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A '''Regierungsbezirk''' is a government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states (''Bundesländer''). ''Regierungsbezirke'' are themselves further divided into districts (''Kreise''), either ''Landkreise'' or urban districts: cities which constitute a district in their own right (''kreisfreie Städte''). The ''Regierungsbezirk'' is governed by a ''Bezirksregierung'' and led by a ''Regierungspräsident''.
Not all ''Bundesländer'' have this sub-division; some are directly divided into districts. Currently, five states are divided into 22 ''Regierungsbezirke'', ranging in population from 5,255,000 (Düsseldorf) to 1,065,000 (Gießen):

★ Baden-Württemberg: Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Tübingen

★ Bavaria: Oberbayern, Niederbayern, Oberpfalz, Oberfranken, Mittelfranken, Unterfranken, Schwaben

★ Hesse: Darmstadt, Gießen, Kassel

★ North Rhine-Westphalia: Arnsberg, Cologne, Detmold, Düsseldorf, Münster

★ Saxony: Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig

Contents

History

History

The first ''Regierungsbezirke'' were created by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1808/16, which divided its provinces into 25 ''Regierungsbezirke''. The ''Regierungsbezirke'' of North Rhine-Westphalia are in direct continuation of those created in 1815. Other states of the German Empire created similar entities, named ''Kreishauptmannschaft'' (in Saxony) or ''Kreis'' (in Bavaria and Württemberg) (not to be confused with the ''Kreis'' or ''Landkreis'' today). During the Third Reich the Nazi government unified the naming; since then all these entities are called ''Regierungsbezirk''.
On January 1 2000 Rhineland-Palatinate disbanded its three ''Regierungsbezirke'' Koblenz, Rheinhessen-Pfalz and Trier - the employees and assets of the three ''Bezirksregierungen'' were converted into three public authorities responsible for the whole state, each covering a part of the former responsibilities of the ''Bezirksregierung''.
On January 1 2004 Saxony-Anhalt disbanded its three ''Regierungsbezirke'' Dessau, Halle and Magdeburg - the responsibilities are now covered by a ''Landesverwaltungsamt'' with three offices at the former seats of the ''Bezirksregierungen''.
On January 1 2005 Lower Saxony disbanded its four ''Regierungsbezirke'' Braunschweig, Hanover, Lüneburg, Weser-Ems as well.
In North-Rhine Westphalia there are now (2005) plans to abolish the 5 ''Regierungsbezirke'' and create 3 self-government entities. The old, ''Prussian-style'', Regierungsbezirk has no self-government organs.