View source for Reichskommissar

{{short description|Gubernatorial title used in the German Empire and Nazi Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Lang|de|'''Reichskommissar'''}} ({{IPA|de|ˈʁaɪçskɔmɪsaːɐ̯|lang}}, rendered as "Commissioner of the Empire", "Reich Commissioner" or "Imperial Commissioner"), in [[History of Germany|German history]], was an official [[governor|governatorial]] title used for various public offices during the period of the [[German Empire]] and [[Nazi Germany]].

==German Empire==
===Domestic===
In the unified [[German Empire]] (after 1871), Reichskommissars were appointed to oversee special tasks. For instance, there was a Reichskommissar for [[emigration]] (''Reichskommissar für das Auswanderungswesen'') in [[Hamburg]].

Presumably the same title is rendered as "German Imperial Commissioner" in the case of [[Heligoland]], a strategically located once-Danish island in the [[North Sea]], formally handed over to Germany by the UK on 9 August 1890 (under the [[Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty]]) and on 15 December 1890 formally annexed to Germany (after 18 February 1891 part of the Prussian province of [[Schleswig-Holstein]]): 9 August 1890 – 1891 Adolf Wermuth (b. 1855 – d. 1927)

===Colonial===
The title of ''Reichskommissar'' was used during the German Empire for the governors of most of the ''[[Schutzgebiet]]e'' (a German term literally meaning [[protectorate]], but also applied to ordinary [[colony|colonies]]).

====In West Africa====
* in ''[[Kamerun]]'' (modern-day [[Cameroon]]) * Reichskommissare (Commissioners)
**14 July 1884 – 19 July 1884 [[Gustav Nachtigal]] (b. 1834 – d. 1885)
**19 July 1884 – 1 April 1885 [[Maximilian Buchner]] (acting) (b. 1846 – d. 1921)
**1 April 1885 – 4 July 1885 [[Eduard von Knorr]] (acting) (b. 1840 – d. 1920); next came a list of governors until 4 March 1916 when *
*in [[Togo]] the Reich Reichskommissare since 5 July 1884 proclamation of the [[Togoland]] protectorate:
** 5 July 1884 – 6 July 1884 [[Gustav Nachtigal]] (b. 1834 – d. 1885), the Reichskommissar for West Africa *
**6 July 1884 – 26 June 1885 [[Heinrich Randad]], the provisional [[Consul (representative)|Consul]]
**26 June 1885 – May 1887 [[Ernst Falkenthal]] (b. 1858 – d. 1911)
**July 1887 – 17 October 1888 [[Jesko von Puttkamer]] (acting) (1st time) (b. 1855 – d. 1917)
**17 October 1888 – 14 April 1891 [[Eugen von Zimmerer]] (b. 1843 – d. 1918)
**14 April 1891 – 4 June 1892 Vacant
**4 June 1892 – November 1893 Jesko von Puttkamer (2nd time); the same stayed on as the first of two ''Landeshauptleute'' ('Land captains'), until 13 August 1895; the second (18 November 1895 – 18 April 1898 [[August Köhler]], b. 1858 – d. 1902) was also the first of the Governors (since 1 January 1905 as German colony of Togoland, until the British conquered it August 1914)

==== German South-West Africa ====
*from 24 April 1884 as German South West Africa protectorate, only incumbent (7 October 1884 – May 1885) Gustav Nachtigal (b. 1834 – d. 1885; ''see above''), staying on shortly for the status transition
*from 30 April 1885 – 1889 under the rule of the private [[German South West Africa Colonial Company]] (''Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwest-Afrika''), only incumbent (May 1885 – August 1890): [[Heinrich Ernst Göring]] (acting) (b. 1839 – d. 1913)
* again as imperial protectorate (?)
**first the abovementioned Heinrich Ernst Göring, de facto staying on
**August 1890 – March 1891 [[Louis Nels]] (acting) (b. 1855 – d. 1910)
**March 1891 – November 1893 [[Curt von François]] (b. 1852 – d. 1931), who stayed on when the country was declared on 14 September 1892 the German crown colony of South West Africa, and later again as the first of two [[Landeshauptleute]] ("captains of the territory")

====In East Africa====
* in [[German East Africa|Tanganyika]], the area acquired on 17 February 1885 by [[Carl Peters]] for the ''Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft'' (DOAG, '[[German East Africa Company]]', that was initially under an Administrator: 27 May 1885 – 8 February 1888 Karl Peters), since the proclamation of the German East African protectorate (7 May 1885 – 1 July 1890) over [[Wituland|Witu]] in Kenya; contested by Britain; on 28 April 1888 Germany obtains a lease of the coastal strip from the [[Sultan]] of [[Zanzibar]]), a single ''Reichskommissar'' is appointed (8 February 1888 – 21 February 1891: [[Hermann Wissmann|Hermann von Wissmann]] (b. 1853 – d. 1905), after him Governors of 1 January 1891 when proclaimed German East Africa colony (''Deutsch Ostafrika''), ending the 'private' DOAG rule.

