List of Gauleiters

The following List of Gauleiters enumerates those who have held the German political rank of Gauleiter, most often associated with Nazi Germany.

• Auslands-Organisation der NSDAP (NSDAP/AO)
  • Hans Nieland (1930–1933)
  • Ernst Wilhelm Bohle (1933–1945)
• Gau Baden, Gauleiter:
  • Robert Heinrich Wagner (25 March 1925 – May 1945)

• Gau Bayerische Ostmark (Bavarian Eastern March) [Bayerische Ostmark was founded in 1933 when Oberfranken, Niederbayern & Oberpfalz merged. It was renamed Gau Bayreuth after its capital in 1943], Gauleiter:
  • Hans Schemm (1933–1935)
  • Fritz Wächtler (1935–1945)
  • Ludwig Ruckdeschel (1945)

• Gau Berlin, Gauleiter:
  • Joseph Goebbels (1929–1945)

• Gau Berlin - Brandenburg [Gau Berlin - Brandenburg was divided into Berlin & Brandenburg 1929], Gauleiter:
  • Ernst Schlange (1925–1926)
  • Joseph Goebbels (1926–1929)

• Gau Brandenburg (the historical nucleus of the Prussian kingdom) [Gau Brandenburg was made a part of Kurmark 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Emil Holz (1929–1930)
  • Ernst Schlange (1930–1933)

• Gau Danzig (Danzig; former free state, lost after the war to Poland, now Gdańsk) [Gau Danzig was known as Gau Danzig - Westpreussen after 1939], Gauleiter:
  • Hans-Albert Hohnfeldt (1926–1928)
  • Walter Maaß (1928–1930)
  • Albert Forster (1930–1945)

• Gau Düsseldorf [Gau Düsseldorf was founded in 1929 from the bezirk Bergisches - Land], Gauleiter:
  • Friedrich Karl Florian (1929–1945)

• Gau Essen, Gauleiter:
  • Josef Terboven (1928–1945)
    • Acting Gauleiter: Fritz Schlessmann (April 1940 – May 1945)

• Gau Flandern, Gauleiter:
  • Jef van de Wiele (December 1944 – April 1945) (in exile in Germany)

• Gau Franken (Franconia) [Gau Franken was founded in 1929 when Mittelfranken merged with the bezirk Nürnberg - Fürth], Gauleiter:
  • Julius Streicher (1929–1940)
  • Hans Zimmermann (1940–1941)
  • Karl Holz (1942–1945)
    • Acting Gauleiter: Karl Holz (1940 – April 1945)

• Gau Halle - Merseburg, Gauleiter:
  • Walter Ernst (1925–1926)
  • Paul Hinkler (1926–1930)
  • Rudolf Jordan (1930–1937)
  • Joachim Albrecht Eggeling (1938–1945)

• Gau Hamburg, Gauleiter:
  • Josef Klant (1925–1926)
  • Albert Krebs (1927–1928)
  • Hinrich Lohse (1928–1929)
  • Karl Kaufmann (1929–1945)

• Gau Hannover - Nord [Gau Hannover - Nord became a part of Südhannover - Braunschweig 1928], Gauleiter:
  • Bernhard Rust (1925–1928)
  • Lyrius Hanover II (1942-1945)

• Gau Hannover - Sud [Gau Hannover - Sud became a part of Südhannover - Braunschweig 1928], Gauleiter:
  • Ludolf Haase (1927–1928)

• Gau Hessen - Darmstadt [Gau Hessen - Darmstadt became a part of Hessen - Nassau 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Friedrich Mengeringhausen (1927–1931)
  • Peter Gemeinder (1931)
  • Karl Benz (1932–1933)

• Gau Hessen - Nassau [Gau Hessen - Nassau was founded 1933 when Hessen - Darmstadt merged with Hessen - Nassau - Sud], Gauleiter:
  • Jakob Sprenger (1933–1945)

• Gau Hessen - Nassau-Nord (Hesses- Northern Nassau) [Hessen - Nassau - Nord was known as Gau Kurhessen after 1934], Gauleiter:
  • Walther Schultze (1926–1927)
  • Karl Weinrich (1927 - autumn 1943)
  • Acting Gauleiter: Karl Gerland (1944–1945)

• Gau Hessen - Nassau-Süd (Hesse- Southern Nassau) [Gau Hessen - Nassau - Süd became a part of Hessen - Nassau 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Anton Haselmayer (1925–1926)
  • Walther Schultze (1926–1927)
  • Jakob Sprenger (1927–1933)

