Landrat

Landrat is the title of the head of administration of a Landkreis, the rural district in several German states. The Landrat acts as the chief executive of the district’s administration (the Landratsamt) and is responsible for implementing laws and policies at the district level, coordinating tasks that cross municipal boundaries, and representing the district in external affairs.

The Landrat’s areas of responsibility typically include district planning and building regulation, social welfare, public health, schools and vocational training within the district, roads and transportation, environmental protection, and disaster or civil protection coordination. The Landrat also supervises district authorities and serves as the legal representative of the district in administrative and judicial matters. The district council (Kreistag) defines policy for the district; the Landrat executes these decisions and manages the Kreisverwaltung.

Selection and term lengths of the Landrat vary by state. In some German states the Landrat is directly elected by the residents of the district for a fixed term; in others, the Landrat is elected by the district council or appointed by state authorities. The exact term length commonly ranges around six years, with possibilities for re-election in many states.

The position has a gendered form: Landrat for a male holder and Landrätin for a female holder. In urban districts that are city-states or kreisfreie Städte, the top administrator is usually titled Oberbürgermeister or Bürgermeister rather than Landrat. The role of the Landrat is rooted in the German municipal and state administration and continues to function as the central executive authority for rural districts.