====In Oceania====
*[[Nauru]], since 21 October 1887 a German protectorate, was under the following ''Reichskommissare'':
**1886 – 1887 [[Wilhelm Knappe]] (b. 1855 – d. 1910)
**1888 – 1889 [[Franz Leopold Sonnenschein (Reichskommissar)|Franz Leopold Sonnenschein]] (b. 1857 – d. 1897); next, as it was since 14 April 1888 administratively part of the (German) [[Marshall Islands]], it had mere [[Bezirksamtleute]] (District officers; 2 October 1888 – 1906), then, being since 1 April 1906 administratively part of [[German New Guinea]], [[Stationsleiter]] ('Station Chiefs'; from 1911, subordinated to the administrators of [[Pohnpei|Ponape]] district) until 6 November 1914, finally the island was lost ([[Australia]]n administration, first by a military Commander, then under [[League of Nations mandate]])

==Nazi Germany==
The title of ''Reichskommissar'' was given by [[Adolf Hitler]] to a number of [[Nazi Party|Nazi]] governors, mainly in several [[German-occupied Europe|occupied countries]] during [[World War II]], but also before the war to reintegrate former Prussian territory regained from France, as well as various other regions inhabited by [[ethnic Germans]]. Depending on circumstances they could be severely dictatorial and repressive, most notably [[Erich Koch]] in [[Ukraine]].

===Domestic & annexed (ethnically German)===

====Saar Territory====
A [[plebiscite]] was held in the [[Territory of the Saar Basin]] (presently [[Saarland]]) on 13 January 1935: 90.3% of those voting wished to join [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] rather than join [[France]]. [[Josef Bürckel]] (b. 1895 – d. 1944) was appointed on 1 March 1935 as ''Reichskommissar für die Rückgliederung des [[Saar (League of Nations)|Saarlandes]]'', then changed his style from 17 June 1936 to ''Reichskommissar für das Saarland'', and from 8 April 1940 to ''Reichskommissar für die [[Gau Saarpfalz|Saarpfalz]]''; finally from 11 March 1941, he was made ''[[Reichsstatthalter]] in der "[[Gau Westmark|Westmark]]"'' (the region's new name, meaning "Western [[Marches|March]] or Border"), until his death on 28 September 1944 when he was succeeded by [[Willi Stöhr]] (b. 1903 also NSDAP), who remained in office until 21 March 1945.

====Sudetenland====
After the [[Sudetenland]] region of [[First Czechoslovak Republic|Czechoslovakia]] was annexed by Germany on 1 October 1938, it was under a Military governor ([[Wilhelm Keitel]]; 1 October 1938 – 20 October 1938), until [[Konrad Henlein]] was appointed Reichskommissar of the territories on 21 October 1938. On 1 May 1939 a regular 'domestic' ''[[Reichsgau]]'', ''[[Reichsgau Sudetenland]]'' was created; Henlein stayed on as [[Reichsstatthalter]] until the region was re-incorporated into [[Czechoslovakia]] on 4 May 1945.

====Vienna====
1 May 1939 – 1 April 1940 Josef Bürckel (b. 1895 – d. 1944) NSDAP, in fact the maintained last Austrian Premier of 15 October 1938 constituted metropolitan capital city-entity Gross-Wien (Greater Vienna), is in transitional office, then the same is made the first of two ''[[Reichsstatthalter]]'' (he until 10 August 1940), equivalent to a [[Gauleiter]] in Germany proper.

===Northern and Western Europe===

====Norway====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Norwegen}}
After the Norwegian king and his government fled during the [[Operation Weserübung|German invasion of the country]] and the failure of a [[coup d'état]] by the fascist politician [[Vidkun Quisling]], Hitler appointed a {{lang|de|Reichskommissar für die besetzten Norwegischen Gebiete}} (Reich Commissioner for the occupied Norwegian territories) on 24 April 1940. The office had two consecutive Reichskommissars with extensive authority:
*24 April 1940 – 7 May 1945 – [[Josef Terboven]], NSDAP. He took up residence in the Crown Prince's manor at [[Skaugum]]. Answerable only to Hitler, Terboven initially tried to negotiate with the Norwegian [[Storting]] to establish a civilian administration which would be willing to sign a peace treaty with Germany. After the collapse of these negotiations, Terboven on 25 September 1940 proclaimed the deposition of King [[Haakon VII]] and his [[Government-in-exile|cabinet-in-exile]] and outlawed all political parties except the Norwegian fascist party [[Nasjonal Samling]]. Terboven committed suicide during the night of 7 May 1945, just before the surrender of the German forces in Norway became effective.
*7 May 1945 – 8 May 1945 – [[Franz Böhme]], commander-in-chief of German military forces in Norway, assumed Terboven's responsibilities as acting Reichskommissar until Allied forces took control and had him arrested.