• Gau Kärnten (Carinthia, in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Hubert Klausner (1939–1940)
  • Franz Kutschera (1940–1941)
  • Friedrich Rainer (1942–1944)

• Gau Koblenz - Trier [Koblenz - Trier was renamed Gau Moselland in 1942], Gauleiter:
  • Gustav Simon (1931–1945)

• Gau Köln - Aachen (Cologne-Aachen)
  • Josef Grohé (1931–1945)

• Gau Kurmark (Elector's March) [Kurmark was founded in 1933 when Ostmark merged with Brandenburg; it was renamed Gau Mark Brandenburg in 1940], Gauleiter:
  • Wilhelm Kube (1933–1936)
  • Emil Stürtz (1939–1945)

• Gau Lüneburg - Stade, Gauleiter:
  • Otto Telschow (1925–1928)

• Gau Magdeburg - Anhalt, Gauleiter:
  • Hermann Schmischke (1925–1928)
  • Wilhelm Friedrich Loeper (1927–1933)
  • Paul Hofmann (1933)
  • Wilhelm Friedrich Loeper (1934–1935)
  • Joachim Albrecht Eggeling (1935–1937)
  • Rudolf Jordan (1937–1945)

• Gau Mecklenburg, Gauleiter:
  • Friedrich Hildebrandt (1925–1930)
  • Herbert Albrecht (1930–1931)
  • Friedrich Hildebrandt (1931–1945)

• Gau Mittelfranken (Central Franconia) [Gau Mittelfranken became a part of Franken 1929], Gauleiter:
  • Wilhelm Grimm (1928)

• Gau Moselland - see Gau Koblenz - Trier

• Gau München-Oberbayern (Munich - Upper Bavaria) [Gau München - Oberbayern was founded in 1933 when the bezirk Oberbayern & Gross - München (Greater Munich; the Bavarian capital was also the official capital of the Nazi movement) merged], Gauleiter:
  • Adolf Wagner (1933–1944)
  • Paul Giesler (1944–1945)

• Gau Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) [Gau Niederbayern became a part of Bayerische Ostmark 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Fritz Reinhardt (October 1928 - 1930)
  • Otto Erbersdobler (1930–1932)

• Gau Niederbayern–Oberpfalz (Lower Bavaria - Upper Palatinate) [Gau Niederbayern - Oberpfalz was divided into Niederbayern & Oberpfalz 1929], Gauleiter:
  • Gregor Strasser (1925–1929)

• Gau Niederdonau (Lower Danube, i.e. Niederösterreich, in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Hugo Jury (1939–1945)

• Gau Niederschlesien (Lower Silesia, split-off of Gau Schlesien; after the war lost to Poland), Gauleiter:
  • Karl Hanke (1940–1945)

• Gau Oberdonau (Upper Danube, i.e. Oberösterreich, in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • August Eigruber (1939–1945)

• Gau Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) [Gau Oberfranken became a part of Bayerische Ostmark 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Hans Schemm (1928–1933)

• Gau Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) [Gau Oberpfalz became a part of Bayerische Ostmark 1933], Gauleiter:
  • Franz Maierhofer (1929–1932)

• Gau Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia, split-off of Gau Schlesien; after the war lost to Poland), Gauleiter:
  • Fritz Bracht (1940–1945)

• Gau Osthannover (East Hannover), Gauleiter:
  • Otto Telschow (1925–1945)

• Gau Ostmark, (Gau Ostmark was made a part of Gau Kurmark 1933), Gauleiter:
  • Wilhelm Kube (1928–1933)

• Gau Ostpreußen (East Prussia), Gauleiter:
  • Bruno Gustav Scherwitz (1925–1927)
  • Erich Koch (1928–1945)

• Gau Pfalz–Saar [Gau Pfalz - Saar was founded in 1935 when Saarland & Rheinpfalz merged. It was renamed Saarpfalz in 1937 and finally Westmark 1942], Gauleiter:
  • Josef Bürckel (1935–1944)
  • Willi Stöhr (1944–1945)

• Gau Pommern (Pomerania; after the war mostly lost to Poland), Gauleiter:
  • Theodor Vahlen (1925–1927)
  • Walter von Corswant (1928–1931)
  • Wilhelm Karpenstein (1931–1934)
  • Franz Schwede (1935–1945)

