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.
district office
Short for the Landratsamt; the building or authority where the administration of a Landkreis is housed.
Ich muss morgen zum Landrat, um meinen neuen Führerschein zu beantragen.
I have to go to the district office tomorrow to apply for my new driver's license.
'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.
district administration office
In the context of a Landkreis, both words can be associated with the administration. The Landrat is normally the head and is therefore a person, while the Landratsamt refers to the authority itself. Landrat can also be used colloquially as a short form for the office, but Landratsamt is unambiguous when referring to the institution.
Der Landrat begrüßte die neuen Mitglieder des Kreistags persönlich.
The district administrator personally welcomed the new members of the district council.
Das Landratsamt bearbeitet den Antrag auf eine Kfz-Zulassung.
The district administration office is processing the vehicle registration application.
