Example of a german PLZ. Foto: Adrian Tusar / shutterstock.com

Ever wondered what 'PLZ' means in Germany? Learn what the meaning is and how to find a specific PLZ.

"PLZ" in Germany stands for "Postleitzahl," which is the five-digit postal code system used to sort and deliver mail efficiently throughout the country. A typical German PLZ is a sequence of five numbers. For example, 10115 is the PLZ for Berlin-Mitte.

The first digit represents a larger region. For instance, areas beginning with:

0: Cover parts of East Germany, including Dresden and Leipzig

1: Include Berlin, Brandenburg, and parts of Sachsen-Anhalt

2: Cover Hamburg, Bremen, and parts of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein

…and so on.

As the numbers get more specific, they pertain to increasingly narrowed areas. The five-digit structure allows for a great degree of precision, making it easier to sort and deliver mail efficiently.

Read also: Where to find baking soda in Germany

Finding a specific PLZ

If you need to find the PLZ for a specific location in Germany, there are online directories and databases available. The official website of the Deutsche Post (the German postal service) offers a PLZ search tool. Many navigation and mapping apps also provide postal code information. Or you could just type the name of your town or city into google and add "PLZ" to the search request.