Administrative divisions of Germany

*This article is a work in progress and has not been completed by its author(s). This content is not final.*

Prior to the German Civil War, Germany was in practice a federal republic composed of 22 states and three city-states. This republic became retrospectively known as the Weimar Republic. These administrative divisions were based on the constituent monarchies and city-states of the German Empire. After the German Civil War, Germany was split between the Kingdom of Baden-Württemberg, the Rhenish Republic and the Free Socialist Republic of Germany, including the highly autonomous Bavarian Soviet Republic. All three sides have differing administrative divisions that conflict in multiple ways.

## Free Socialist Republic of Germany

The **Free Socialist Republic of Germany** (German: *Freie Sozialistische Republik Deutschland*, **FSRD**) is a federal socialist republic nominally composed of 26 states (*Länder*). However, three states are under the complete occupation of a foreign power, while seven are partially occupied. 24 states are labelled as a *Räterepublik* (Council/Soviet Republic), while two are labelled as a *Sozialistische Freistadt* (Free Socialist City), though they function the same.

### History

The federalized structure of the country was established with the constitution in 1921. The state governments were elected that same year. There was originally 23 states, which gradually grew to 26 over the following years.

The first two additions came with the Greater Berlin and Hamburg Act on 7 September 1924. Berlin, previously part of the state of Brandenburg, was separated and enlarged by merging nearby closely linked communities, which more than doubled the population of the city. Hamburg, previously part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, was separated and then enlarged by merging nearby communities from both Schleswig-Holstein and Niedersachsen. They both became a "Free Socialist City", though this did not come with any special privileges. As council elections were to take place only two months later, the administrative changes did not go into effect until then.

The most recent additions came on 12 July 1925 when the state of Schlesien (Silesia) was split into Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia) and Niederschlesien (Lower Silesia) on the initiative of the state government and local councils, particularly on the initiative of the Polish minority in Oberschlesien. As a result the state of Schlesien was dissolved, which marked the first time this had been done. As a result of the changes, new elections took place to both the Bezirksräte and Länderräte. Fresh elections to all council levels would eventually take place in 1927.

#### Proposed states

Since the establishment of the Free Socialist Republic of Germany, there have been a number of proposals to establish new states. Some of the aforementioned proposals succeeded, while others failed or are unable to be considered given the current circumstances. One of the earliest debated proposals during the early years of the Bavarian Soviet Republic was whether or not to establish the Oberpfalz region as a separate state from Niederbayern. Had it been established, it would've been the least populated state in Germany. Ultimately the proposal was rejected by the councils in 1922. Another proposal was made in Bavaria to divide Franken, but this too was rejected. Other failed proposals have included splitting Sachsen, Westfalen and Niedersachsen.

One of the more important debates has occurred over the Rhein state. Considering the full extent of its boundaries, it is by far the most populated state in Germany, spanning most of the highly industrialized Rhineland region. There have been various proposals considered for splitting the state, but little progress has been made on adopting a proposal because of the dispute with the Rhenish Republic. One significant proposal entails establishing a new state in the south, which would be merged with Pfalz. Another proposal entails establishing the Ruhr region as a state, including the areas in Westfalen, while a modified version of that proposal includes the additional aforementioned establishment of a southern state. The general position of the federal government is to wait until local councils can be consulted across the entire region.

The official position on the former German territory of Alsace-Lorraine is unclear. Unlike other territories completely outside of German control, no state legally exists claiming Alsace-Lorraine. Although the German legislature issued a symbolic and expectedly unanswered call for a referendum in Alsace-Lorraine in 1928, there has not been any official territorial claim established. At the same time, various German politicians have expressed irredentist positions on Alsace-Lorraine, as well as other German-inhabited regions, and Germany has not officially recognized French authority in the region.

### Bezirke

Below states is the Bezirke, or districts, which divide states. Their councils, the Bezirksräte, administrate these areas as part of the council system, but additionally elect the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils, rather than the state councils that are administratively above them. There are currently 57 Bezirke, though 6 are entirely within the territory of Baden-Württemberg and the Rhenish Republic. All states have at least 2 Bezirke as required by the constitution, while five higher populated states have 3. A total number of delegates to be elected is calculated after each census, with one delegate for every 70,000 inhabitants, which increases by 5,000 every time the amount of delegates surpasses 900. These delegates are then allocated to each Bezirk based on their population. This was done to prevent the overrepresentation of rural areas that had existed in the German Empire. There are currently 835 delegates, which was calculated after the 1930 census.

## Kingdom of Baden-Württemberg

The **Kingdom of Baden-Württemberg** (German: *Königreich Baden-Württemberg*) is a confederation between the restored Kingdom of Württemberg, Grand Duchy of Baden and the former Prussian Province of Hohenzollern. These form the three main constituents, while another constituent, Hesse, is a "Territory" without a local monarch. Additionally, Baden-Württemberg also administrates border areas formerly part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. These are not legally integrated into the confederation and there is no local legislature, but the population does vote in federal elections.

 Württemberg
 Baden
 Hohenzollern
 Hessen

## Notes

1. ↑ The top figure in *italics* denotes the approximate total population of the administrative division including areas outside of the control of the Free Socialist Republic of Germany, while the bottom figure only includes the population of areas under de facto German authority.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Württemberg and Baden lie entirely within the control of the breakaway state of Baden-Württemberg, and thus do not exist as states in practice.
3. ↑ The de facto capital of the Trier district is the town of Altenkirchen, as Trier is currently under Rhenish control.
4. ↑ The de facto capital of the Flensburg district is the town of Elmshorn, as Flensburg is currently under Danish control.
5. ↑ Pfalz lies entirely within the control of the breakaway state of the Rhenish Republic, and thus does not exist as a state in practice.