ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННЫЕ ЗАКОНОМЕРНОСТИ ЭВОЛЮЦИИ АДМИНИСТРАТИВНО-ТЕРРИТОРИАЛЬНОГО ДЕЛЕНИЯ ГЕРМАНИИ, 'Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая'

This article presents the historical and geographical analysis of evolution of administrative division of Germany at the levels of lands, provinces of Prussia and administrative districts for 1871–2017. Spatial patterns of changing administrative division are revealed, the assessment of stability of administrative units of the country is carried out. The article answers to the question whether the pulsation occurred: alternately increasing and decreasing the number of units. Three indicators were taken into account to quantify the change in the administrative grid: number of units, their median area and an index of shape. The lands remained stable during the period of the federative state and were reformed constantly during the centralization of the country and during its occupation after the Second World War. There are three waves of consolidation of lands, the wave of breaking up into smaller units is not revealed. Borders of lands remained the most stable in the center of Germany, they are the least stable in the West and the East of the country. There is a small pulsation in changing of the number of provinces of Prussia and districts. The consolidation of units was evoked by economic crises, under the influence of which the authorities created administrative units with great economic and demographic potential. Breaking up into smaller units took place during the rapid economic development of the country. Despite the pulsation, many districts and provinces remained stable. It is explained by the established structure of administrative and economic relations and the settlement system.