Gau Westmark
Encyclopedia
The Gau Westmark was an administrative division of Nazi Germany
from 1933 to 1945. Previous to that, since 1926, it was the regional subdivision of the Nazi Party.
left of the river Rhine, the Palatinate (German:Pfalz). As such, it carried the name Gau Rheinpfalz. The territory of Oldenburgs
Birkenfeld
was also annexed to the Gau in 1934. With the return of the Saar Basin
to Germany in 1935, the two regions were merged and formed the new Gau Pfalz-Saar. This Gau was renamed Gau Saarpfalz in 1937.
After the outbreak of the Second World War and the defeat of France
in 1940, parts of Lorraine
were added to the Gau and on 7 December 1940 it was again renamed, now Gau Westmark. Gauleiter Bürckel hoped that Westmark would be extended as far as Germany's future western border
, especially keeping in mind the ore region of Briey
-Longwy
. Bürckel further laid claims to parts of Alsace and even Baden
. The Gau, however, remained as such until the defeat of Germany in 1945.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
from 1933 to 1945. Previous to that, since 1926, it was the regional subdivision of the Nazi Party.
History
The Gau was originally established in the parts of BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
left of the river Rhine, the Palatinate (German:Pfalz). As such, it carried the name Gau Rheinpfalz. The territory of Oldenburgs
Free State of Oldenburg
The Free State of Oldenburg was a state of the Weimar Republic. It was established in 1918 following the abdication of the Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II following the German Revolution....
Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld is a town and the district seat of the Birkenfeld district in southwest Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is also the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.-Location:...
was also annexed to the Gau in 1934. With the return of the Saar Basin
Saar (League of Nations)
The Territory of the Saar Basin , also referred as the Saar or Saargebiet, was a region of Germany that was occupied and governed by Britain and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate, with the occupation originally being under the auspices of the Treaty of Versailles...
to Germany in 1935, the two regions were merged and formed the new Gau Pfalz-Saar. This Gau was renamed Gau Saarpfalz in 1937.
After the outbreak of the Second World War and the defeat of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1940, parts of Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
were added to the Gau and on 7 December 1940 it was again renamed, now Gau Westmark. Gauleiter Bürckel hoped that Westmark would be extended as far as Germany's future western border
Zone Interdite
Zone interdite is a French newsmagazine that has been broadcast since on M6, the second-most watched TV network in the French-speaking world. Well-known for its investigative journalism, the show has long been considered one of the most influential in France and has been awarded the 7 d'or for...
, especially keeping in mind the ore region of Briey
Briey
Briey is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is located above and in a steep section of the valley of the little River Woigot, some thirty kilometres to the west of the autoroute that connects Metz with Luxembourg...
-Longwy
Longwy
Longwy is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are known as Longoviciens.-Economy:Longwy has historically been an industrial center of the Lorraine iron mining district. The town is known for its artistic glazed pottery.-History:Longwy initially...
. Bürckel further laid claims to parts of Alsace and even Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. The Gau, however, remained as such until the defeat of Germany in 1945.
Gauleiter
- Josef BürckelJosef BürckelJoseph Bürckel was a German politician and a member of the German parliament...
- 24 March 1926 to 28 September 1944 - Willi StöhrWilli StöhrWilli Stöhr , German NSDAP official, was born in Wuppertal-Elberfeld. He joined the NSDAP in 1923. In 1932 he was made a senior official of the Hitler Youth movement, and in 1933, when the National Socialist movement came to power, he was appointed to administrative position in Frankfurt am Main,...
28 September 1944 to March 1945
Sources
- Shoa.de - List of Gaue and Gauleiter
- Die NS Gaue Deutsches Historisches MuseumDeutsches Historisches MuseumThe German Historical Museum , DHM for short, is a museum in Berlin devoted to German history and defines itself as a place of enlightenment and understanding of the shared history of Germans and Europeans....
website - Die Gaue der NSDAP