district administrator / district office
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district administrator
The highest-ranking official and head of the administration of a Landkreis, a rural district in Germany.
Der Landrat wurde für eine zweite Amtszeit wiedergewählt.
The district administrator was reelected for a second term.
'Der Landrat' (district administrator) is a compound word made up of 'Land' (in the sense of Landkreis, or district) and 'Rat' (in the sense of a person who leads or advises). So literally, he is the 'Rat des Landes/Kreises' (councilor of the state/district).
Der Landrat ist für die Verwaltung des gesamten Landkreises zuständig.
The district administrator is responsible for the administration of the entire district.
You can tell from context whether the person or the building is meant. Verbs like 'wählen' (to elect) or 'entscheiden' (to decide) refer to the person. Prepositions like 'zum' (to the) or 'im' (in the) point to the building, the Landratsamt (district office).
Der neue Landrat wurde gestern gewählt.
The new district administrator was elected yesterday.
The 'Landrat' (district administrator) is a central figure in German local government and heads a 'Landkreis' (district). This political office and administrative structure are specific to Germany.
Jeder Landkreis in Deutschland hat einen Landrat an der Spitze seiner Verwaltung.
Every district in Germany has a district administrator at the head of its administration.
mayor
'der Bürgermeister' and 'der Landrat' are both heads of an administration, but they are responsible for different areas. 'Der Bürgermeister' belongs to a city, town, or municipality. 'Der Landrat' leads the administration of a Landkreis, that is, a larger district with several towns or villages. They can be confused because both may be elected or politically important, and both appear at official events. If it is about a single city or town, 'Bürgermeister' is usually the right word. If it is about the district, 'Landrat' is more precise.
Der Landrat besucht morgen mehrere Gemeinden im Landkreis.
The district administrator is visiting several municipalities in the district tomorrow.
Am Wochenende spricht der Bürgermeister auf dem Stadtfest.
At the weekend, the mayor is speaking at the town festival.