The term Gau – roughly corresponding to the term English shire, is a Medieval German term for a territory within a country. The term was revived in the 1920s as a name for regional associations of the Nazi Party. The Gaue gradually became the de facto administrative divisions of the Third Reich after 1933 as part of the Nazi Gleichschaltung process that suppressed the German states to create a highly centralised nation. The Gaue were headed by a Gauleiter who was also the nominal head of a corresponding state or province. Territories annexed by Germany from 1938-1945 were organised into Reichsgaue. All Gaue and Reichsgaue were abolished after the defeat of Nazi Germany and the former federal states restored and new states created from the former Prussian provinces.
Reichsstatthalter
11 Mar 1933 - 30 Apr 1945 Robert Heinrich Wagner ........ 1895-1946
Gauleiter
26 Feb 1925 - 30 Apr 1945 Walter Köhler ................. 1897-1989
Gauleiter
1928 - 05 Mar 1935 Hans Schemm ................... 1891-1935
05 Mar 1935 - 19 Apr 1945 Friedrich Wächtler ............ 1891-1945
19 Apr - May 1945 Ludwig Ruckdeschel ............ 1907-1986
Gauleiter
01 Oct 1928 - 01 May 1945 Paul Josef Goebbles ........... 1897-1945
Oberpräsidenten
14 Apr 1931 - 18 Dec 1935 Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Sahm 1877-1939
19 Dec 1935 - 05 Jan 1937 Oskar Maretzky ................ 1881-1945
05 Jan 1937 - Jul 1940 Julius Lippert ................ 1895-1956
Jul 1940 - 02 May 1945 Ludwig Steeg .................. 1894-1945
Reichsstatthalter
08 Sep 1939 - 02 Apr 1945 Albert Maria Forster .......... 1902-1952
Gauleiter
01 Jan 1930 - 08 May 1945 Friedrich Karl Florian ........ 1904-1975
Gauleiter
01 Aug 1928 - 08 May 1945 Josef Anton Heinrich Terboven . 1898-1945
24 Apr 1940 - 08 May 1945 Georg Friedrich Schleßmann .... 1899-1964
(acting for Terboven)
Gauleiter
02 Sep 1928 - 1929 Wilhelm Grimm ................. 1889-1944
1929 - 16 Feb 1940 Julius Streicher .............. 1885-1946
16 Feb 1940 - 04 Apr 1942 Hans Zimmermann ............... 1906-1984
(acting)
19 Mar 1942 - 20 Apr 1945 Karl Holz ..................... 1895-1945
(acting)
Gauleiter
27 Jun 1925 - 30 Jul 1926 Walter Ernst .................. 1899-1945
Aug 1926 - 19 Jan 1931 Paul Georg Otto Hinkler ....... 1892-1945
19 Jan 1931 - 20 Apr 1937 Rudolf Jordan ................. 1902-1988
01 Jul 1944 - 15 Apr 1945 Joachim Albrecht Eggeling ..... 1884-1945
Reichsstaathalter
16 May 1933 - 03 May 1945 Karl Otto Kurt Kaufmann ....... 1900-1969
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - 31 Oct 1926 Josef Klant ................... 1869-1927
01 Nov 1926 - 03 Sep 1928 Albert Krebs .................. 1899-1974
03 Sep 1928 - 15 Apr 1929 Hinrich Lohse ................. 1896-1964
15 Apr 1929 - 03 May 1945 Karl Otto Kurt Kaufmann ....... 1900-1969
Gauleiter
1928 - 15 Mar 1933 Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Linder . 1900-1979
(1st Time)
