Rhein-Neckar-Kreis


Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is a Landkreis in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bergstraße, Odenwaldkreis, Neckar-Odenwald, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, the independent city of Speyer, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and the independent cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg. The administrative headquarters are based in the city of Heidelberg, which does not form part of the district itself.

History

The district was created in 1973 by merging the previous districts of Heidelberg, Mannheim and a big part of Sinsheim.

Geography

It is named after the two main rivers which flow through the district, the Rhine and Neckar. The highest elevation is the Stiefelhöhe, near Heiligkreuzsteinach, with 583 m in the Odenwald mountains, the lowest elevation with 92 m is near Ilvesheim in the Neckar valley.

Government

The district is governed by a district assembly and a district executive. The eligible voters of the district elect the Kreistag every 5 years. This body in turn elects the Landrat every 8 years. The Landrat is the legal representative of the district as well as the speaker of the Kreistag and its committees. The Landrat manages the office of the Landrat and is the chief official of the district. The duties of the Landrat include the preparation of the district assembly meetings and its committees. The Landrat calls the meetings, acts as speaker, and carries out the decisions made. In the Kreistag, the Landrat has no vote. The Landrat has a second, called the first district official.
Landrat of the district Heidelberg 1945–1972:
Landrat of the district Mannheim 1945–1972:
Landrat of the district Sinsheim 1945–1972:
Landrat of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis since 1973:

Cities and towns

Sights

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is twinned with: