Reichsgau Oberdonau

Reichsgau Oberdonau
Reichsgau of Nazi Germany
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Flag Coat of arms
Map of Nazi Germany showing its administrative
subdivisions (Gaue and Reichsgaue).
Capital Linz
Gauleiter
 • 1938–1945 August Eigruber
History
 • Anschluss 12 March 1938
 • German surrender 8 May 1945
Population
 • 1939 1,032,115 
Today part of  Austria
 Czech Republic

The Reichsgau Oberdonau (English: Reichsgau Upper Danube) was an administrative division of Nazi Germany consisting of Upper Austria and parts of Southern Bohemia. Parts of the Salzkammergut were annexed from Styria.

The Gau had the honorary title of "Home Gau of the Führer" (German: Heimatgau des Führers).[1] It existed between 1938 and 1945.

History

The Nazi Gau (plural Gaue) system was originally established in a party conference on 22 May 1926, in order to improve administration of the party structure. From 1933 onwards, after the Nazi seizure of power, the Gaue increasingly replaced the German states as administrative subdivisions in Germany. In 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria, with the latter being sub-divided into Reichsgaue.[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 Oberdonau was held by August Eigruber for the duration of the existence of the Reichsgau.[5][6]

The Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp was located in the Reichsgau Oberdonau. Of the 199,404 prisoners that were sent to the camp 119,000 died in the harsh conditions of the camp through overwork, malnourishment and exhaustion.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Kriechbaumer, R. 1998, Geschichte der österreichischen Bundesländer seit 1945, p. 117
  2. 1 2 "Die NS-Gaue" [The Nazi Gaue]. dhm.de (in German). Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Der "Anschluss" Österreichs 1938" [The annexation of Austria 1938]. dhm.de (in German). Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Organization of the Nazi Party & State". nizkor.org. The Nizkor Project. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "Reichsgau Oberdonau". verwaltungsgeschichte.de (in German). Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "Mauthausen" (PDF). yadvashem.org. Yad Vashem. Retrieved 31 March 2016.

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