Gemeindeverband () is a union of at least two municipalities () in Germany to form a (statutory corporation) with the purpose to exercise the powers of self-government at a larger scale, while maintaining autonomy of its members.
The word is mentioned multiple times in the German constitution (), but without an exact definition.
The States of Germany have slightly different kinds of a :
(collective municipalities) to allow direct co-operation of municipalities: Gemeindeverwaltungsverband in Baden-Württemberg Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in Bavaria Amt in Brandenburg Amt in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Samtgemeinde in Lower Saxony Verbandsgemeinde in Rhineland-Palatinate Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in Saxony Verwaltungsverband in Saxony Verbandsgemeinde in Saxony-Anhalt Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in Saxony-Anhalt Amt in Schleswig-Holstein Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in Thuringia
to allow direct co-operation of districts (), commonly summarised as higher municipal association (: Bezirk in Bavaria Bezirksverband Pfalz in Rhineland-Palatinate Landschaftsverband in North Rhine-Westphalia Landschaftsverband in Lower Saxony
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