| Reichsgau Lower Danube | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reichsgau ofNazi Germany | |||||||||||||||||
| 1938–1945 | |||||||||||||||||
.svg) Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |||||||||||||||||
 Map ofNazi Germany showing its administrative subdivisions (Gaue andReichsgaue) | |||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Krems | ||||||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||||||
• 1939 | 1,698,658 | ||||||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||||||
| Gauleiter | |||||||||||||||||
• 1938–1945 | Hugo Jury | ||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 March 1938 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 May 1945 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Austria Czech Republic Slovakia | ||||||||||||||||
TheReichsgau Lower Danube (German:Reichsgau Niederdonau) was anadministrative division ofNazi Germany consisting of areas inLower Austria,Burgenland, southeastern parts ofBohemia, southern parts ofMoravia, later expanded withDevín andPetržalka. It existed between 1938 and 1945.
The Nazi Gau (plural Gaue) system was originally established in aparty conference on 22 May 1926, in order to improve administration of the party structure. From 1933 onwards, after theNazi seizure of power, theGaue increasingly replaced the German states as administrative subdivisions in Germany.[1] On 12 March 1938 Nazi Germanyannexed Austria and on 24 May the Austrian provinces were reorganized and replaced by seven Nazi partyGaue.[2] Under the Ostmarkgesetz law of 14 April 1939 with effect of 1 May, the AustrianGaue were raised to the status ofReichsgaue and theirGauleiters were subsequently also namedReichsstatthalters.[3]
At the head of each Gau stood aGauleiter, a position which became increasingly more powerful, especially after the outbreak of theSecond World War. Local Gauleiters were in charge of propaganda and surveillance and, from September 1944 onwards, theVolkssturm and the defence of the Gau.[1][4]
The position of Gauleiter in Lower Danube was held byHugo Jury for the duration of the existence of the Gau.[5][6]
The administrative divisions of the Gau:[6]
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| Other | |
