Joseph Bürckel (30 March 1895 – 28 September 1944) was a German
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
politician and a member of the German parliament (the
''Reichstag''). He was an early member of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
and was influential in the rise of the National Socialist movement. He played a central role in the German acquisition of the
Saarland
Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
and
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. He held the posts of ''
Gauleiter'' and ''
Reichsstatthalter
The ''Reichsstatthalter'' (, ''Reich lieutenant'') was a title used in the German Empire and later in Nazi Germany.
''Statthalter des Reiches'' (1879–1918)
The office of ''Statthalter des Reiches'' (otherwise known as ''Reichsstatthalter'' ...
'' in both
Gau Westmark and
Reichsgau Vienna
The Reichsgau Vienna (German: ''Reichsgau Wien'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany based in Vienna, Austria. It existed between 1938 and 1945. Parts of Lower Austria were annexed to establish Greater Vienna, which then became the big ...
. He also held the rank of ''
Obergruppenführer
(, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...
'' in both the
SA and the
SS.
Life and career
Joseph Bürckel was born in
Lingenfeld, in the
Bavarian Palatinate (German: ''Rheinpfalz'') as the son of a baker.
From 1909 to 1914 he studied to become a teacher in
Speyer
Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
.
Bürckel volunteered for service with Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment 12 in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. He served with several different field artillery regiments and was honorably discharged in May 1916. After the war, he continued his training as a teacher and graduated in 1920. He was employed as a teacher, and eventually as a headmaster, until September 1930 when he was elected to the ''
Reichstag''. He represented electoral constituency 27 (
Pfalz
Pfalz, Pfälzer, or Pfälzisch are German words referring to Palatinate (disambiguation), Palatinate.
They may refer to:
Places
*Pfalz, the Palatinate (region) of Germany
**Nordpfalz, the North Palatinate
**Vorderpfalz, the Anterior Palatinat ...
; after 1935, Rhinepfalz-Saar). He was reelected at subsequent elections and retained his seat until his death.
From 1921 onwards, Bürckel was engaged in nationalist groups fighting separatism in the Palatinate. An energetic organizer in the
National Socialist movement of the Bavarian Palatinate from 1925, he rose through the ranks to become ''
Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...
'' (Nazi Party leader) of Gau Rheinpfalz in March 1926, succeeding
Friedrich Wambsganss. After the
Saar plebiscite in January 1935 approved the return of the
Saarland
Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
to Germany, Bürckel was named "''
Reichskommissar'' for the Return of the Saarland" to coordinate the acquisition. Gau Rheinpfalz was merged with the Saarland on 1 March 1935 to form Gau Pfalz-Saar (renamed Gau Saarpfalz in January 1936) and Bürckel continued as ''Gauleiter'' of the enlarged territory.
In February 1938, Bürckel (while remaining ''Gauleiter'' in Saarpfalz) was appointed the acting head of the Nazi Party for
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, and on 13 March 1938, he was assigned to carry out the plebiscite on the ''
Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...
'', Germany's absorption of Austria. From 23 April 1938 to 31 March 1940, he worked as "''Reichskommissar'' for the Reunification of Austria with the
German Reich
German ''Reich'' (, from ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty entirely from a continuing unitary German ''Volk'' ("na ...
" and was in charge of fully integrating it politically, economically and culturally into Germany as the
Ostmark. He declared: "This is a revolution. The Jews may be glad that it is not of the French or Russian pattern". Saying that Vienna was "overfilled with Jews", he stated his aim to leave them with no more than five percent of their property. On 20 August 1938, he established the
Central Agency for Jewish Emigration in Vienna, which was responsible at first for the forced emigration of Jews and later for the subsequent deportation and murder of at least 48,767 Austrian Jews out of Vienna.
While remaining ''Reichskommissar'', Bürckel succeeded
Odilo Globočnik as Nazi Party ''
Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...
'' of
Reichsgau Vienna
The Reichsgau Vienna (German: ''Reichsgau Wien'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany based in Vienna, Austria. It existed between 1938 and 1945. Parts of Lower Austria were annexed to establish Greater Vienna, which then became the big ...
from 30 January 1939 until 2 August 1940. With the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in Europe on 1 September 1939, Bürckel was named as
Reich Defense Commissioner for ''
Wehrkreis
The military districts, also known in some English-language publications by their German name as Wehrkreise (singular: ''Wehrkreis''), were administrative territorial units in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The task of military dist ...
'' (Military District) XVII which included his Reichsgau Vienna as well as
Reichsgau Lower Danube,
Reichsgau Upper Danube
The Reichsgau Upper Danube (German: '' Reichsgau Oberdonau'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany, created after the Anschluss (annexation of Austria) in 1938 and dissolved in 1945. It consisted of what is today Upper Austria, parts of ...
and part of
Reichsgau Sudetenland
The Reichsgau Sudetenland was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. It comprised the northern part of the ''Sudetenland'' territory, which was annexed from Czechoslovakia according to the 30 September 1938 Munich Agreement. ...
.
On 1 April 1940, he ended his work as ''Reichskommissar'' and was named the ''
Reichsstatthalter
The ''Reichsstatthalter'' (, ''Reich lieutenant'') was a title used in the German Empire and later in Nazi Germany.
''Statthalter des Reiches'' (1879–1918)
The office of ''Statthalter des Reiches'' (otherwise known as ''Reichsstatthalter'' ...
