A Stadtbezirk (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtatbəˌtsɪʁk] ⓘ; also called Ortsbezirk in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city.
For example, Wattenscheid, which was a town in its own right until 1974, is now a Stadtbezirk within the city of Bochum in the Ruhr area of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, the term Ortsbezirk is also used for districts of smaller cities.
The tasks and responsibilities of the Stadtbezirke are laid down in the municipal codes (Gemeindeordnungen) of the federal states.
of the Stadtbezirke and their representatives are laid down in the municipal by-law (Hauptsatzung) of the city.