Donau-Ries is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 253. It is located in western Bavaria, comprising the Dillingen district, Donau-Ries district, and the northern part of the Aichach-Friedberg district.
Donau-Ries was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2009, it has been represented by Ulrich Lange of the Christian Social Union (CSU).
Geography Donau-Ries is located in western Bavaria. As of the 2025 federal election, it comprises the districts of Dillingen and Donau-Ries as well as the municipality of Inchenhofen and the Verwaltungsgemeinschaften of Aindling, Kühbach, and Pöttmes from the Aichach-Friedberg district.
History Donau-Ries was created in 1949, then known as Donauwörth. It acquired its current name in the 1976 election. In the 1949 election, it was Bavaria constituency 44 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1961 elections, it was number 239. In the 1965 through 1998 elections, it was number 240. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 255. In the 2009 through 2021 elections, it was number 254. From the 2025 election, it has been number 253.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent cities of Neuburg an der Donau and Nördlingen and the districts of Donauwörth, Landkreis Neuburg an der Donau, and Landkreis Nördlingen. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it also contained the independent city of Dillingen an der Donau and the Landkreis Dillingen district. In the 1976 through 1994 elections, it comprised the districts of Donau-Ries and Dillingen. In the 1998 election, it acquired the municipality of Inchenhofen and the Verwaltungsgemeinschaften of Kühbach and Pöttmes from the Aichach-Friedberg district. In the 2005 election, it further acquired the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Aindling. In the 2021 election, it acquired the municipality of Altenmünster from Landkreis Augsburg, which was reversed ahead of the 2025 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Donauwörth Neuburg an der Donau city Nördlingen city Donauwörth district Landkreis Neuburg an der Donau district Landkreis Nördlingen district 1953 239 1957 1961 1965 240 Neuburg an der Donau city Nördlingen city Dillingen an der Donau city Donauwörth district Landkreis Neuburg an der Donau district Landkreis Nördlingen district Landkreis Dillingen district 1969 1972 1976 Donau-Ries Donau-Ries district Dillingen district 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 Donau-Ries district Dillingen district Aichach-Friedberg district (only Inchenhofen municipality and Kühbach and Pöttmes Verwaltungsgemeinschaften) 2002 255 2005 Donau-Ries district Dillingen district Aichach-Friedberg district (only Inchenhofen municipality and Aindling, Kühbach, and Pöttmes Verwaltungsgemeinschaften) 2009 254 2013 2017 2021 Donau-Ries district Dillingen district Aichach-Friedberg district (only Inchenhofen municipality and Aindling, Kühbach, and Pöttmes Verwaltungsgemeinschaften) Landkreis Augsburg district (only Altenmünster municipality) 2025 253 Donau-Ries district Dillingen district Aichach-Friedberg district (only Inchenhofen municipality and Aindling, Kühbach, and Pöttmes Verwaltungsgemeinschaften)
Members The constituency has been held continuously by the Christian Social Union (CSU) since its creation. It was first represented by from 1949 to 1953, followed by Philipp Meyer from 1953 to his death in 1962. was representative from 1965 to 1990, a total of seven consecutive terms. then served from 1990 to 2009. Ulrich Lange was elected in 2009, and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021.
Election Member Party % 1949 CSU 36.2 1953 Philipp Meyer CSU 59.1 1957 69.2 1961 64.8 1965 CSU 68.3 1969 67.3 1972 65.4 1976 68.0 1980 65.7 1983 67.8 1987 61.2 1990 CSU 55.0 1994 60.6 1998 57.2 2002 64.7 2005 60.7 2009 Ulrich Lange CSU 52.6 2013 60.6 2017 47.0 2021 41.1
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References