Gau Westphalia-North

Last updated
Gau Westphalia-North
Gau of Nazi Germany
1931–1945
Flag of German Reich (1935-1945).svg
Flag
Gau-Westfalen-Nord Wappen.svg
Coat of arms
NS administrative Gliederung 1944.png
Map of Nazi Germany showing its administrative
subdivisions ( Gaue and Reichsgaue )
Capital Münster
Government
Gauleiter  
 19311945
Alfred Meyer
History 
1 January 1931
8 May 1945
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Dienstflagge Preussen 1933-35.svg Free State of Prussia (1933–1935)
Flagge Furstentum Schaumburg-Lippe.svg Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe
Flagge Furstentum Lippe.svg Free State of Lippe
North Rhine-Westphalia Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia (state).svg

The Gau Westphalia-North (German: Gau Westfalen-Nord) was an administrative division of Nazi Germany encompassing the Free State of Lippe, the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe and the northern half of the Prussian province of Westphalia between 1933 and 1945. From 1931 to 1933, it was the regional subdivision of the Nazi Party for these areas.

Contents

History

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 onward, after the Nazi seizure of power, the Gaue increasingly replaced the German states as administrative subdivisions in Germany. [1]

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, with little interference from above. Local Gauleiter often held government positions as well as party ones and were in charge of, among other things, propaganda and surveillance and, from September 1944 onward, the Volkssturm and the defense of the Gau. [1] [2]

The position of Gauleiter in Westphalia-North was held by Alfred Meyer from its formation until his suicide on 11 April 1945. [3] [4] nine days after the Gau's capital, Münster, was captured. [5] Meyer's Deputy Gauleiter was Peter Stangier, the sole holder of this post, who was appointed in August 1931 and remained in office until the collapse of the regime in May 1945. [6]

Allied invasion and occupation

Near the end of World War II, the Gau was invaded by the western allies, who would gradually capture its territory until the end of the war. The timeline of the allied advance is detailed in the table below.

Date of captureLocationRef
28 March 1945 Raesfeld [7]
28 March 1945 Borken [8]
28 March 1945 Haltern am See [9]
30 March 1945 Bocholt [10]
30 March 1945 Ahaus [11]
30 March 1945 Gescher
30 March 1945 Rhede
30 March 1945 Coesfeld [12]
30 March 1945 Lager Herbstwald  [ de ]
30 March 1945 Buldern [13]
31 March 1945 Vreden [14]
31 March 1945 Burgsteinfurt
1-3 April 1945 Ochtrup [15]
1 April 1945 Lüdinghausen [16]
2 April 1945 Gronau [17]
2 April 1945 Datteln [18]
2 April 1945 Münster [5]

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References

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  13. "verwehte-spuren - Dülmen-Buldern". verwehte-spuren.de.tl. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
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  15. wn. "Was der Krieg in Ochtrup anrichtete". www.wn.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-10.
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  17. wn. ""Plötzlich wurde alles stockdunkel"". www.dzonline.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  18. "Dattelner Morgenpost: Ein Tag der Befreiung". www.heimatverein-datteln.de. Retrieved 2023-09-10.

51°57′43″N7°38′08″E / 51.96194°N 7.63556°E / 51.96194; 7.63556