The State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern passed the District Structure Act on July 12, 2010. As a result, effective September 4, 2011, the previous 12 districts were dissolved, and four cities lost their district independence. Among other changes, the largest district in Germany was created with the Mecklenburg Lake District, covering a total area of 5,469 km². On August 18, 2011, the State Constitutional Court ruled that the District Structure Act was constitutional; however, it mandated the legislature to closely monitor the actual effects of the new regulation, particularly on volunteer work. This paper aims to clarify various questions. Firstly, I would like to examine the number of district council members. Additionally, I will investigate whether there are increased burdens associated with serving as a district council member in the Mecklenburg Lake District and how these have affected volunteer engagement. Finally, I will compare some cost items of the former districts with those of the new Mecklenburg Lake District that are directly related to volunteer activities.