- Gau München-Oberbayern
Infobox Former Subdivision
conventional_long_name = Gau München-Oberbayern
common_name = Gau München-Oberbayern
subdivision =
image_map_caption = Map ofNazi Germany showing its administrative subdivisions, the "Gaue" and "Reichsgaue"
national_anthem=
capital =Munich
stat_area1=
stat_year1 = 17 May 1939 [ [http://www.statistik.bayern.de/ Bayrisches Landesamt für Statistik] accessed:26 June 2008 ]
stat_pop1 = 1,999,048
p1= Bavaria
flag_p1 = Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg
s1 = Bavaria
flag_s1 = Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg
event_start = Establishment
year_start = 1933
event_end = Disestablishment
year_end = 1945
event1 =
date_event1 =30 January 1933
event2 =
date_event2 =8 May 1945
pol_subdiv =
title_leader =Gauleiter
leader1 =Adolf Wagner
year_leader1 = 1933 - 1944
leader2 =Paul Giesler
year_leader2 = 1944 - 1945The Gau München-Oberbayern (English: "Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria") was an administrative division of
Nazi Germany inUpper Bavaria ,Bavaria from 1933 to 1945. Previous to that, since 1926, it was the regional subdivision of theNazi Party in the region.History
Establishment of the "Gaue" within the party
The Nazi "Gau" (Plural:"Gaue") system was originally established in a party conference on 22 May 1926 [ [http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenpolitik/gaue/ Die NS-Gaue] (in German)
Deutsches Historisches Museum website, accessed:25 June 2008 ] , in order to improve administration of the party structure. In the early stages, the borders and leaders of these "Gaue" fluctuated frequently, mainly due to internal power struggles [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 Gau (NSDAP) - Die bayrischen Gaue bis zur Machtergreifung 1933] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] . The "Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria" was, for the most part, identical with the Bavarian "Regierungsbezirk Upper Bavaria ", whichMunich is the capital of.The "Gau" from 1926 to 1933
The "Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria" came under the leadership of
Adolf Wagner on 1 November 1929 [ [http://www.shoa.de/content/view/544/41/ Shoa.de - Übersicht der NSDAP-Gaue, der Gauleiter und der Stellvertretenden Gauleiter 1933 bis 1945 - Schwaben] (in German) author: Joachim Lilla, accessed:25 June 2008 ] , when the "Gau" system in Bavaria was formalised, and remained under his control until his death in 1944. The "Gau" was actually a merger of the previously separate "Gaue" Munich and Upper Bavaria. Until 1930, Bavaria, as the heartland of the Nazi movement in the 1920's, was seen by Hitler as his personal realm, the local "Gaue" commonly being called "Untergaue" (English:"Sub-Gaue"), to show their dependence on the head of the party. Only when Hitlers ambitions turned national did his interest in Bavarian affairs dwindle [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 Gau (NSDAP) - Die bayrischen Gaue bis zur Machtergreifung 1933] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] . With the end of the internal power struggle, the following six "Gaue" had been established in Bavaria [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 NSDAP - Gaue und Gauleiter] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] :
*Gau Schwaben
*Gau München-Oberbayern
*Gau Mainfranken
*Gau Bayerische Ostmark
*Gau Franken
*Gau Rheinpfalz Within those and the other Nazi German "Gaue", Munich-Upper Bavaria claimed an elevated position for itself. The reason for this being, that Munich was the birthplace of "the movement" (German:"Hauptstadt der Bewegung" - a title it officially carried). The "Gaue" called itself "Traditionsgau München-Oberbayern" to cement this elevated position [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44887 Traditionsgau München-Oberbayern, 1930-45] (in German) historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:
26 June 2008 ] .The "Gau" from 1933 to 1945
With the ascend of the Nazis to power on
30 January 1933, the so-called "Machtergreifung ", the party immediately began to disassemble the power of the German states, the "Länder". It was envisioned by the Nazis that the Party-Gaue would take the place of the old structure. In reality, Hitler was afraid of such a move, fearing it would upset local party leaders and could possibly result in a inner-party power struggle [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 Gau (NSDAP) - Kontinuität der Gaugliederung nach 1933] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .Gradually, the "
Gauleiter " (English:"Gau Leader") took control over their territories, reducing the local "Minister Presidents", nominally the highest office in the German states, to figure heads. As such, the development of the "Gau" from a form inner-party administration to a political and administrative sub-division of the country was gradual, not sudden, but completed by 1934 [ [http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenpolitik/gaue/ Die NS-Gaue] (in German)Deutsches Historisches Museum website, accessed:25 June 2008 ] . The process termed "Gleichschaltung " took care of all political opposition and the "Law concerning the reconstruction of the Reich" from 30 January 1934 can possibly be seen as the final date for the transfer of power from the states to the "Gaue".In Munich-Upper Bavaria, the most populos "Gau" in Bavaria, the local "Gauleiter" Wagner, a personal friend of Hitlers, initially attempted to incooperate the neighboring "Gau Schwaben", to increase his already considerable power [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 Gau (NSDAP) - Kontinuität der Gaugliederung nach 1933] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:
25 June 2008 ] .The "Gauleiter" was directly appointed by Hitler and only answerable to him. In practice, Hitler interfered little in the affairs of the local leaders and their power was almost absolute [ [http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenpolitik/gaue/ Die NS-Gaue] (in German)
Deutsches Historisches Museum website, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .Parallel to the five Bavarian "Gauleiter", a Bavarian "Minister President" still existed during this time, the Nazi politician Ludwig Siebert and, after his death in 1942, his successor,
Paul Giesler . As a third authority in the still existing state [ [http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Rotunda/2209/Bavaria.html Bavaria 1933-1945 - List of Ministers] accessed:25 June 2008 ] ,Franz Ritter von Epp held the office of "Reichsstatthalter " but wielded no real power [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44985 Gauleiter - Die bayrischen Gauleiter nach 1933] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .The "Gau" was home to Nazi Germanys first concentration camp in Dachau, which opened soon after the "Machtergreifung".
