Gemeindeverband (German: [ɡəˈmaɪ̯ndəfɛɐ̯ˌbant] ⓘ) is a union of at least two municipalities (German: Gemeinde) in Germany to form a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (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 (German: Grundgesetz),[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] but without an exact definition.
The States of Germany have slightly different kinds of a Gemeindeverband:
Gemeindeverbände unterhalb der Kreisebene (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
Gemeindeverbände oberhalb der Kreisebene to allow direct co-operation of districts (Landkreis), commonly summarised as higher municipal association (German: Höherer Kommunalverband:
- Bezirk in Bavaria
- Bezirksverband Pfalz in Rhineland-Palatinate
- Landschaftsverband in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Landschaftsverband in Lower Saxony
