Basemap Shapefile visualizing

After creating some maps with Basemap I got enthusiastic. I want to integrate shapefile information, let's say a polygon, but there are some problems. I downloaded the boarders of bavarian villages here:

https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=b752861d1a08489b9a40337668d4367e

Now I want to integrate a polygon for, let's say, Regensburg. I am able to fetch the information with this code, but I have a few problems

#!/usr/bin/env python

from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import shapefile

map = Basemap(projection='merc',
              resolution='l',
              area_thresh=0.01,
              llcrnrlon=9.497681, llcrnrlat=47.827908,
              urcrnrlon=12.683716, urcrnrlat=50.408517)

map.drawcountries(color="gray")
map.fillcontinents(color='#c8dfb0', lake_color='#53BEFD')
map.drawmapboundary(color='black', linewidth=0.5, fill_color='#53BEFD')

sf = shapefile.Reader("BY_Gemeinden/BY_Gemeinden_WM.shp")
shapes = sf.shapes()
records = sf.records()
for record, shape in zip(records, shapes):
    if record[3] == "Regensburg":
        print(shape.shapeType)
        lons, lates = zip(*shape.points)
        print(record)
        print(lons)
        print(lates)

plt.savefig("foo.eps")

The output looks like this:

5
[797, 'BY', '6001', 'Regensburg', 'Regensburg', 'Freistaat
Bayern','Oberpfalz', '09362000', '6.42920556908e+004',
'8.05927936478e+007']
1350746.04018
6287601.12826

My Questions:

1. I assume that lon[1],lon[1] is one point of the boarder. Obviously there are a lot more.
2. How do I find out what the file says. What is shapeType? What are the numbers inside of records?
3. The coordinates seem not to be in "standard" WGS84? What is it?
4. Is there a quick way to paint the polygon?

Thanks a lot!!!