magistrát

Magistrát is a term used in several Central European languages to denote the municipal government or city hall of a city or town. In Czech and Slovak contexts, a magistrát refers to the central administrative body that runs the city’s affairs, and in many cities the building housing that administration is also called the magistrát. It is typically responsible for local self-government, urban planning, public services, finance, and administration.

The magistrát is usually composed of an executive led by a mayor (primátor in larger Czech cities, starosta in many towns) and a municipal council, with various departments or department heads (finance, planning and construction, transport, environment, social affairs, education, culture). The exact structure and powers vary by country and city, but the magistrát generally implements city policies and administers local regulations and services.

In Prague, the city government is known as the Magistrát hlavního města Prahy, housed in the city hall and headed by the primátor. In Bratislava, the Magistrát hlavného mesta SR Bratislavy serves as the city government. In many smaller municipalities the term magistrát is used less often; the more common designation for the local administration is městský úřad (Czech) or mestský úrad (Slovak). The term can also be used historically or in official titles to denote municipal authorities.

The concept is roughly equivalent to a city hall or city administration in English, encompassing both the governing body and the executive administration responsible for local governance.