The Nazi Gau (plural Gaue) system was originally established in a
party conference on 22 May 1926, in order to improve administration of the party structure. From 1933 onwards, after the
Nazi seizure of power, the
Gaue increasingly replaced the German states as administrative subdivisions in Germany. On 12 March 1938 Nazi Germany
annexed Austria and on 24 May the Austrian provinces were reorganized and replaced by seven Nazi party
Gaue. Under the Ostmarkgesetz law of 14 April 1939 with effect of 1 May, the Austrian
Gaue were raised to the status of
Reichsgaue and their
Gauleiters were subsequently also named
Reichsstatthalters. At the head of each Gau stood a
Gauleiter, a position which became increasingly more powerful, especially after the outbreak of the
Second World War. Local Gauleiters were in charge of propaganda and surveillance and, from September 1944 onwards, the
Volkssturm and the defence of the Gau. The position of Gauleiter in Vienna was initially held by
Odilo Globočnik from 24 May 1938 to 30 January 1939, by
Josef Bürckel to 2 August 1940 and by
Baldur von Schirach for the remainder of the Reichsgau's history up to 8 May 1945. ==References==