Reichsgauen

Reichsgauen were administrative divisions created in Nazi Germany, replacing the traditional German states. Established in 1934 through the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich, these regions were designed to centralize power under the Nazi regime. Unlike the former federal states, Reichsgauen had no autonomy and were directly controlled by the Nazi government.

Each Reichsgau was typically led by a Gauleiter, a high-ranking Nazi party official who held both administrative and political authority. The Reichsgau system was implemented to eliminate regional identities and consolidate power in Berlin. Some Reichsgauen were established in territories annexed by Germany, such as Austria (Ostmark) and parts of Czechoslovakia. By 1939, there were approximately 42 Reichsgauen across Greater Germany.

After Germany's defeat in World War II, the Allied occupation authorities abolished the Reichsgau system. The traditional state boundaries were largely restored in the western occupation zones, while in the Soviet zone, new states were eventually formed that would later become part of East Germany. The Reichsgau system remains as a symbol of the Nazi regime's attempts to centralize control and eliminate regional autonomy.