Wohnorts

Wohnort is a German term that designates the place of residence—the locality where a person lives and from which they conduct daily life. It denotes the geographic area, typically a town, city, or municipality, rather than a legal status. In official and legal language the related term Wohnsitz is often used, and while the two concepts are closely connected, they are not always identical in statutes or administrative practice. Generally, Wohnort points to where someone lives geographically, while Wohnsitz can carry implications for domicile, tax jurisdiction, and other legal ties.

In German-speaking countries, both terms appear in administrative contexts. The Wohnort is the address a person uses for everyday life and for certain administrative purposes such as mail delivery and local services. The Wohnsitz, by contrast, is the legal concept that can determine where a person is domiciled or habitually resident for taxation, voting, or jurisdictional reasons. Authorities may distinguish between the two in formal procedures, even if in common speech people use the terms interchangeably.

Registration and administration play a key role. When moving, residents typically must register their new address with local authorities—an Anmeldung or Meldepflicht in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The registered Wohnort is used for official correspondence, local taxation, school zoning, and emergency planning. Data collections such as censuses and administrative datasets often categorize populations by Wohnort to reflect geographic distribution and service needs.

The genitive form Wohnorts exists in German grammar and appears in phrases such as “des Wohnorts,” reflecting its status as a noun with plural form Wohnorte. The concept remains central to understanding residence, demography, and civil administration in German-speaking regions.