▁of ▁towns . ▁Even ▁today ▁this ▁pattern ▁has ▁continued . ▁Of ▁the ▁ 3 2 4 ▁named ▁settlement s ▁in ▁today ' s ▁Lü ch ow - D ann enberg , ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁are ▁or ▁were ▁once ▁Rund ling e , ▁and ▁virt ually ▁none ▁have ▁been ▁sw allowed ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁enc ro achment ▁of ▁towns , ▁or ▁have ▁been ▁am alg am ated ▁into ▁larger ▁villages , ▁although ▁since ▁the ▁re forms ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁most ▁have ▁lost ▁their ▁political ▁separ aten ess . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁each ▁village ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁separate ▁political ▁status , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁there ▁being ▁ 2 3 0 ▁entities , ▁Gemeinden , ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁and ▁still ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁sp ars ely ▁settled ▁areas ▁of ▁modern ▁Germany , ▁East ▁or ▁West . ▁The ▁smallest ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 3 0 ▁was ▁Lie pe hö fen , ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁pr inc ely ▁number ▁of ▁ 3 ▁adult ▁vot ers ! ▁Instead ▁of ▁ 2 3 0 ▁there ▁are ▁today ▁a ▁more ▁reasonable ▁ 2 7 ▁Gemeinden . ▁ ▁Sub sequ ent ▁circular ▁shape ▁▁ ▁The ▁original ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁Rund ling e ▁was ▁semi - circ ular ▁or ▁horse - sh oe ▁sh aped . ▁Most ▁became ▁circular ▁through ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁probably ▁between ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 5 5 0 , ▁when ▁population ▁dens ities ▁increased