The district is governed by a district assembly (
Kreistag) and a district executive (
Landrat). The eligible voters of the district elect the Kreistag every 5 years. This body in turn elects the Landrat every 8 years. The Landrat is the legal representative of the district as well as the speaker of the Kreistag and its committees. The Landrat manages the office of the Landrat (
Landratsamt) and is the chief official of the district. The duties of the Landrat include the preparation of the district assembly meetings and its committees. The Landrat calls the meetings, acts as speaker, and carries out the decisions made. In the Kreistag, the Landrat has no vote. The Landrat has a second, called the first district official (
Erste Landesbeamte).
Landrat of the district Heidelberg 1945–1972: • 1945–1946: Hermann Specht (provisional) • 1946–1947: Erich Reimann • 1947–1954: Herbert Klotz • 1954–1972: Georg Steinbrenner
Landrat of the district Mannheim 1945–1972: • 1945: Richard Freudenberg (appointed) • 1945–1946: Karl Geppert (appointed) • 1946: Dr. Valentin Gaa (appointed) • 1946–1948: Ernst Becherer • 1948–1970: Dr. Valentin Gaa • 1970–1972: Albert Neckenauer
Landrat of the district Sinsheim 1945–1972: • 1945–1946: Roman Großmann (appointed) • 1946: Gottlob Barth und Dr. Kurt von Kirchenheim (both appointed) • 1946: Wolfgang Rutschke (appointed to oversee businesses) • 1946–1947: Hermann Lindner (appointed) • 1947–1948: Dr. Johann Gutermann • 1948: Dr. Ludwig Bernheim • 1948–1949: Georg Steinbrenner (appointed to oversee businesses) • 1949–1950: Dr. Walther Reidel (appointed) • 1950–1972: Dr. Paul Herrmann
Landrat of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis since 1973: • 1973 Georg Steinbrenner, Amtsverweser • 1973–1986: Albert Neckenauer • 1986-2010: Dr. Jürgen Schütz • 2010 - to present: Stefan Dallinger
Coat of arms The wavy line in the left of the coat of arms represent the two rivers
Rhine and
Neckar. The lion in the right side is the symbol of
Palatinate, as the area belonged to that area historically. ==Towns and municipalities==