Reichsgau Steiermark
Reichsgau Styria | |||||||||||||||||
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Reichsgau of Nazi Germany | |||||||||||||||||
1938–1945 | |||||||||||||||||
Gaue and Reichsgaue) | |||||||||||||||||
Capital | Graz | ||||||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||||||
• 1938 | 1,116,539 | ||||||||||||||||
Government | |||||||||||||||||
Gauleiter | |||||||||||||||||
• 1938–1945 | Siegfried Uiberreither | ||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||
• German surrender | 8 May 1945 | ||||||||||||||||
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Today part of | AustriaSlovenia |
The Reichsgau Styria (German: Reichsgau Steiermark) was an
Lower Styria and southern parts of Burgenland
. It existed from 1938 to 1945.
History
The Nazi Gau (plural Gaue) system was originally established in a
Nazi seizure of power, the Gaue increasingly replaced the German states as administrative subdivisions in Germany. On 12 March 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria and on, 24 May, the Austrian provinces were reorganized and replaced by seven Nazi party Gaue.[1] Under the Ostmarkgesetz law of 14 April 1939 with effect of 1 May, the Austrian Gaue were raised to the status of Reichsgaue and their Gauleiter were subsequently also named Reichsstatthalter.[2][3]
At the head of each Gau stood a Gauleiter, a position which became increasingly more powerful, especially after the outbreak of the
Second World War. Local Gauleiter were in charge of propaganda and surveillance and, from September 1944 onwards, the Volkssturm and the defence of the Gau.[2][4]
The position of Gauleiter in Styria was held by Siegfried Uiberreither throughout the Reichsgau's history from 1938 to 1945.[5][6]
References
- ^ "Administration of Austria," The Times (London) 25 May 1938, page 15.
- ^ Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- The Nizkor Project. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Übersicht der NSDAP-Gaue, der Gauleiter und der Stellvertretenden Gauleiter zwischen 1933 und 1945" [Overview of Nazi Gaue, the Gauleiter and assistant Gauleiter from 1933 to 1945]. zukunft-braucht-erinnerung.de (in German). Zukunft braucht Erinnerung. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Reichsgau Steiermark". verwaltungsgeschichte.de (in German). Retrieved 24 March 2016.
External links