Editing Regierungsbezirk (section)

==History==
The first ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' were established in the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1808. During the course of the [[Prussian reforms]] between 1808 and 1816, Prussia subdivided its [[Provinces of Prussia|provinces]] into 25 ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'', eventually featuring 37 such districts within 12 provinces. By 1871, at the time of [[Unification of Germany|German unification]], the concept of ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' had been adopted by most [[States of the German Empire]]. Similar entities were initially established in other states under different names, including  ''{{lang|de|Kreishauptmannschaft}}'' (district captainship) in [[Saxony]], ''{{lang|de|Kreis}}'' (district) in Bavaria and [[Württemberg]] (not to be confused with the present-day ''{{lang|de|Kreis}}'' or ''{{lang|de|Landkreis}}'' districts), and ''province'' in Hesse. The names of these equivalent administrative divisions were standardized to ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirk}}'' in [[Nazi Germany]], but after [[World War II]] these naming reforms were reverted.

The ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' in the state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] in modern Germany are in direct continuation of those created in the Prussian [[Rhine Province|Rhine]] and [[Province of Westphalia|Westphalia]] provinces in 1816. {{Lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}} never existed in [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]], Hamburg, [[Schleswig-Holstein]], and [[Saarland]].

In 1946, [[Lower Saxony]] was founded by the merger of the three former Free States of [[Free State of Brunswick|Brunswick]], [[Free State of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]], [[Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe|Schaumburg-Lippe]], and the former Prussian [[province of Hanover]]. Brunswick and Oldenburg became ''{{lang|de|Verwaltungsbezirke}}'' {{IPA|de|fɛɐ̯ˈvaltʊŋsbəˌt͡sɪʁkə||De-Verwaltungsbezirke.ogg}}(roughly administrative regions of extended competence) alongside six less autonomous Prussian-style ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' comprising the Province of Hanover and Schaumburg-Lippe. These differences in autonomy and size were levelled on 1 January 1978, when four ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' replaced the two ''{{lang|de|Verwaltungsbezirke}}'' and the six ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'': Brunswick and Oldenburg, [[Aurich]], [[Hanover (region)|Hanover]] (remaining mostly the same), Hildesheim, Lüneburg, Osnabrück and [[Stade (region)|Stade]].

Following the [[reunification of Germany]] in 1990, the territory of the former [[East Germany]] was organized into six re-established [[New states of Germany|new federal states]], including a reunified [[Berlin]]. [[Saxony]] and [[Saxony-Anhalt]] established three ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' each, while the other new states didn't implement them.

===2000s disbandment and reorganization===
During the 2000s, four German states discontinued the use of ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}''. On 1 January 2000, [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] disbanded its three ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' of [[Koblenz (region)|Koblenz]], [[Rheinhessen-Pfalz]] and [[Trier (region)|Trier]]. The employees and assets of the three ''{{lang|de|Bezirksregierungen}}'' ({{IPA|de|bəˈt͡sɪʁksʁeˌɡiːʁʊŋən|-|De-Bezirksregierungen.ogg}}) were converted into three public authorities responsible for the whole state, each covering a part of the former responsibilities of the ''{{lang|de|Bezirksregierung}}'' ({{IPA|de|bəˈt͡sɪʁksʁeˌɡiːʁʊŋ|lang|audio=De-Bezirksregierung.ogg}}).

On 1 January 2004, Saxony-Anhalt disbanded its three ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' of [[Dessau (region)|Dessau]], [[Halle (region)|Halle]] and [[Magdeburg (region)|Magdeburg]]. The responsibilities are now covered by a ''{{lang|de|Landesverwaltungsamt}}'' (state administration office) with three offices at the former seats of the ''{{lang|de|Bezirksregierungen}}''. On 1 January 2005, Lower Saxony followed suit, disbanding its remaining four ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' of [[Braunschweig (region)|Brunswick]], [[Hanover (region)|Hanover]], [[Lüneburg (region)|Lüneburg]], and [[Weser-Ems]].

On 1 August 2008, Saxony restructured its ''{{lang|de|Landkreise}}'' ({{IPA|de|ˈlantˌkʁaɪ̯zə|lang|De-Landkreise.ogg}}), changed the name of its ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}'' to ''{{lang|de|Direktionsbezirke}}'' (directorate districts), and moved some responsibilities to the districts. The ''{{lang|de|Direktionsbezirke}}'' were still named ''Chemnitz'', ''Dresden'', and ''Leipzig'', but a border change was necessary because the new district of [[Mittelsachsen]] crossed the borders of the old ''{{lang|de|Regierungsbezirke}}''. On 1 March 2012, the ''{{lang|de|Direktionsbezirke}}'' were merged into one ''{{lang|de|Landesdirektion}}'' (state directorate).