Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria

The Gau Munich–Upper Bavaria (German: ''Gau München–Oberbayern'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany in Upper Bavaria from 1933 to 1945. From 1930 to 1933, it was the regional subdivision of the Nazi Party in that area.

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,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.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 today's ''Regierungsbezirk Upper Bavaria'', of which Munich is the capital.

The ''Gau'' from 1930 to 1933

The ''Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria'' was formed on 16 November 1930 by a merger of the two previously separate ''Gaue'' Greater Munich and Upper Bavaria. It came under the leadership of Adolf Wagner, the Gauleiter of Greater Munich since November 1929, and remained under his formal leadership until his death in 1944. Until 1930, Bavaria, as the heartland of the Nazi movement in the 1920s, 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 Hitler's ambitions turned national did his interest in Bavarian affairs dwindle. With the end of the internal power struggle, the following six ''Gaue'' had been established in Bavaria: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.

The ''Gau'' from 1933 to 1945

With the ascent 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 an inner-party power struggle.Gau (NSDAP) - Kontinuität der Gaugliederung nach 1933
(in German) Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, accessed: 25 June 2008

Gradually, the ''Gauleiters'' (English:''Gau Leaders'') took control over their territories, reducing the local ''Minister Presidents'', nominally the highest office in the German states, to figureheads. As such, the development of the ''Gau'' from an inner-party administration to a political and administrative sub-division of the country was gradual, not sudden, but completed by 1934. The process termed ''Gleichschaltung'' took care of all political opposition and the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich" of 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 populous ''Gau'' in Bavaria, the local ''Gauleiter'' Wagner, a personal friend of Hitler's, initially attempted to incorporate the neighboring ''Gau Schwaben'', to increase his already considerable power.

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.

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, Franz Ritter von Epp held the office of ''Reichsstatthalter'' but wielded no real power. When ''Gauleiter'' Wagner became increasingly ill, Paul Giesler, his deputy, took up the running of the ''Gau''. After Wagners death in April 1944, Giesler formally succeeded him in his office.

The ''Gau'' was home to Nazi Germany's 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 ''Gau'' compared to the state government, increased. Many of the Gauleiters were put in charge of the war effort in their Military district (German:''Wehrkreis''). 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.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''.

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.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 lying 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, attempted 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.

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''.

The ''Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria'' belonged to the military district ''Wehrkreis VII'', which also had its headquarters in Munich.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 - 16 November 1930 to 12 April 1944
* Paul Giesler - 12 April 1944 to May 1945

Deputy 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 1944

Structure

Like all ''Gaue'' since the restructuring of 1932, Munich-Upper Bavaria was in itself sub-divided in smaller administrative entities, in the structure of a pyramid, these being (1936):

* ''Kreise'' (26) - equivalent of a district
* ''Ortsgruppen'' (249)
* ''Zellen'' (1,291)
* ''Blocks'' (4,258)

References

External links

The Nizkor Project - The Organization of the Nazi Party & State


Calvin College website

Picture of Giesler in Gauleiter uniform

"The German Addressbuch" 1942
Names and addresses of the Nazi government of Bavaria with description of their tasks and duties in 1942

List of Gaue and Gauleiter


Die NS Gaue
at the Deutsches Historisches Museum website.

Die Gaue der NSDAP

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gau Munchen-Oberbayern
Munchen-Oberbayern
Former states and territories of Bavaria
1933 establishments in Germany
1945 disestablishments in Germany