A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in
Hesse and
Rhineland-Palatinate) is an
administrative division in
Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as "
borough".
In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a
metropolis with more than 150,000 inhabitants. For example,
Wattenscheid, which was a town in its own right until 1974, is now a ''Stadtbezirk'' within the city of
Bochum
Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...
in the
Ruhr
The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area of
North Rhine-Westphalia. In Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, the term ''Ortsbezirk'' is also used for districts of smaller cities.
A ''Stadtbezirk'' may consist of several smaller parts: ''
Stadtteile'' or ''
Ortsteile''. While in some cities ''Stadtbezirke'' are only used for statistical purposes, many other ''Stadtbezirke'' have elected representatives. The tasks and responsibilities of the ''Stadtbezirke'' are laid down in the
municipal codes (''Gemeindeordnungen'') of the
federal states. The details, compositions etc. of the ''Stadtbezirke'' and their representatives are laid down in the municipal
by-law (''Hauptsatzung'') of the city.
References
{{Types of administrative country subdivision
Subdivisions of Germany
Types of administrative division
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