The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund, DStGB) is a German central organisation of the municipal self-government (Kommunaler Spitzenverband) which represents the interests of 14.000 towns and municipalities belonging to a county (Kreis) in Germany. A similar organisation exists with the German Association of Cities and Towns (Deutscher Städtetag), which represents the bigger cities. The DStGB is constituted federally. Its main office is located in Berlin. In July 2015 Roland Schäfer, mayor of the city of Bergkamen was elected president of the DStGB. The organisation works publicly and releases press statements regarding questions of towns and municipalities in Germany. It did so several times in the European migrant crisis.
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History
A first association of cities in Germany was founded with the Reichsverband Deutscher Städte (Reich Association of German Cities) in 1909/10, followed by the Reichsverband der Deutschen Landgemeinden (Reich Association of German Rural Municipalities) in 1922. In 1933 these two and further organisations were merged mandatorily in Nazi Germany as Deutscher Gemeindetag (German Municipal Association). In 1945 the organisations were separated again. The German Association of Towns and Municipalities was founded in 1973 as a voluntary association of towns and municipalities. 1991 a European office in Brussels was founded. 1998 the main office moved to Berlin.
Member associations
The association consists of several member associations, namely: