The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (; ) is a German central organisation of the municipal self-government () which represents the interests of 10.000 towns and municipalities belonging to a county (Kreis) in Germany. A similar organisation exists with the Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag), which represents the bigger cities. The DStGB is constituted federally. Its main office is located in Berlin. Current president of the DStGB since January 2023 is Dr. Uwe Brandl, former mayor of the city of Abensberghttps://www.abensberg.de. Ralph Spiegler, Mayor of VG Niederolmhttps://www.vg-niederolm.de, is the 1. Vicepresident. Honorary president is Roland Schäfer, former mayor of the city of Bergkamen. Secretary General is Dr. André Berghegger, Deputy Secretary General Uwe Zimmermann. The organisation works publicly and releases press statements regarding questions of towns and municipalities in Germany. It did so for example several times in the European migrant crisis.Presse: Kommunen wollen Flüchtlinge für Residenzpflicht belohnen, Die Zeit, in German
History A first association of cities in Germany was founded with the Reichsverband Deutscher Städte (Reich Association of German Cities) in 1909/10, followed by the Reichsverband der Deutschen Landgemeinden (Reich Association of German Rural Municipalities) in 1922. In 1933 these two and further organisations were merged mandatorily in Nazi Germany as Deutscher Gemeindetag (German Municipal Association). In 1945 the organisations were separated again. The German Association of Towns and Municipalities was founded in 1973 as a voluntary association of towns and municipalities. 1991 a European office in Brussels was founded. 1998 the main office moved to Berlin.
Member associations The association consists of several member associations, namely: Bayerischer Gemeindetag Gemeinde- und Städtebund Rheinland-Pfalz Gemeinde- und Städtebund Thüringen Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg Hessischer Städte- und Gemeindebund Hessischer Städtetag Niedersächsischer Städtetag Niedersächsischer Städte- und Gemeindebund Saarländischer Städte- und Gemeindetag Sächsischer Städte- und Gemeindetag Schleswig-Holsteinischer Gemeindetag Städte- und Gemeindebund Brandenburg Städte- und Gemeindebund Sachsen-Anhalt Städte- und Gemeindetag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Städte- und Gemeindebund Nordrhein-Westfalen Städtebund Schleswig-Holstein Städtetag Rheinland-Pfalz
External links
Official website of the Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund Eurocommunal – European office of the DStGB
References