15 Mar 1933 - 30 Jun 1937 Heinrich Reiner ............... 1892-1946
01 Jul 1937 - 1945 Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Linder (2nd Time)
Gauleiter
11 Mar 1938 - 12 Feb 1939 Hubert Klausner ............... 1892-1939
12 Feb 1939 - 01 Dec 1941 Wladimir von Pawlowski ........ 1891-1961
01 Dec 1941 - 07 May 1945 Friedrich Rainer .............. 1903-1947
Gauleiter
1931 - 05 Mar 1945 Josef Grohé ................... 1902-1987
1926 Gau Hessen
01 Mar 1927 Hessen-Nassau-Nord
1933 Kurhessen
Gauleiteren
1926 - 01 Mar 1927 Anton Haselmayer .............. 1895-1962
01 Mar 1927 - 13 Sep 1928 Walter Schultz ................ 1874-1952
13 Sep 1928 - Nov 1943 Karl Otto Paul Weinrich ....... 1887-1973
13 Dec 1943 - 12 Apr 1945 Karl Gerland .................. 1905-1945
Gauleiter
16 Jul 1925 - 01 Apr 1927 Gustave Herman Schmischke ..... 1883-19..
01 Apr 1927 - 23 Oct 1935 Wilhelm Friedrich Loeper ...... 1883-1935
Nov 1935 - 20 Apr 1937 Joachim Albrecht Leo Eggeling . 1884-1945
20 Apr 1937 - 02 May 1945 Rudolf Jordan ................. s.a
Gauleiter
03 Sep 1928 - 09 Apr 1945 Otto Hellmuth ................. 1896-1968
1925 Nazi Gau of Berlin-Brandenburg
01 Oct 1928 Berlin a separate Gau
01 Jun 1933 Merged with Gau Ostmark as Gau Kurmark
21 Mar 1939 Gau Mark-Brandenburg
Gauleiter
27 Mar 1925 - 09 Nov 1926 Ernst Schlange (1st Time) ..... 1888-1947
09 Jun 1926 - 01 Oct 1928 Paul Josef Goebbles ........... s.a
01 Oct 1928 - 1932 Emil Holz ..................... s.a
1932 - 16 Mar 1933 Ernst Schlange (2nd Time)
16 Mar - 01 Jun 1933 Erich Schmiedicke ............. 1887-19..
01 Jun 1933 - 07 Aug 1936 Wilhelm Paul Richard Kube ..... 1887-1943
(for Gau Ostmark from 02 Oct 1928)
07 Aug 1936 - 21 Apr 1945 Erich Emil Arthur Herman Stürtz 1892-1945
Gauleiter
25 Mar 1925 - 08 May 1945 Friedrich Hildebrandt ......... 1898-1948
1926 Gau Rheinland
01 Jun 1931 Gau Koblenz-Trier
24 Jan 1941 Gau Moselland
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1926 - 31 May 1931 Friedrich Ludwig Reckmann ..... 1907-1984
01 Jun 1931 - 08 May 1945 Gustav Simon .................. 1900-1945
Gauleiter
01 Nov 1930 - 12 Apr 1944 Adolf Wagner .................. 1890-1944
12 Apr 1944 - 08 May 1945 Paul Giesler .................. 1895-1945
12 Mar 1938 Gau Niederdonau
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Niederdonau
Gauleiter
12 Mar - 24 May 1938 Roman Jäger ................... 1909-1944
24 May 1938 - 08 May 1945 Hugo Jury ..................... 1887-1945
01 Apr 1938 - 27 Jan 1941 United into the province of Schlesien
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - 26 Dec 1934 Helmuth Brückner .............. 1896-1954
26 Dec 1934 - 31 Mar 1938 Josef Wagner .................. 1899-1945
27 Jan 1941 - 05 May 1945 Karl Hanke .................... 1903-1945
24 May 1938 Gau Oberdonau
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Oberdonau
Gauleiter
11 Mar 1938 - 05 May 1945 August Eigrubert .............. 1907-1947
01 Apr 1938 - 27 Jan 1941 United into the province of Schlesien
Gauleiter
27 Jan 1941 - 09 May 1945 Friedrich Bracht .............. 1899-1945
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - 30 Sep 1928 Bernhard Rust ................. 1883-1945
