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1995
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Introduction to 95-4-621 through 95-4-634:
General, Political, and Administrative Directories in German-Speaking Countries: A Comparative Survey [abstract]
by Saskia Hedrich/vh
An unambiguous classification of political directories is almost impossible since the line between pure directories on the one hand and handbooks with extensive information on the other is a blurry one. This diversity is even more pronounced when the directories of other groups of countries are considered as well. The IFB intends to cover at the very least the countries of the European Union, but also comparable international directories. The reviews which follow consider the most recent editions of the primary directories used in German-speaking countries, and in addition, as a representative example, directories for the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
95-4-621
3. 1995/96 (1995). - 272 p. - (...; 201). - ISBN 3-453-05542-X : DM 16.90
This directory includes only the addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers of the listed organizations. The twelve sections cover (1) politics (2) administration (3) labor (4) social service agencies (5) law (6) business (7) media (8) education (9) culture (10) leisure (11) other and (12) international organizations. An index of organizations is included. As the subtitle indicates ("Addresses and telephone numbers for everyone"), this directory is meant primarily for home use rather than for libraries or businesses. [sak/vh]
45 (1995). - xvi, 1537 p. - ISBN 3-87224-035-8 : DM 138.00
While the competing standard directory, Die Bundesrepublik, has been appearing since the 19th century under various titles, the first edition of Oeckl was released in 1950. Nevertheless, it is one of the relatively few reference books kept at the reference desk in most German libraries. The sections proceed all the way from (A) agencies of the central government, (B) the provincial governments, (C) local governments, including large cities, (D) foreign and EU and other intergovernmental organizations through Section R (name index) and Q (subject index). Some information beyond addresses is included: statistics, for example, at the beginning of some sections and brief descriptions of the responsibilities of some agencies. [sak/vh]
95-4-623
1995. - 566 p. - ISBN 3-87224-033-1 : DM 49.80
True to the statement in the introduction, the addresses of "political Germany" are included here. The sections on the central government as well as that on the state governments are subdivided by appropriate branches including, at both levels, sections on parliaments and the political parties represented in them. There is a name index. Although there is no subject index, the clear organization of the volume almost makes one superfluous. It is true that this is a special edition of sections A and B of "Oeckl" (95-4-622, above) but the information has been substantially expanded, so that this is actually an independent reference work. The publisher would be well advised to emphasize this in future advertisements. [sak/vh]
Bund [Federal Government] : Verzeichnis der Behörden mit Aufgabenbeschreibungen und Adressen
1995. - Ed.: Klaus-Dieter Schnapauff. - xix, 674 p. - ISBN 3- 452-23149-6 : DM 186.00
95-4-625
Verbände [Associations] 1994. - xi, 1168 p. - ISBN 3-452-22648-4 : DM 170.00
The 18-volume Staatshandbuch is a standard reference source, the volume for the Federal Republic appearing annually, those for the Länder, the federal states, biennially. Distinctive for this series are the survey essays that introduce each longer section, as well as a great amount of detail. The subject index provides access by keyword, official name, and some acronyms. The name index indicates title and office for each person. A list of official abbreviations is also included. The volume for associations has comparable indexing and includes national associations with associated state and trade associations arranged in 27 subject categories. These two volumes are comparable to Oeckl (95-4-622, above) in intent, but differ in the depth of indexing and extent of coverage. [sak/ab]
95-4-626
11 (1995). - 642 p. - ISBN 3-87066-373-1 : DM 68.00
Bund transparent differs from the other directories reviewed here in scope and presentation: information is limited to the federal government and is presented in organizational charts. Each entry provides street address, postal address, and contact information, including direct telephone extensions. Organizational charts depict the divisions of each body and their corresponding areas of responsibility and the names of contact persons. The final section lists personnel, referring the user to the organizational entry number for complete information.
