Federal Gendarmerie

The Federal Gendarmerie ( _de. Bundesgendarmerie) was an Austrian federal police force. It was responsible for approximately two thirds of the population on approximately 98% of Austrian national territory, alongside the Federal Safety Guard Corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps. All Austrian law enforcement agencies were merged into the Federal Police, or "Bundespolizei", on 1 July 2005.

The history of the Austrian Gendarmerie

Establishment

The idea to establish a Gendarmerie originates from the 1848 Revolution. It was formed on 8 June 1849 as a component of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Johann Franz Kempen, Baron von Fichtenstamm, was appointed the first "General-Gendarmerie-Inspector". While it was originally a military corps responsible for the Hapsburg monarchy, gradually over the second half of the nineteenth century it became responsible for public order.

These military origins were still represented in the retention of the old insignia, a flaming grenade, after the Gendamerie became a component of the civil administration in 1918. The predominately grey uniform also owed its inspiration to the Austro-Hungarian Army.

The direct forerunner was the Gendarmerieregiment of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, after the Viennese Congress of 1815. Up to then 1776 set up "military police corps" existed in Austria as a militarily organized corps alone in the large cities of (Vienna, Lemberg, Krakau, Przemyśl and others.

The time of the monarchy up to the First World War

The Mission of the Royal and Imperial Gendarmerie was the maintenance of the public order. Beside that Crime prevention became those Gendarmerie later in the time of the Absolutists politically instrumentalisiert, which brought in it the hate of the middle class. It was separated from the Army in 1876. Before that the First World War the Gendarmerie Daktyloskopie and police dogs were introduced.

During the First World War the Gendarmerie was used in the hinterland, and as Feldgendarmerie. After the war it remained further militarily organized, but divided for civilian tasks. As leftover that military Structure the gendarmes the remaining became Civil servant only 1918 on an equal footing and the civil jurisdiction subordinated (before were Military courts responsibly for the gendarmes).

The time up to the Second World War

After having lost World War I, and considering Austria's shrunken size, the size of the Gendarmerie was greatly reduced. In 1934, the Gendarmerie were involved in domestic affairs and National socialism, they infiltrated the Austrian fascists. After the Anschluss of 1938 high ranking gendarmes were interened in Concentration camps and large numbers of gendarmes were locked up, dismissed, retired or transferred for disciplinary reasons. The remainder were integrated into the German Order police.

From 1945 to the dissolution of the Gendarmerie in 2005

With the reestablishment of the Republic of Austria in 1945 a Gendarmeriekommando was created. At the beginning the control was disputed between members of the executive, so the Gendarmerie had to get along initially with few officials. Circumstances improved however soon so far that the Gendarmerie was again able to ensure national order. In October 1950 a general strike was proclaimed by the Communist Party, and the deployment of the security forces suppressed an October rebellion.

In 1952 the B-Gendarmerie were set up, with heavy weapons, to strengthen the Gendarmerieeinheit. It was set up after the conclusion of the Convention and the basic unit of the Federal army had been formed. It is not sure whether the initial "B" stood for Readiness or Special Gendarmerie. This paramilitary Unit would have been used in the case of an invasion by the Soviet army in the western zones of occupation of Austria.

Those Bundesgendarmerie was to 30. June 2005 beside "Federal safety guard corps" and that "Kriminalbeamtenkorps" (Police) in although militarily more organized - civilian Awake body in Austria. Those Gendarmerie was locally responsible for all parts of Austria. The Federal Capital (Vienna) was excluded as well as the state capitals (except Bregenz) and other larger cities of Austria (usually Statutarstädte). It provided security for approximately two thirds of the population on approximately 98% of the Austrian national territory.

Other units

There was a transport department, a Kriminalabteilung (and not as in many TV-series the "criminal investigation department") and a Grenzgendarmerie (border gendarmerie) beside the individual Gendarmerieposten in the municipalities, which were increasingly folded up lately. For special employments the Gendarmerie maintained special units such as z. B. Dog leader, alpine gendarmes and flight rescuers.

Cobra

The terrorist assault on the OPEC headquarters in 1975 led to the establishment of a special task force of the Gendarmerie, the Gendarmerieeinsatzkommando EKO Cobra. This special unit trains in close proximity to Wr. Neustadt (city approx. 50 km south of Vienna) and gets activated for all acts of terrorism and kidnapping in addition to other particularly dangerous employments.

Furthermore there are so-called in the context of the Cobra since 1981 Air Mars neck, those as civilian companions during endangered flights Austrian Airlines along-fly. This system became of that The USA after the events of the 11. September 2001 taken over.

Bereitschaftspolizei

A battalion for extensive use in events such as large meetings, concerts, soccer games, demonstrations, pl there were additionally separately in each Land of the Federal Republic a "Gendarmerie employment unit EE". This consisted of particularly trained gendarmes with an employment of the individual posts was likewise pulled together.

Amalgamation

The reorganization of the Austrian law enforcement bodies started in 2002. It was decided that the Gendarmerie, federal safety guard corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps should be amalgamated. On December 9, 2004, the National council with the voices of ÖVP and FPÖ decided this should take place on July 1, 2005 takes place and that the new name should be the "Federal Police".

At the time of the amalgamation from Gendarmerie, Federal Safety Guard Corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps to the Federal Police there were approx. 15,000 officials.

Until also the public got accustomed at the new name police, it will however still last some time. The media still report the "Alpingendarmerie", tourista often look for the "Gendarmerieposten", children play "robbers and gendarmes" and the colloquial term "Schandi" (Gendarme) will still be in use for many years.

Former organisational structure

* Federal Ministry for The Interior (BMI)
**Central management for public security (section II of the BMI)
***9 Safety managements (Simmer) in all States of the Federal Republic
***8 Landesgendarmeriekommanden (LGKdo) in all Lands of the Federal Republic except Vienna
**** Bezirksgendarmeriekommanden (BGK)
*****Gendarmerieposten (GP), frontier control post (GÜP) and check points (Greko)

ee also

*Military of Austria
*Polizei
*Police

External links

* [http://www.bundespolizei.gv.at/ Official sie of the Austrian Federal Police]
* [http://www.bmi.gv.at/cobra/ Official site of Einsatzkommandos COBRA]
* [http://www.bmi.gv.at/jahresberichte/jahresbericht_1999_gendarmerie.asp Übersicht Gendarmerie 1999] - German only
* [http://www.ipa.at/ipaplus/polgendmonarch.htm The development of the POLICE and GENDARMERIE after the collapse of the monarchy in 1918.] - in Germen only