Ostmark (Austria)

As Alps and Danube Reichsgaue or Danube and Alpenreichsgaue until 1942 Ostmark, the former Austria was in the time of National Socialism ( 1938-1939 still as the "Land Austria " ) referred.

To name

Austria was the " connection" de facto on 12 March, de jure been incorporated on 13 March 1938 as a country to the German Reich ( from 1943 Great German Reich), whereby the political existence of the First Republic was ended in 1938 effectively. Adolf Hitler was the economic territory newly acquired by the Regulation on the establishment of the kingdom of trustee's management in the country Austria from October 14, 1938 rename to " Ostmark ". Ostmark is a arisen in the 19th century transmission of the medieval name Marchia Orientalis. This should weaken the regional sense of identity and at the same time strengthen the self-perception as part of a single German nation in the political construct of the old Reich. In addition, open connotations for medieval unity of the Germans should work in this direction. As of 1940, the territories of Austria and the Ostmark were called Reichsgaue the Ostmark. In January 1942, this term too recalled the former statehood of the country, was replaced by the designation Alps and Danube Reichsgaue of the Greater German Reich, in line with Nazi propaganda.

Administrative divisions

By Ostmark Act of 14 April 1939, the former Austrian territory was divided into seven Reichsgaue that met the Austrian provinces only in part. At the head of each was a government in Berlin under standing imperial governor, who acted as NSDAP Gauleiter simultaneously. With this party rank the persons concerned were usually also referred to when they occurred in governmental function.

To redeem the name Austria also the name of the former provinces of Upper and Lower Austria, these were referred from 1939 as Upper Danube or the Lower Danube. More changes affected the Tyrol and Vorarlberg, which were combined into a Gau Tirol -Vorarlberg, Tyrol was later connected to Carinthia. Burgenland was dissolved and between Lower Danube (Lower Austria, districts Neusiedl, Eisenstadt, Mattersburg and Oberpullendorf ) and Styria (districts Oberwart, Güssing and Jennersdorf ) divided. The Ausseerland, Styrian Salzkammergut share, came to Upper Danube, the " Heimatgau of the Führer".

Vienna has been extended by some formerly Lower Austrian territories by the newly created Greater Vienna became the area, the largest city of the German Empire, but remained in terms of population behind Greater Berlin, the second largest. Areas in South Bohemia (districts Kaplitz and Cesky Krumlov ) and South Moravia ( Mikulov, Znojmo and Neubistritz ) the districts of Upper and Lower Danube slammed - addition were according to the " destruction of the remainder of Czechoslovakia " - the features claimed in the concept of German Austria by 1918 strong German.