Reichsgau and General Government in 1941
A Reichsgau (plural Reichsgaue) was an administrative subdivision created in a number of the areas annexed to Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945. It should not be confused with the Gau, an administrative region of the NSDAP (Nazi Party).
Overview[]
The term was formed from the words Reich and Gau, the latter a deliberately medieval-sounding word with a meaning approximately equivalent to "shire".
There were several Reichsgaue:
- Ostmark, formed from the formerly independent Austria
- Sudetenland, formed from the substantial part of the German-speaking areas of the former Czechoslovakia occupied in 1938
- Danzig-Westpreussen and Wartheland, formed from the Free City of Danzig and areas annexed from Poland.
The Ostmark was subsequently subdivided into seven smaller Reichsgaue, generally coterminous with the former Austrian Länder (states).
Reichsgaue established in 1938[]
| Gau name | German name | Headquarters | Established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carinthia | Kärnten | Klagenfurt | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Carinthia and Eastern Tyrol, included from 1941 on parts of Slovenia |
| Lower Danube | Niederdonau | Vienna | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Lower Austria and northern Burgenland; included from 1939 on parts of southern Moravia |
| Salzburg | Salzburg | Salzburg | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Salzburg |
| Sudetenland | Sudetenland | Reichenberg | 1938 | Formed from the predominantly German-speaking parts of Czechoslovakia that were ceded to Germany after the Munich Agreement |
| Styria | Steiermark | Graz | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Styria and southern part of Burgenland; included from 1941 on parts of Slovenia |
| Tyrol-Vorarlberg | Tirol-Vorarlberg | Innsbruck | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg and the northern part of Tyrol |
| Upper Danube | Oberdonau | Linz | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Upper Austria and Ausseerland, a part of Styria; included from 1939 on parts of southern Bohemia |
| Vienna | Wien | Vienna | 1938 | Formed from the former Austrian federal state of Vienna and surrounding parts of former Lower Austria |
Reichsgaue established during the Second World War[]
| Gau name | German name | Headquarters | Established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danzig - West Prussia | Danzig - Westpreußen | Danzig | 1939 | Formed in the Free City of Danzig and the Polish region of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which were both occupied by Germany in 1939 |
| Wartheland | Wartheland | Poznań | 1939 | Formed primarily in the Polish region of the Poznań Voivodeship and incorporated areas of surrounding Voivodeships after the German occupation of Poland |
Proposed Reichsgaue in Belgium[]
Following Germany's invasion in 1940, Belgium was placed under "temporary" military rule. In July, 1944, civilian rule was reintroduced as a step towards the country's eventual integration into "Greater Germany". In December of that year Belgium was subdivided into the District of Brussels, covering the capital city (which remained under the direct authority of the German Reichskommissar), and two Reichsgaue. These Reichsgaue existed on paper only, owing to the Allied advance.
- Flanders-Antwerp, comprising the Dutch-speaking provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders, West Flanders, the arrondissement of Brussels (except the city of Brussels itself), and the arrondissement of Leuven in the then-province of Brabant (the present-day province of Flemish Brabant).
- Wallonia-Liège, comprising the Francophone provinces of Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, Namur, and the arrondissement of Nivelles in the then-province of Brabant (now part of the separate province of Walloon Brabant).
See also[]
- List of Gaue of Nazi Germany
- Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany
Sources[]
- Der große Atlas der Weltgeschichte (in German), Historical map book, published: 1990, publisher: Orbis Verlag - Munich, ISBN 3572047552
- Shoa.de - List of Gaue and Gauleiter (in German)
- Die NS-Gaue (in German) Deutsches Historisches Museum website
References[]
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de:Reichsgau fr:Reichsgau it:Reichsgau nl:Rijksgouw ja:帝国大管区 ru:Рейхсгау fi:Saksan valtakunnan siviilihallinto toisen maailmansodan aikana