Administrative divisions of Germany (clickable image)

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

References