Güstrow Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Güstrow
Gütersloh North Rhine-Westphalia Gütersloh
Hamelin-Pyrmont (Hameln-Pyrmont) Lower Saxony Hamelin (Hameln)
Hanover (Hannover) Lower Saxony Hanover (Hannover)
Harburg Lower Saxony Winsen
Harz Saxony-Anhalt Halberstadt
Haßberge Bavaria Haßfurt
Havelland Brandenburg Rathenow
Heidenheim Baden-Württemberg Heidenheim
Heilbronn Baden-Württemberg Heilbronn¹
Heinsberg North Rhine-Westphalia Heinsberg
Helmstedt Lower Saxony Helmstedt
Herford North Rhine-Westphalia Herford
Hersfeld-Rotenburg Hesse Bad Hersfeld
Hildburghausen Thuringia Hildburghausen
Hildesheim Lower Saxony Hildesheim
Hochsauerland North Rhine-Westphalia Meschede
Hochtaunuskreis Hesse Bad Homburg
Hof Bavaria Hof
Hohenlohe Baden-Württemberg Künzelsau
Holzminden Lower Saxony Holzminden
Höxter North Rhine-Westphalia Höxter
Ilm-Kreis Thuringia Arnstadt
Jerichower Land Saxony-Anhalt Burg
Kaiserslautern Rhineland-Palatinate Kaiserslautern¹
Kamenz Saxony Kamenz
Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg Karlsruhe¹
Kassel Hesse Kassel¹
Kelheim Bavaria Kelheim
Kitzingen Bavaria Kitzingen
Konstanz Baden-Württemberg Konstanz
Kronach Bavaria Kronach
Kulmbach Bavaria Kulmbach
Kusel Rhineland-Palatinate Kusel
Kyffhäuserkreis Thuringia Sondershausen
Lahn-Dill Hesse Wetzlar
Landsberg Bavaria Landsberg
Landshut Bavaria Landshut¹
Lauenburg Schleswig-Holstein Ratzeburg
Leer Lower Saxony Leer
Leipziger Land Saxony Borna
Lichtenfels Bavaria Lichtenfels
Limburg-Weilburg Hesse Limburg
Lindau Bavaria Lindau
Lippe North Rhine-Westphalia Detmold
Löbau-Zittau Saxony Zittau
Lörrach Baden-Württemberg Lörrach
Lüchow-Dannenberg Lower Saxony Lüchow
Ludwigsburg Baden-Württemberg Ludwigsburg
Ludwigslust Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ludwigslust
Lüneburg Lower Saxony Lüneburg
Main-Kinzig Hesse Gelnhausen
Main-Spessart Bavaria Karlstadt am Main
Main-Tauber Baden-Württemberg Tauberbischofsheim
Main-Taunus Hesse Hofheim
Mainz-Bingen Rhineland-Palatinate Ingelheim
Mansfeld-Südharz Saxony-Anhalt Sangerhausen
Marburg-Biedenkopf Hesse Marburg
Märkischer Kreis North Rhine-Westphalia Lüdenscheid
Märkisch-Oderland Brandenburg Seelow
Mayen-Koblenz Rhineland-Palatinate Koblenz¹
Mecklenburg-Strelitz Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Neustrelitz
Meißen Saxony Meißen
Merzig-Wadern Saarland Merzig
Mettmann North Rhine-Westphalia Mettmann
Miesbach Bavaria Miesbach
Miltenberg Bavaria Miltenberg
Minden-Lübbecke North Rhine-Westphalia Minden
Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis Saxony Marienberg
Mittweida Saxony Mittweida
Mühldorf Bavaria Mühldorf
Muldentalkreis Saxony Grimma
Munich (München) Bavaria Munich¹ (München)
Müritz Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Waren
Neckar-Odenwald Baden-Württemberg Mosbach
Neuburg-Schrobenhausen Bavaria Neuburg
Neumarkt Bavaria Neumarkt
Neunkirchen Saarland Ottweiler
Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim Bavaria Neustadt (Aisch)
Neustadt (Waldnaab) Bavaria Neustadt (Waldnaab)
Neu-Ulm Bavaria Neu-Ulm
Neuwied Rhineland-Palatinate Neuwied
Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis Saxony Niesky
Nienburg Lower Saxony Nienburg
Nordfriesland Schleswig-Holstein Husum
Nordhausen Thuringia Nordhausen
Nordvorpommern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Grimmen
Nordwestmecklenburg Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Grevesmühlen
Northeim Lower Saxony Northeim
Nürnberger Land Bavaria Lauf an der Pegnitz
Oberallgäu Bavaria Sonthofen
Oberbergischer Kreis North Rhine-Westphalia Gummersbach
Oberhavel Brandenburg Oranienburg
Oberspreewald-Lausitz Brandenburg Senftenberg
Odenwaldkreis Hesse Erbach
Oder-Spree Brandenburg Beeskow
Offenbach Hesse Dietzenbach
Oldenburg Lower Saxony Wildeshausen
Olpe North Rhine-Westphalia Olpe
Ortenaukreis Baden-Württemberg Offenburg
Osnabrück Lower Saxony Osnabrück¹
Ostalbkreis Baden-Württemberg Aalen
Ostallgäu Bavaria Marktoberdorf
Osterholz Lower Saxony Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Ostholstein Schleswig-Holstein Eutin
Ostprignitz-Ruppin Brandenburg Neuruppin
Ostvorpommern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Anklam
Paderborn North Rhine-Westphalia Paderborn
Parchim Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Parchim