Although the charts clarify the structure of the organizations, they are inconsistent in design and often reduced beyond legibility. Bund transparent has appeared since 1984, with no volume in 1990 and two in 1992. [sak/ab]
95-4-627
106 (1995). - 12, 716 p. - ISBN 3-7650-4000-2 : DM 99.50
95-4-628
Baden-Württemberg 1995. - Ed. : Benno Bueble. - xv, 429 p. - ISBN 3-452-23143-7 : DM 188.00
95-4-629
1993. - 256 p. - ISBN 3-87249-180-6 : DM 54.00
The Behörden-Verzeichnis is an annual publication providing information on federal and state governments, state organizations and agencies, districts and townships, associations and organizations. The information on federal and state offices outside of Baden-Württemberg is minimal. The section on districts and townships is preceded by a map depicting the administrative division of Baden-Württemberg and is arranged alphabetically by city and state districts. Each entry indicates administrative district, region, district offices and departments, larger county seats with offices, administrative communities, and a table of townships with postal code, area codes, number of residents, mayor, district court, notary's office, employment office and finance office. This section is indexed by district and township. The section on associations is subdivided among societies, organizations and cooperatives, and then by topic. The Behörden-Verzeichnis is especially user-friendly and gives easy access to all information relevant to each district or township at a glance. The only drawback is the lack of a personal name index.
The volume for Baden-Württemberg in Heymann's series is comparable to the volume for the Federal Republic in detail and arrangement. The main sections include parliamentary bodies, state government, state agencies, the judiciary, districts, and townships. Indexes to districts, cities, and townships are provided in addition to the keyword and name indexes. The Behörden-Verzeichnis is to be preferred for depth of indexing and consolidation of information, but comparable manuals may not be available for all states.
Although the Jahrbuch Baden-Württemberg was published for only one year, it represents yet another concept of directory. It is subdivided similarly to the other directories reviewed here, but suffers by comparison. Independent cities and state districts are simply listed alphabetically. Townships are also listed alphabetically with much important information (population, etc.) indicated only in footnotes. The appendix lists statewide organizations, societies and associations, religious establishments, media, and banks. Unique features are a list of automobile registration numbers for only the new states, two vacation calendars, and a list of festivals and exhibitions. The keyword index is only three pages long. The demise of this work leaves little to regret. [sak/ab]
95-4-630
1995/96 (1995). - 328 p. ; 1112 p. - ISBN 3-7046-0709-6 : öS 1398.00
The Austrian directory differs from its German counterparts in that it covers both the federal and the state levels, rendering it correspondingly large and unwieldy. Divided into five sections, it covers federal offices, state offices, business-related organizations, a listing by locality, and historic overviews, table of abbreviations, seating plans of the large theaters, etc. The huge index is particularly awkward to use; it should have been divided into federal and state sections, to say nothing of the practice of keying to the section rather than to the page number. Furthermore, the binding is poor. [sak/sl]
95-4-631
1993/94. - 664 p.
95-4-632
1994/95 (1994). - xx, 920 p. - ISBN 3-7965-0969-X : SFr. 248.00, DM 297.00 (with CD-ROM)
95-4-633
1994/95 (1994). - 1 CD-ROM. - ISBN 3-7965-0978-9 : SFr. 248.00, DM 297.00 (with printed edition)
95-4-634
1995. - 239 p. : ill. - ISBN 3-7165-0962-0 : Fr. 42.00, DM 48.00
The Eidgenössische Staatskalender has been published since 1849 and is the official Swiss governmental address directory. Currently revised every two years, it is a thorough guide to all branches of the Swiss federal government noting names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, office hours and official holidays. It also contains organizational charts and an index to organizational acronyms (in three languages: German, French and Italian).
The first chapter of Publicus (pp.1–75) has roughly the same type of information that the Staatskalender offers; the difference is in the amount of detail provided. For example, the Federal Chancellory gets 10 pages in the Staatskalender but only two-thirds of a page in the Publicus. What the rest of the latter volume offers is a broad overview of the entire public life of Switzerland, i.e., directory-style information on the cantons, cities and towns; the Principality of Liechtenstein; professional, scientific, cultural and international organizations etc.
Beginning with the 1994/95 edition, the publisher is offering a parallel CD-ROM edition of Publicus. The search software has all the expected functionalities: boolean operators, truncation, combining of earlier searches, hyperlinks, browsing, downloading and printing.
Despite its name, the Jahrbuch der eidgenössischen Behörden, Verwaltungen und Bundesbetriebe is not really the same kind of directory as the above two titles. Instead is consists largely of short biographies (with black and white photos) of Swiss government officials. It lists the members of the Bundesrat, the Ständerat, the Nationalrat, the many standing governmental commissions, the political party hierarchy, the judiciary, the national bank, the diplomatic corps, etc. [sak/bw]
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