In 1952, the Länder of East Germany were abolished, and the GDR was divided into Bezirke (districts), each named after the largest city: Rostock; Schwerin; Neubrandenburg; Magdeburg; Potsdam; Berlin; Frankfurt (Oder); Cottbus; Halle; Erfurt; Leipzig; Dresden; Karl-Marx-Stadt (now renamed Chemnitz); Gera; and Suhl.
In 1990, the Länder were reinstated and acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. Each Land was divided into districts or Kreise as in West Germany, and the Bezirke were abolished.