• Gau Rheinland – Nord (Northern Rhineland) [Gau Rheinland - Nord became a part of Ruhr 1926], Gauleiter:
  • Karl Kaufmann (1925–1926)

• Gau Rheinland – Süd (Southern Rhenania) [Gau Rheinland - Sud was divided into Köln - Aachen & Koblenz - Trier 1931], Gauleiter:
  • Heinz Haake (1925)
  • Robert Ley (1925–1931)

• Gau Rheinpfalz [Gau Rheinpfalz became a part of Pfalz - Saar 1935], Gauleiter:
  • Josef Bürckel (1926–1935)

• Gau Ruhr [Gau Ruhr was divided into Westfalen - Nord & Westfalen - Sud 1932], Gauleiter:
  • Karl Kaufmann (1926–1929)
  • Josef Wagner (1929–1931)

• Gau Saarland [Gau Saarland became a part of Pfalz - Saar 1935], Gauleiter:
  • Josef Bürckel (1933–1935)

• Gau Sachsen (Saxony), Gauleiter:
  • Martin Mutschmann (1925–1945)

• Gau Salzburg (in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Friedrich Rainer (1939–1941)
  • Gustav Adolf Scheel (1941–1945)

• Gau Schlesien [Gau Schlesien was divided into Niederschlesien & Oberschlesien, i.e. Lower- & Upper Silesia, 1940], Gauleiter:
  • Helmuth Brückner (1925 - 12 December. 1934)
  • Josef Wagner (12 December 1934 - 1940)

• Gau Schleswig - Holstein, Gauleiter:
  • Hinrich Lohse (1925–1945)

• Gau Schwaben (Swabia), Gauleiter:
  • Karl Wahl (1928–1945)

• Gau Steiermark (Styria, in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Siegfried Uiberreither (1939–1945)

• Gau Sudetengau (the ethnically German border regions of Czechoslovakia with Germany and Austria, separated from the puppet-state Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) [Sudetengau was known as Gau Sudetenland after 1939.], Gauleiter:
  • Konrad Henlein (1939–1945)

• Gau Sudhannover - Braunschweig (South Hannover - Brunswick) [Gau Sudhannover - Braunschweig was founded in 1928 when Hannover - Nord & Hannover - Sud merged], Gauleiter:
  • Bernhard Rust (1928–1940)
  • Hartmann Lauterbacher (1940–1945)

• Gau Thüringen (Thuringia), Gauleiter:
  • Artur Dinter (1925–1927)
  • Fritz Sauckel (1927–1945)

• Gau Tirol (in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Franz Hofer (1932–1933)

• Gau Tirol - Vorarlberg (in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Franz Hofer (1938–1945)

• Gau Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) [Unterfranken was known as Gau Mainfranken after 1935], Gauleiter:
  • Otto Hellmuth (1928–1945)

• Gau Wallonien, Gauleiter:
  • Léon Degrelle (Dec. 1944 - Apr. 1945) (in exile in Germany)

• Gau Wartheland (named after the river Warta in Poland) [Wartheland was known as Warthegau before 1939], Gauleiter:
  • Arthur Greiser (1939–1945)

• Gau Weser - Ems, Gauleiter:
  • Carl Röver (1929–1942)
  • Paul Wegener (1942–1945)

• Gau Westfalen [Gau Westfalen became a part of Ruhr in 1926], Gauleiter:
  • Franz Pfeffer von Salomon (1925–1926)

• Gau Westfalen - Nord, Gauleiter:
  • Alfred Meyer (1932–1945)

• Gau Westfalen - Sud, Gauleiter:
  • Josef Wagner (1932–1941)
  • Paul Giesler (1941–1943)
  • Albert Hoffmann (19 June 1943 - May 1945)

• Gau Wien (Vienna, in Austria), Gauleiter:
  • Odilo Globocnik (1938–1939)
  • Josef Bürckel (1939–1940)
  • Baldur von Schirach (August 1940 – May 1945)

• Gau Württemberg - Hohenzollern, Gauleiter:
  • Eugen Munder (1925–1928)
  • Wilhelm Murr (1928–1945)

Sources and references

• Miller, Michael D. and Schulz, Andreas (2012). Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders Of The Nazi Party And Their Deputies, 1925-1945 (Herbert Albreacht-H. Wilhelm Huttmann)-Volume 1, R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-1932970210
• Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte
• Gauleiter Nuremberg War Crimes International Court
• Luxemburg gauleiter
• WorldStatesmen - here Belgium