====Netherlands====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Niederlande}}
After the [[Battle of the Netherlands|German invasion of the country]] and the Dutch government and crown's evacuation and exile, the [[Netherlands]] was placed under the command of two successive military governors:
*10 May 1940 – 20 May 1940 – [[Fedor von Bock]]
*20 May 1940 – 29 May 1940 – [[Alexander von Falkenhausen]] 
The governorship was succeeded by a more permanent civil administration led by {{lang|de|Reichskommissar für die besetzten niederländischen Gebiete}} (Reich Commissioner for the occupied Dutch territories):
*29 May 1940 – 5 May 1945 – [[Arthur Seyss-Inquart]], NSDAP

====Belgium and Northern France====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat of Belgium and Northern France}}
[[Belgium]] was initially placed under a ''[[Military Administration (Nazi Germany)|Militärverwaltung]]'', headed by military governors. The country was joined administratively to "North France", i.e. the adjacent French [[Departments of France|départements]] ''[[Nord (French department)|Nord]]'' and ''[[Pas-de-Calais]]''. This was done both for security reasons and geopolitical ideology of expansionism: the area was to be used as a staging ground in [[Operation Sea Lion|an expected invasion of Britain]], but also in order to prepare a future "[[Irredentism|re-claim]]" of [[French Flanders]] in Northern France as a historic part of Germanic [[Flanders]]. The [[Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France]] had two successive governors:
*10 May 1940 – 1 June 1940 – [[Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt|Gerd von Rundstedt]] and [[Fedor von Bock]] 
*1 June 1940 – 18 July 1944 – [[Alexander Freiherr von Falkenhausen]]

This situation continued until July 1944, when a {{lang|de|Reichskommissar für Belgien-Nordfrankreich}} was appointed: 
*18 July 1944 – January 1945 – [[Joseph Grohé]] NSDAP

In December 1944, when the Allies had already liberated virtually all of Belgium, its territory was split up into three ''Gau''-type entities as integral ("Germanic") parts of the Reich: the bi-cultural Belgian capital [[Brussels]] remained directly under the German {{lang|de|Reichskommissar}} as the [[District of Brussels]], but the bulk of the country was divided ethno-linguistically and placed under collaborating Belgian fascist party leaders (on paper) as [[Gauleiter]]s and with [[Führer]]-imitating titles in their national languages<ref>http://www.rothenburg-unterm-hakenkreuz.de/gaue-der-nsdap-waren-im-deutschen-reich-hoheitsgebiete-und-die-gauleiter-einflussreich-weil-sie-adolf-hitler-persoenlich-oft-nahestanden/</ref>:

Gauleiter of ''[[Reichsgau Flandern]]'' ([[Flanders]]) supposedly including [[French Flanders]] in Allied-liberated North France, and National leader of the Flemish People ({{langx|nl|Landsleider van het Vlaamsche Volk}}) as well as "Head of the Flemish Liberation Committee" ({{lang|nl|Hoofd van het Vlaamsche Bevrijdingscomité}}):
*15 December 1944 – 1945 – [[Jef Van de Wiele]] (in Germany in exile; head of the [[Devlag]] party)

Gauleiter of ''[[Reichsgau Wallonien]]'' ([[Wallonia]], and Leader of the Walloon People ({{langx|fr|Chef du Peuple Wallon}}):
*8 December 1944 – 1945 – [[Léon Degrelle]] (also remained in Germany in exile, even though German troops [[Battle of the Bulge|reconquered part of Wallonia]] in December 1944 – January 1945); head of the [[Rexist Party]])

===Soviet territories===
Before the beginning of [[Operation Barbarossa]] (the eastern front campaign against the [[Soviet Union]]) on 22 June 1941, the Nazi ideologist [[Alfred Rosenberg]] suggested the administrative division of conquered Soviet territory in the following ''Reichskommissariats'', only the first two of which would become reality through military success: 
*''[[Reichskommissariat Ostland|Ostland]]'' (the [[Baltic countries]], [[Belarus]], and adjacent parts of [[Western Russia]]);
*''[[Reichskommissariat Ukraine|Ukraine]]'' ([[Ukraine]] and the northern parts of [[Southern Federal District|Southern Russia]]);
*''[[Reichskommissariat Kaukasien|Kaukasien]]'' (the [[Caucasus]] and the southern parts of Southern Russia);
*''[[Reichskommissariat Moskowien|Moskowien]]'' ([[Moscow]] metropolitan area and the rest of nearest Russian European areas);
*''[[Reichskommissariat Turkestan|Turkestan]]'' (the [[Central Asia]]n Soviet republics, ethnically mainly [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]]).

