Reichsgau Niederdonau

The Reichsgau Lower Danube (German: Reichsgau Niederdonau) was an administrative division of Nazi Germany consisting of areas in Lower Austria, Burgenland, southeastern parts of Bohemia, southern parts of Moravia, later expanded with Devín and Petržalka. It existed between 1938 and 1945.

Reichsgau Lower Danube
Reichsgau of Nazi Germany
1938–1945
Flag
Coat of arms

Map of Nazi Germany showing its administrative
subdivisions (Gaue and Reichsgaue)
CapitalKrems
Population 
• 1939
1,698,658
Government
Gauleiter 
• 1938–1945
Hugo Jury
History 
• Anschluss
12 March 1938
8 May 1945
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Lower Austria
Burgenland
Czechoslovakia
Lower Austria
Burgenland
Czechoslovakia
Today part of Austria
 Czech Republic
 Slovakia

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.[1] On 12 March 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria and on 24 May the Austrian provinces were reorganized and replaced by seven Nazi party Gaue.[2] 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 Gauleiters were subsequently also named Reichsstatthalters.[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 Gauleiters were in charge of propaganda and surveillance and, from September 1944 onwards, the Volkssturm and the defence of the Gau.[1][4]

The position of Gauleiter in Lower Danube was held by Hugo Jury for the duration of the existence of the Gau.[5][6]

Administrative divisions

The administrative divisions of the Gau:[6]

Urban districts / Stadtkreise
  1. City of Krems
  2. City of Sankt Pölten
  3. City of Wiener Neustadt

Rural districts / Landkreise
  1. Landkreis Amstetten
  2. Landkreis Baden
  3. Landkreis Bruck an der Leitha
  4. Landkreis Eisenstadt
  5. Landkreis Gänserndorf
  6. Landkreis Gmünd
  7. Landkreis Hollabrunn
  8. Landkreis Horn
  9. Landkreis Korneuburg
  10. Landkreis Krems
  11. Landkreis Lilienfeld
  12. Landkreis Melk
  13. Landkreis Mistelbach an der Zaya
  14. Landkreis Neubistritz
  15. Landkreis Neunkirchen in Niederdonau
  16. Landkreis Nikolsburg
  17. Landkreis Oberpullendorf
  18. Landkreis Sankt Pölten
  19. Landkreis Scheibbs
  20. Landkreis Tulln
  21. Landkreis Waidhofen an der Thaya
  22. Landkreis Wiener Neustadt
  23. Landkreis Znaim
  24. Landkreis Zwettl

References
  1. "Die NS-Gaue" [The Nazi Gaue]. dhm.de (in German). Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. "Administration of Austria," The Times (London) 25 May 1938, page 15.
  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 Niederdonau". verwaltungsgeschichte.de (in German). Retrieved 24 March 2016.

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