Die Entwicklung des Berufsbilds der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters in Deutschland, am Beispiel von Baden-Württemberg
The paper in a complex manner analyses the institute of a municipality's mayor in Germany andthe evolution of the mayor's status in German society. The institute of a mayor and its status togetherwith changes of the latter in modern Germany, especially in the Land of Baden-Württemberg, are discussedon the basis of professional portrait of a mayor and giving the assessment of the specifics ofthe portrait in the context of current processes of the local governance system improvement and politicalchange. The main questions, which receive the priority attention, are: 1) role of municipality'smayor in contemporary Germany; 2) direct election of a mayor and elections in the municipalitycouncil; 3) dependence to a party, circumstances for cooperation with political parties, political selfdependenceand loyalty and tolerance to different political attitudes; gender issues, typical formayor's institute. The article provides material from a survey, which was aimed to construct amayor's portrait and to assess its changes. The article can be relevant and important to those readers,who are interested in organization of modern local governance and German experience in local governanceimprovement.