ABSTRACT
Traditionally, public services like roads, railways, waterways, air transport, and communications have been handled by the national government in Germany. When West Germany became a federal republic in 1949, main transport links and communications remained a federal task, but all other public services had to be organized and financed by the states and their subordinate units like districts and communities. The manner in which public services are provided in rural Germany cannot be generalized for all areas. Public services are provided by a mix of public and private groups in the Federal Republic of Germany, as one would expect in an industrially advanced capitalist society. An evaluation of which services are “critical” can only be assessed over a rather short time period, as values change as rapidly as the general social/economic structure of rural areas. The structure of public services is influenced in many respects by the legal duties, planning coordination, and regional subsidies of governmental bodies.