This suggested an intention to destroy [[Russia]] as a political entity, as the Nazis organised the areas adjacent to [[German question#Later influence|Greater Germany]]'s eastern provinces in accordance with the [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] ''[[Lebensraum]]'' idea (''[[Drang nach Osten]]''), to benefit future "[[Aryan race|Aryan]]" generations. When [[Germany|German]] forces entered Soviet territory, they immediately implemented this administrative plan instating the [[Reichskommissariat]] of "Ostland" in the Baltic lands and "Ukraine" in Ukraine, headed by [[Hinrich Lohse]] and [[Erich Koch]] respectively. These administrators put in practice the intended measures during the whole of their administrative period, until 1943–44, when the Germans after the [[Battle of Kursk]] were gradually driven out by force.

====Ostland====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Ostland}}
On 17 July 1941, the Reichskommissariat Ostland ("Eastland") was established, soon uniting German-occupied [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]] (from 1 September 1941) and [[Estonia]] (from 5 December 1941) and [[Belarus]]. Ostland was organized into four General Districts (''Generalbezirke''); only the (Latvian) capital city of [[Riga]] (''Gebiet Riga Stadt'') was directly administered by the ''Reichskommissar für das Ostland''. The incumbents were: 
*17 July 1941 – 26 September 1944 – [[Hinrich Lohse]] (b. 1896 – d. 1964), NSDAP
*26 September 1944 – 2 February 1945 – Erich Koch (b. 1896 – d. 1986), NSDAP (de facto ousted on 13 October 1944 when the Soviet [[Red Army]] took Riga, although Ostland wasn't officially dissolved until 2 February 1945)

====Ukraine====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Ukraine}}
The territory in [[Ukraine]] occupied by Germany since 25 June 1941 initially fell under a military governor: 
*25 June 1941 – 31 August 1941 – Gerd von Rundstedt (b. 1875 – d. 1953)

The Reichskommissariat Ukraine was established on 20 August 1941, under a ''Reichskommissar für die Ukraine''. The incumbents were:
*20 August 1941 – 6 October 1943 – [[Erich Koch]] (b. 1896 – d. 1986), NSDAP
*1942 – 30 September 1943 – Paul Dargel (acting for Koch) (b. 1903 – d. 19..), NSDAP
*October 1943 – 1944 – [[Curt von Gottberg]] (b. 1896 – d. 1945), NSDAP

====Moskowien====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Moskowien}}
Central Russia was never brought under sufficient German control to permit its transfer to civilian administration, but a designated ''Reichskommissar für Moskowien'' was appointed on 17 July 1941:<ref>Kay, Alex J. (2006). ''Exploitation, Resettlement, Mass Murder: Political and Economic Planning for German Occupation Policy in the Soviet Union, 1940–1941'', p. 182. [[Berghahn Books]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=l20PlJtfk0IC&dq=exploitation+resettlement+mass+murder+siegfried+kasche&pg=PA182]</ref><ref name="decree">Decree of the Fuehrer concerning the administration of the newly-occupied Eastern territories, dated 17 July 1941. [http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/1997-ps.asp]</ref>
* [[Siegfried Kasche]] (b. 1903 – d. 1947), NSDAP

====Kaukasien====
{{Main|Reichskommissariat Kaukasien}}
The Caucasus was never brought under sufficient German control to permit its transfer to civilian administration, but a designated ''Reichskommissar für die Kaukasien'' was appointed on 17 July 1941:<ref name="decree"/><ref>Kay, p. 181.</ref>
* [[Arno Schickedanz]] (b. 1892 – d. 1945), NSDAP

==See also==
* [[Generalgouverneur]]
* [[Reichsbevollmächtigter]]
* [[Reichsprotektor]]
* [[Reichskommissariat]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Norway.htm WorldStatesmen] here Norway – see each present country
*[http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-09/tgmwc-09-86-09.shtml The Trial of German Major War Criminals, Eighty-Sixth Day: Wednesday, 20 March 1946]

{{Reichskommissariats}}
{{Former German colonies}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gubernatorial titles]]
[[Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Nazi Germany]]