Students discover democracy first hand in the district administration!

Students discover democracy first hand in the district administration!

Today, June 18, 2025, sixth graders from the Kaiserpfalz-Realschule Ingelheim went on an exciting journey of discovery into the world of politics. As part of the school's own Democracy Day, the students in class 6a visited the Mainz-Bingen district administration. Here they were welcomed by office manager Thomas Dilg, who vividly explained the basics of administration and district politics.

Accompanied by teachers and district council member Helga Lerch, the young visitors had the opportunity to look behind the scenes of local politics. A tour of central areas, such as the press office and the district administrator's office, gave the students a direct insight into the administration's processes. The visit to the district council hall was particularly exciting, where the students were able to get to know the interaction between politics and administration up close. Democracy Day pursues an important goal: to give young people early experience of democracy and local structures nah-news.de reported.

What are municipalities?

But what exactly does the term “commune” mean? Loud bpb.de This term comes from Latin and means something like community. Municipalities include municipalities, independent cities, district towns and rural districts. They are not only part of local self-government, but also the third main administrative level in Germany, alongside the federal and state governments.

Historically, the tradition of communities in Germany goes back to the Middle Ages. The Prussian city regulations of 1808 were a central step towards modern local self-government. In the 19th century, the cities regained importance and contributed to the emergence of modern statehood. Today, municipalities are responsible for local public administration and carry out important tasks ranging from internal administration and social commitment to economic development.

The role of municipalities in democracy

A very central element of local self-government is the right to regulate local affairs independently, which is anchored in the Basic Law. Municipalities are responsible for various tasks and can raise taxes to secure their financial resources, which creates a tension between democratic legitimacy and efficiency. Further information on the importance of democracy and local action is available here political-education.sh to read.

The experiences of the students at the Kaiserpfalz-Realschule are a small but important piece of the puzzle in the big picture of democratic education. Democracy Day not only ensures a better understanding of the political processes, but also promotes interest in active participation and engagement in society.