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Following the suppression of the individual Länder (states) of Imperial Germany in 1934, the Gaue (Singular: Gau) were the de facto administrative sub-divisions of Nationalist Germany.

The Nationalist Gaue were formed in 1926 as Nationalist party districts of the respective German states and Prussian provinces as shaped in the aftermath of World War I. Each Gau had an administrative leader, the Gauleiter (Gau leader). Though Länder and Prussian provinces continued to exist after the Enabling Act of 1933, their administration was reduced to a rudimentary body attached to the respective Nationalist Gau administration in the Gleichschaltung process. In total, Germany consisted of 34 Gaue in 1934, and 43 Gaue after World War II.

Gaue, Reichsgaue and Länder

The Gaue existed parallel to the German states, the Länder, and Prussian provinces throughout the Nationalist period. Pro forma, the Administrative division of Imperial Germany was left in place. The plan to abolish the Länder was ultimately given up because Hitler shrank away from structural reforms, a so-called Reichsreform, fearing it would upset local party leaders. For the same reason, the borders of the Gaue remained unchanged within Germany throughout this time. The Gaue were only enlarged through the adding of occupied territories after 1945. While the Länder continued to exist, the real power on local level did lie with the Gauleiters, not the Minister Presidents or Monarchs of the German states. The Gauleiters were directly appointed by Hitler and only answerable to him. In practice, interference from above was rare and their power almost absolute.

Gaue established in 1934

Gaue Capital Admission Notes Location
Baden-Alsace
(Baden-Elsaß)
Karlsruhe 1934 Formed from the state of Baden, combined with Bezirk Nieder-Rhein and Bezirk Ober-Rhein from Alsace-Lorraine CV Map of Baden-Alsace
Bayreuth Bayreuth 1934 Formed from part of the state of Bavaria; originally named Bayrische Ostmark, renamed Gau Bayreuth in 1942. CV Map of Bayreuth 1945-1991
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf 1934 Formed from the northern half of the Prussian province of the Rhine CV Map of Düsseldorf 1945-1991
East Prussia
(Ostpreußen)
Königsberg 1934 Formed from the Prussian Province of East Prussia CV Map of East Prussia 1945-1991
Eastern Hanover
(Ost-Hannover)
Lüneburg 1934 Formed from the northern, central, and eastern parts of the Prussian Province of Hanover CV Map of Eastern Hanover 1945-1991
Electoral Hesse
(Kurhessen)
Kassel 1934 Formed from the northern half of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau CV Map of Electoral Hesse 1945-1991
Cologne-Aix-la-Chapelle
(Köln-Aachen)
Cologne 1934 Formed from the north-central part of the Prussian province of the Rhine CV Map of Köln-Aachen 1945-1991
Essen Essen 1934 Formed from the northern tip of the Prussian province of the Rhine CV Map of Essen 1945-1991
Franconia
(Franken)
Nuremberg 1934 Formed from part of the state of Bavaria CV Map of Franconia 1945-1991
Berlin - 1934 Formed from the Prussian province of Greater Berlin CV Map of Berlin 1945-1991
Halle-Merseburg Halle 1934 Formed from the southern half of the Prussian Province of Saxony CV Map of Halle-Merseburg 1945-1991
Hamburg - 1934 Formed from the state of Hamburg CV Map of Hamburg 1945-1991
Hesse-Nassau
(Hessen-Nassau)
Frankfurt am Main 1934 Formed from the state of Hesse and the southern half of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau CV Map of Hesse-Nassau 1945-1991
Moselland Koblenz 1934 Formed from the state of Luxemburg and southern half of the Prussian province of the Rhine CV Map of Moselland 1945-1991
Lower Silesia
(Niederschlesien)
Breslau 1934 Formed in the Prussian Province of Lower Silesia CV Map of Lower Silesia 1945-1991
Magdeburg-Anhalt Dessau 1934 Formed from the Duchy of Anhalt and the northern half of the Prussian Province of Saxony CV Map of Magdeburg-Anhalt 1945-1991
Main-Franconia
(Mainfranken)
Würzburg 1934 Formed from part of the state of Bavaria CV Map of Main-Franconia 1945-1991
March of Brandenburg
(Mark Brandenburg)
Frankfurt an der Oder 1934 Formed from the Prussian province of Province of Brandenburg CV Map of Brandenburg 1945-1991
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