'' (Reich Governor) of Reichsgau Vienna, thus uniting under his control the highest party and governmental offices in his jurisdiction. Throughout that period, Bürckel continued working to further unification with Nazi Germany and to drive out the Jewish population through propaganda,
anti-Jewish
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
decrees and seizures of
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
property. He also crushed Social Democrat and Communist resistance networks. His brutal methods were known as the "Vienna model" or "Bürckel model". Hitler wanted someone who would "work with radical resoluteness and without Viennese botchery", "even at risk of making himself unpopular". He was indeed unpopular, with
Josef Goebbels writing, "Bürckel is making bad mistakes here in Vienna. A little Palatinate schoolmaster as the successor to the Habsburgs. That's not enough. The people here are a little unhappy. And rightly so". Goebbels also wrote Bürckel "left without a single friend in Vienna". Lois Weinberger, a vice-mayor of Vienna, later wrote, "This man was completely foreign to us in blood and mind. His ways and even his voice were also completely repugnant to us".
[ Oliver Rathkolb and John Heath (trans.) "Baldur von Schirach: Nazi Leader and Head of the Hitler Youth", 2022. Chapter 7.]
While Bürckel pursued corrupt officials,
he also frequently embezzled confiscated money and property, instead of turning it over to the state. That earned him the displeasure of the Nazi hierarchy, and he was removed from his posts in Vienna in August 1940 and was succeeded by
Baldur von Schirach
Baldur Benedikt von Schirach (; 9 May 1907 – 8 August 1974) was a German politician who was the leader of the Hitler Youth from 1931 to 1940. From 1940 to 1945, he was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) and '' Reichsstatthalter'' (Reich gov ...
. Upon his return to Gau Saarpfalz, Bürckel continued his previous lifestyle and spent large sums on purchasing artworks.
After the
fall of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Net ...
, in addition to his post as ''Gauleiter'' in Saarpfalz, Bürckel was appointed
Chief of Civil Administration in occupied
Lothringen on 7 August 1940. The Gau was reorganized and renamed
Gau Westmark on 7 December 1940. It now consisted of the Bavarian Palatinate, the Saarland and the annexed ''département'' of
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...
. On 11 March 1941, Bürckel was named ''Reichsstatthalter'' of the new entity, again attaining full control over Party and governmental functions. On 16 November 1942, Bürckel was named Reich Defense Commissioner for Gau Westmark.
On 25 September 1933, Bürckel was granted the rank of SA-''
Gruppenführer
__NOTOC__
''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire d ...
'' in the Nazi
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
''
Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; or 'Storm Troopers') was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. I ...
'' (SA) and was attached to the staff of SA-''Gruppe'' Westmark. On 9 November 1936, he was promoted to SA-''
Obergruppenführer
(, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...
''. From 9 November 1937, he also held the rank of ''Gruppenführer'' in the ''
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II.
It beg ...
'' (SS) and was on the staff of the ''
Reichsführer-SS
(, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest Uniforms and insignia of the Schut ...
'',
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
. On 30 January 1942, he was promoted to SS-''Obergruppenführer''.
[Karl Höffkes, ''Hitlers Politische Generale. Die Gauleiter des Dritten Reiches: ein biographisches Nachschlagewerk'', Grabert-Verlag, Tübingen, 1986, p. 42. .]
Death
Bürckel died at about 11:04 a.m. in
Neustadt an der Weinstrasse on 28 September 1944. A report, dated 28 September, from Bürckel's personal physician since 1936, Dr. Ewig stated that Bürckel was physically and mentally worn out and spent all of his time at work because of the deteriorating situation in his Gau. Bürckel suffered an inflammation of the intestine with diarrhoea, eventually becoming too ill to continue. Ewig was called in on 26 September 1944. Bürckel soon contracted pneumonia and blood failure. Josef Rowies, another physician, stated on 23 October 1944 that the report of Bürckel's death sent to the ''
SS-Personalhauptamt'', the personnel records office, by Himmler's personal staff office on 9 October 1944 had been "doctored" to conceal his mental breakdown. On 8 September 1944, in a letter to
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and a war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler ...
(with whom Bürckel did not get along), Bürckel opined that the lack of combat-ready troops to occupy the defensive line of the
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...
from the boundary of Gau Westmark via the arsenal of Metz-Diedenhofen, south of
Saint-Avold
Saint-Avold (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Sänt Avuur'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
It is situated east of Metz, France and southwest of Saarbrücken, Germany.
History
The Saint-Avold area ha ...
(part of the Maginot Line), to
Sarralbe made construction of defensive positions useless. Bormann responded by dispatching
Willi Stöhr
Wilhelm “Willi” Stöhr (6 November 1903 – after 1994 997? was a Nazi Party official and politician who served as ''Gauleiter'' of Gau Westmark in the closing months of the war. He went missing after the end of the war in Europe and later ...
, who was to succeed Bürckel after his death, to oversee the construction work.
On 3 October 1944, Hitler posthumously awarded Bürckel the
German Order, the highest decoration that the party could bestow on an individual, for his services to the Reich.
Decorations and awards
*
The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords, 1934
*
Anschluss Medal, 1939
*
Sudetenland Medal, 1939
*Clasp to the
Sudetenland Medal, 1939
*
Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
*
German Order, 1944
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
Farewell to Gauleiter BürckelTranslation of the ''
Berliner Morgenpost'', 5 October 1944
Reichsgau Wien at Verwaltungsgeschichte.de
Josef Bürckel – Gauleiter der Westmark Josef Bürckel biography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burckel, Josef
1895 births
1944 deaths
Former Roman Catholics
Gauleiters
German Army personnel of World War I
Holocaust perpetrators in Austria
Members of the Reichstag 1930–1932
Members of the Reichstag 1932
Members of the Reichstag 1932–1933
Members of the Reichstag 1933
Members of the Reichstag 1933–1936
Members of the Reichstag 1936–1938
Members of the Reichstag 1938–1945
Military personnel of Bavaria
National Socialist Motor Corps members
People from Germersheim (district)
Recipients of the German Order (decoration)
SA-Obergruppenführer
SS-Obergruppenführer
Vienna in World War II