01 Oct 1928 - 08 May 1945 Otto Telschow ................. 1876-1945
Gauleiter
06 Dec 1925 - 31 Jan 1926 Wilhelm Stich.
01 Feb 1926 - 1927 Bruno Gustav Schweritz ........ 1896-19..
1927 - 30 Sep 1928 Hans Hohnfeldt
(acting)
01 Oct 1928 - 09 Apr 1945 Erich Koch .................... 1896-1986
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - 30 Apr 1927 Karl Theodor Vahlen ........... 1869-1945
01 May 1927 - 31 Mar 1931 Walther von Corwant ........... 1886-1942
01 Apr 1931 - 21 Jul 1934 Wilhelm Karpenstein ........... 1903-1968
21 Jul 1934 - 02 May 1945 Franz Reinhold Schwede ........ 1888-1960
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - 07 May 1945 Martin Mutschmann ............. 1879-1947
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Salzburg
Gauleiter
11 Mar - 24 May 1938 Anton Wintersteiger ........... 1900-1990
24 May 1938 - 29 Nov 1941 Friedrich Rainer .............. 1903-1947
29 Nov 1941 - 04 May 1945 Gustav Walter Scheel .......... 1907-1979
27 Jan 1941 Divided into Upper and Lower Silesia
Gauleiter
22 Mar 1925 - Dec 1934 Helmuth Brückner .............. 1896-1951
Dec 1934 - May 1940 Josef Wagner .................. 1899-1945
27 Apr 1940 - 27 Jan 1941 Fritz Bracht .................. s.a
Gauleiter
26 Feb 1925 - 08 May 1945 Heinrich Lohse ................ 1896-1964
Gauleiter
01 Oct 1928 - 28 Apr 1945 Karl Wahl ..................... 1892-1981
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Steiernmark
Gauleiter
25 Nov 1928 - 1934 Walther Philipp Anton
Oberhaidacher ................ 1896-1945
1934 - 22 May 1938 Sepp Helfrich ................. 1900-1963
22 May 1938 - 08 May 1945 Sigfried Uiberreither ......... 1908-1984
Gauleiter
01 Oct 1928 - Nov 1940 Bernhard Rust ................. 1883-1945
Nov 1940 - 08 May 1945 Hartmann Lauterbacher ......... 1909-1988
Military Governor
01 Oct - 20 Oct 1938 Wilhelm Keitel ................ 1882-1946
Reichsstatthalter
21 Oct 1938 - 04 May 1945 Konrad Henlein ................ 1898-1945
1928 Parteigau Tirol und Vorarlberg
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Tirol-Vorarlberg
Gauleiter
27 Nov 1932 - 03 May 1945 Franz Hofer ................... 1902-1975
Gauleiter
06 Apr 1925 - 30 Sep 1927 Artur Dinter .................. 1876-1948
30 Sep 1927 - 08 May 1945 Ernst Friedrich Christoph
Sauckel ..................... 1894-1946
15 Dec 1944 Reichsgau Wallonien
Jan 1945 Axis troops surrender
09 May 1945 Restored to Belgium
Gauleiter
15 Dec 1944 - 02 May 1945 Léon Joseph Marie Ignace
Degrelle ..................... 1906-1994
26 Oct 1939 Reichsgau Wartheland
Military governor
12 Sep - 25 Oct 1939 Alfred von Vollard-Bockelberg . 1874-1945
Reichsstatthalter
26 Oct 1939 - 23 Feb 1945 Arthur Karl Greiser ........... 1897-1946
Gauleiter
01 Oct 1928 - 15 May 1942 Carl Georg Röver .............. 1889-1942
27 May 1942 - 08 May 1945 Paul Wegener .................. 1908-1993
Gauleiter
01 Jan 1931 - 11 Apr 1945 Gustav Alfred Julius Meyer .... 1891-1945
Gauleiter
01 Jan 1931 - 09 Nov 1941 Julius Wagner ................. 1899-1945
09 Nov 1941 - 26 Jan 1943 Paul Giesler .................. 1895-1945
26 Jan 1943 - 13 Apr 1945 Alfred Hoffmann ............... 1907-1972
1925 Gau Rheinpfalz
1926 Gau Saar
1935 Gau Pfalz-Saar
1936 Gau Saarpfalz
1940 Gau Westmark
Gauleiter
1925 - 13 Mar 1926 Friedrich Wambsganß ........... 1886-1979
13 Apr 1926 - 28 Sep 1944 Josef Bürckel ................. 1895-1944
28 Sep 1944 - Mar 1945 Wilhelm Stöhr ................. 1903-1994
01 May 1939 Reichsgau Wien
Gauleiter
11 Mar 1938 - 30 Jan 1939 Odilo Lotario Globocnik ....... 1904-1945
30 Jan 1939 - 02 Aug 1940 Josef Bürckel ................. 1895-1944
08 Aug 1940 - 08 May 1945 Baldur Benedikt von Schirach .. 1907-1974
Obermeister
11 Mar 1938 - 14 Dec 1940 Hermann Neubacker
14 Dec 1940 - 30 Dec 1943 Philipp Wilhelm Jung
30 Dec 1943 - 06 Apr 1945 Hanns Blaschke
13 Apr - 16 Apr 1945 Rudolf Prikry
Gauleiter
08 Jul 1925 - 09 Jan 1928 Eugen Munder .................. 1899-1952
01 Feb 1928 - 08 May 1945 Wilhelm Murr .................. 1888-1945
©2020
©2010