With the outbreak of the
Second World War , the power of the "Gauleiter", and therefore the power of the "Gaue" compare to the state government, increased. Many of the "Gauleiter" were put in charge of the war effort in theirMilitary district (German:"Wehrkreis") [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44985 Gauleiter - Dezentralisierungsschübe 1936 to 1939] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .When "Gauleiter" Wagner became increasingly ill, Paul Giesler, his deputy, took up the running of the "Gau". After Wagners death in April 1944, Giesler succedded him in his office.
As the war progressed and Nazi Germany grew more desperate, the "Gauleiter" were put in total control of the war effort in their "Gau" from November 1942 [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44985 Gauleiter - Die bayrischen Gauleiter nach 1942] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:
25 June 2008 ] .In September 1944, the "Gauleiter" were ordered to form the "
Volkssturm " in a last effort to mobilise all of the male population. The "Gauleiter" took up the position of "Reichsverteidigungskommissar" (RVK) (English:"Reich Defence Comissiner"), in competition to the "Wehrmacht ". Paul Giesler was put in charge of Swabia and three of the formerly Austrian "Gaue" [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44985 Gauleiter - Die bayrischen Gauleiter nach 1942] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .With the end of the war and the collapse of Nazi Germany, "Gauleiter" Giesler still remained a convinced Nazi, crushing an uprising in the Bavarian capital with the help of the "
SS " on 28 April 1945. Its leader,Rupprecht Gerngroß , a "Wehrmacht " officer, survived, but many of his supporters were executed on Gieslers orders [ [http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=286 Gauleiter der NSDAP im Ruhrgebiet - Paul Giesler (1895-1945)] (in German) Historisches Centrum Hagen, accessed:26 June 2008 ] .Aftermath
All of Upper Bavaria, like most of the rest of Bavaria, became part of the US occupation zone. Only the "
Pfalz ", geographically separated from the rest of the state, became part of the French occupation zone. Political power, at first laying with the occupation authorities, was soon returned to the new Bavarian government. The "Regierungsbezirk Swabia", never having formally been dissolved, took control of the civil administration of the region again. Its most pressing issue was the reconstruction of the destroyed cities and the refugee problem.Paul Giesler, last "Gauleiter" of Munich-Upper Bavaria, attemted to commit suicide with his wife, fearing capture by the allied forces but failed and was shot by one of his adjudants near
Berchtesgaden on 8 May 1945 [ [http://rzblx2.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/blo/boslview/boslview.php?seite=270&band=1 Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg - Bosls bayrische Biographie - Paul Giesler] (in German)] [ [http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=286 Gauleiter der NSDAP im Ruhrgebiet - Paul Giesler (1895-1945)] (in German) Historisches Centrum Hagen, accessed:26 June 2008 ] ..Other Nazi organisations in the region
The various departments of the Nazi organisation were by no means streamlined with the "Gau" system, but rather fiercely independent and competitive to each other. For example, while Bavaria was sub-divided in six "Gaue", it was also divided in four sections of the "SA", three sections of the "
SS " and six sections of the "Hitler Jugend" [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 Gau (NSDAP) - Regionale Organisation der Gliederungen und angeschlossenen Verbände der NSDAP] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:25 June 2008 ] .The "Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria" belonged to the military district "Wehrkreis VII", which also had its headquarters in Munich [ [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/inhaltsverzeichnisKasernen.htm Übersicht über die Kasernen und Standorte der Wehrmacht] (in German) Lexikon der Wehrmacht, accessed:
26 June 2008 ] .Gauleiter
The highest position in the "Gau", "Gauleiter", was held by only two people during the history of the "Gau":
*Adolf Wagner - 1 November 1929 to 12 April 1944
*Paul Giesler - 12 April 1944 to May 1945Deputy Gauleiter
Second in charge and, in Gieslers case, actually wielding the true power in the "Gau" due to Wagners illness, were the "Stellvertretende Gauleiter":
*Otto Nippold - December 1932 to 17 May 1940
*Joachim von Moltke - 1940 to 1942
* Paul Giesler - 28 June 1942 to 12 April 1944tructure
Like all "Gaue" since the restructering of 1932, Munich-Upper Bavaria was in itself sub-divided in smaller administrative entitiys, in the structure of a pyramide, these being (1936) [ [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/artikel/artikel_44497 NSDAP - Gaue und Gauleiter] (in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed:
25 June 2008 ] :* "Kreise" (26) - equivilant of a district
* "Ortsgruppen" (249)
* "Zellen" (1,291)
* "Blocks" (4,258)ee also
*
List of Gaue of Nazi Germany External links
* [http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/nca/nca-01/nca-01-06-organization.html The Nizkor Project - The Organization of the Nazi Party & State]
* [http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/gauleiter.htm Pictures of "Gauleiter", including Wagner] Calvin College website
* [http://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/document/artikel_44985_bilder_value_8_gauleiter4.jpgPicture of Giesler in Gauleiter uniform]
* [http://www.rijo.homepage.t-online.de/pdf/EN_BY_NS_addressb.pdf "The German Addressbuch" 1942] Names and addresses of the Nazi government of Bavaria with description of their tasks and dutys in 1942ources
* [http://www.shoa.de/content/view/544/41/ Shoa.de - List of Gaue and Gauleiter] (in German)
* [http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenpolitik/gaue/ Die NS Gaue] (in German)Deutsches Historisches Museum website
* [http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/gau_abc.html Die Gaue der NSDAP] (in German)References
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