Waldeckian Domanial Administration

The property was a conglomerate of many independent rights and registries of a public or private nature, which at that time were regarded as a single unit, because the sovereign ruled over them all. The insistence on clarifying the ownership of the domanial assets led to the inventory and designation as special assets in the recess of 16.07.1853, without any change in the exclusive availability of the prince over the assets. This also applies, with certain restrictions, to the period from 1867, when the internal administration of the Land of Waldeck was taken over by Prussia.

The ownership of the domanial property had to be finally decided between the Princely House and the Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont after the removal of the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in autumn 1918. Based on a property settlement between the Free State and the Princely House, around 3,396 hectares of property were transferred to the latter. The remaining property was transferred to the state, which designated it as a special property with the rights of an independent legal entity and administered it specially by means of the law on the administration of the Waldeck-Pyrmont domanial property of 8 April 1921.

During the negotiations on the unification between Waldeck and Prussia in the period from 1922 to 1928, the focus was again on the Domanial assets. However, it ultimately corresponded to the ideas of the negotiating partners to transfer the property to a special-purpose association comprising the Waldeck municipalities, which also happened with effect from 01.04.1929. At the same time, around 4,473 hectares went to Prussia to redeem the obligations that lay on the Domanium and were now to be taken over by Prussia, as well as to create an equal ownership quota of all Prussian citizens in the domains and forests. Taking into account the transfer of 2,228 hectares of domanial assets in the Pyrmont area to Prussia in 1922 and the cession of land for settlement purposes, the municipal association was left with 19,259 hectares of land.

In the course of the formation of the district of Waldeck within the borders of the former principality of Waldeck, the special-purpose association was dissolved on 1 February 1942 and its property transferred to the district, which, however, had to manage these assets for the benefit of the former special-purpose association municipalities. Even with the second municipal territorial reform on 1 January 1974, when the districts of Waldeck and Frankenberg were merged to form the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, there was no change in the purpose of the domanial assets and their spatial delimitation. The same applies with regard to the responsibility of the administrative bodies after the revision of the Eigenbetriebsgesetz (Own Businesses Act) of 01.04.1981 and also in its current version of 09.06.1989.

The net income is to be used for the benefit of the members of the federation, in particular for their tax relief. This succinct mandate of the legislator from 1928 still applies unchanged today. According to the Eigenbetriebsgesetz, the Eigenbetrieb is managed by a director who is responsible for the day-to-day management. He represents the district in matters of the Eigenbetrieb, with the exception of cases that require a decision by the district council. An operating commission consisting of eleven members supervises the management and decides on the details of the profit plan as well as on the acquisition, sale and exchange of real estate up to a value of € 200,000.

The district committee monitors that the administration and business management of the municipal undertaking are in line with the plans and objectives of the district administration. It is also responsible for the recruitment, promotion and dismissal of civil servants and executive staff. Finally, the district council is responsible for the statutes of the enterprise, financial planning, profit estimates, job overview, approval of the annual financial statements and for the approval of real estate transactions exceeding € 200,000.

The accounting system of the Eigenbetrieb is designed in accordance with the financial status of the special fund. The business plan, which is prepared annually, includes the foreseeable income and expenses (profit plan) and the changes in assets, new buildings, etc. (asset plan). (asset plan). A job overview is drawn up for the personnel requirements. A five-year financial plan supplements the annual planning.

The business is managed on the basis of the German Commercial Code (HGB), the Eigenbetriebsgesetz (Own Business Act) and the WDV-Gesetz (WDV Act) according to the rules of commercial double-entry bookkeeping. The annual financial statement consists of the balance sheet and the profit and loss account. In order to record undercutting or overcutting, a stock comparison is carried out for the timber stock via the current increment: Corresponding to the capitalisation of the timber stock, a special item is kept on the liabilities side of the balance sheet to show the stock accumulation.

The domanial assets, valued according to the principles of commercial law, are published in the form of the balance sheet in the Official District Gazette(www.landkreis-waldeck-frankenberg.de) in accordance with the provisions of the Eigenbetriebsgesetz(Own Business Act) and the company statutes. Not visible there, but certainly of particular interest here, is the amount of land, especially since since the end of the Second World War there have been considerable, more or less forced disposals, namely for settlement purposes and compensation for disaster victims (domains Alt-Wildungen, Bergheim and Neuer Garten in Arolsen). In addition, land was donated for the promotion of public projects such as road construction, the Affoldern reservoir, the Twistesee lake, etc. The disposals, however, are offset by very considerable land purchases.

Since the beginning of communalisation on 1 April 1929, the area of the domanial assets has been increased by a remarkable 1,469 hectares from 19,259 hectares to 20,728 hectares today.The performance record vis-à-vis the Waldeck municipalities is also impressive. Since 1948, the profit-entitled communities have received € 56.3 million in profit distributions alone. Traditionally, the Domanium sees itself as a partner of the Waldeck towns and municipalities.