Passau Bavaria Passau¹
Peine Lower Saxony Peine
Pfaffenhofen Bavaria Pfaffenhofen a.d.Ilm
Pinneberg Schleswig-Holstein Pinneberg
Plön Schleswig-Holstein Plön
Potsdam-Mittelmark Brandenburg Belzig
Prignitz Brandenburg Perleberg
Rastatt Baden-Württemberg Rastatt
Ravensburg Baden-Württemberg Ravensburg
Recklinghausen North Rhine-Westphalia Recklinghausen
Regen Bavaria Regen
Regensburg Bavaria Regensburg¹
Rems-Murr Baden-Württemberg Waiblingen
Rendsburg-Eckernförde Schleswig-Holstein Rendsburg
Reutlingen Baden-Württemberg Reutlingen
Rhein-Erft-Kreis North Rhine-Westphalia Bergheim
Rheingau-Taunus Hesse Bad Schwalbach
Rhein-Hunsrück Rhineland-Palatinate Simmern
Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis North Rhine-Westphalia Bergisch-Gladbach
Rheinkreis Neuss North Rhine-Westphalia Neuss
Rhein-Lahn Rhineland-Palatinate Bad Ems
Rhein-Neckar Baden-Württemberg Heidelberg¹
Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis Rhineland-Palatinate Ludwigshafen¹
Rhein-Sieg North Rhine-Westphalia Siegburg
Rhön-Grabfeld Bavaria Bad Neustadt
Riesa-Großenhain Saxony Großenhain
Rosenheim Bavaria Rosenheim¹
Rotenburg Lower Saxony Rotenburg
Roth Bavaria Roth bei Nürnberg
Rottal-Inn Bavaria Pfarrkirchen
Rottweil Baden-Württemberg Rottweil
Rügen Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Bergen
Saale-Holzland Thuringia Eisenberg
Saale-Orla Thuringia Schleiz
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt Thuringia Saalfeld
Saalekreis Saxony-Anhalt Merseburg
Saarbrücken Saarland Saarbrücken
Saarlouis Saarland Saarlouis
Saarpfalz Saarland Homburg
Sächsische Schweiz Saxony Pirna
Salzlandkreis Saxony-Anhalt Bernburg
Sankt Wendel Saarland Sankt Wendel
Schaumburg Lower Saxony Stadthagen
Schleswig-Flensburg Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig
Schmalkalden-Meiningen Thuringia Meiningen
Schwäbisch Hall Baden-Württemberg Schwäbisch Hall
Schwalm-Eder Hesse Homberg
Schwandorf Bavaria Schwandorf
Schwarzwald-Baar Baden-Württemberg Villingen-Schwenningen
Schweinfurt Bavaria Schweinfurt¹
Segeberg Schleswig-Holstein Bad Segeberg
Siegen-Wittgenstein North Rhine-Westphalia Siegen
Sigmaringen Baden-Württemberg Sigmaringen
Soest North Rhine-Westphalia Soest
Soltau-Fallingbostel Lower Saxony Bad Fallingbostel
Sömmerda Thuringia Sömmerda
Sonneberg Thuringia Sonneberg
Spree-Neiße Brandenburg Forst
Stade Lower Saxony Stade
Starnberg Bavaria Starnberg
Steinburg Schleswig-Holstein Itzehoe
Steinfurt North Rhine-Westphalia Steinfurt
Stendal Saxony-Anhalt Stendal
Stollberg Saxony Stollberg
Stormarn Schleswig-Holstein Bad Oldesloe
Straubing-Bogen Bavaria Straubing¹
Südliche Weinstraße Rhineland-Palatinate Landau¹
Südwestpfalz Rhineland-Palatinate Pirmasens¹
Teltow-Fläming Brandenburg Luckenwalde
Tirschenreuth Bavaria Tirschenreuth
Torgau-Oschatz Saxony Torgau
Traunstein Bavaria Traunstein
Trier-Saarburg Rhineland-Palatinate Trier¹
Tübingen Baden-Württemberg Tübingen
Tuttlingen Baden-Württemberg Tuttlingen
Uckermark Brandenburg Prenzlau
Uecker-Randow Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Pasewalk
Uelzen Lower Saxony Uelzen
Unna North Rhine-Westphalia Unna
Unstrut-Hainich Thuringia Mühlhausen
Unterallgäu Bavaria Mindelheim
Vechta Lower Saxony Vechta
Verden Lower Saxony Verden
Viersen North Rhine-Westphalia Viersen
Vogelsbergkreis Hesse Lauterbach
Vogtlandkreis Saxony Plauen¹
Vulkaneifel Rhineland-Palatinate Daun
Waldeck-Frankenberg Hesse Korbach
Waldshut Baden-Württemberg Waldshut-Tiengen
Warendorf North Rhine-Westphalia Warendorf
Wartburgkreis Thuringia Eisenach
Weilheim-Schongau Bavaria Weilheim
Weimarer Land Thuringia Apolda
Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen Bavaria Weißenburg
Weißeritzkreis Saxony Dippoldiswalde
Werra-Meißner Hesse Eschwege
Wesel North Rhine-Westphalia Wesel
Wesermarsch Lower Saxony Brake
Westerwaldkreis Rhineland-Palatinate Montabaur
Wetteraukreis Hesse Friedberg
Wittenberg Saxony-Anhalt Wittenberg
Wittmund Lower Saxony Wittmund
Wolfenbüttel Lower Saxony Wolfenbüttel
Wunsiedel Bavaria Wunsiedel
Würzburg Bavaria Würzburg
Zollernalbkreis Baden-Württemberg Balingen
Zwickauer Land Saxony Werdau
¹: This means the main office of the district is in this city, but the city itself is an urban district and not part of the rural district.

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