With a systematic, top-ranking territorial reform at all three administrative levels – governmental districts, counties and municipalities – the Free State of Bavaria was given the first. July 1972 a new internal order. From 1967 the preparations were carried out, and in 1972 the new division of the circle was effective, until 1978 the communes were merged, and in 1983 the last corrections were completed. The number of municipalities fell from 7073 in 1970 to 2052 in May 1978, from 143 counties were 71, from 48 countless cities remained 25. The Ministry of Interior under Minister of State Dr. Bruno Merk (CSU) saw in the reform the decisive prerequisite for modern and citizen-oriented administration. Especially in the dissolved counties and municipalities there were some violent discussions and resistances.

In order to commemorate the reform, a small exhibition was conceived by the Bavarian Main State Archive and the State Archive Augsburg. The preparatory work and plans, as well as the example of the government district of Schwaben, will focus on concrete implementation and protests. The last section is dedicated to the memory of territorial reform.

The county of Schwaben halved in the course of territorial reform the number of counties of twenty formerly, of ten countless cities remained four; the rest were found with the status of a large district. The number of Swedish municipalities decreased from 1039 in 1970 to 340 after the reform, some of which were combined in administrative communities. As everywhere in Bavaria, the county and municipal reform was also controversial in Schwaben. In addition to basic understanding of the need for reform, approval and good examples, there were sometimes strong resistances.

Mainly exhibited are pieces from the rich collections of the Bavarian Main State Archives and the State Archives of Augsburg, but also loans from Swabian institutions and associations. The spectrum ranges from official documents and maps to photos, posters, brochures, leaflets, newspaper articles, signs to documents from the estates of central actors. In addition, film and sound documents such as interviews with Bruno Merk and Theo Waigel, television reports by Bayerischer Rundfunk and the Midsection of a Senate Session of 1972. The interview with Theo Waigel is also on our blog to listen online.

The exhibition will be 10. November to 23 December 2022 the Staatsarchiv Augsburg shown. The entrance is free.

Open: Monday - Thursday 8.30-16.00, Friday 8.30-13.00;

Free guided tours for groups can be agreed at: poststelle@staau.bayern.de

Further information and advice on accompanying events www.gda.bayern.de

From 21 September 2022 to 28 October 2022 the exhibition was already on display in the Bavarian Main State Archive.

A small exhibition catalogue is available for exhibition:

  • 50 years of territorial reform. Bavarian reorganization and the example of Schwaben. An exhibition of the Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv and the Staatsarchiv Augsburg. Conception and editing: Gerhard Fürmetz (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv), Rainer Jedlitschka (Staatsarchiv Augsburg) with the collaboration of Renate Herget and Christine Kofer (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv) and Andreas Frasch (Staatsarchiv Augsburg) (Bavarian State Archives – Small Catalogues 69), Munich 2022, ISBN 978-3-938831-70-0, 108 pp., numbered. color and, SW-abb.;
    Sales price 11,00 Euro.

Published 19.09.2022, supplemented on 31.10.2022