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Josef BurckelNazi regime figures, Gauleiter
Date of Birth: 30.03.1895
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Joseph Bürckel: A Prominent Figure in Nazi Germany
- Military Service and Political Involvement
- Rise in the Nazi Party
- Gauleiter and Reichs Commissioner
- High-Ranking Positions
- - Obersturmbannführer (1936)
- Mysterious Death
Joseph Bürckel: A Prominent Figure in Nazi Germany
Early Life and EducationJoseph Bürckel was born to a craftsman's family in 1895. A devout Catholic, he attended a teacher's college in Speyer from 1909 to 1914.
Military Service and Political Involvement
During World War I, Bürckel served as a volunteer. After the war, he passed state examinations and worked as a teacher. In 1921, he joined a national socialist group. Two years later, he participated in Nazi activities against the separatist movement in the Palatinate.
Rise in the Nazi Party
In 1925, Bürckel became a member of the Nazi Party. In 1926, he was elected Gauleiter of Rhineland-Palatinate. When the Saarland joined Germany, Hitler appointed Bürckel as Commissioner for the Gau Saarland.
Gauleiter and Reichs Commissioner
In 1935, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate were merged into the single Gau Saar-Palatinate. By 1942, it had been combined with Lorraine to form the Gau Westmark. Bürckel served as Gauleiter until his death.
High-Ranking Positions
Bürckel held numerous high-ranking positions within the Nazi regime, including:
- Obersturmbannführer (1936)
- Oberführer (1937)- Member of the Reichstag (1930-1944)
- Saarpfalz Reich Commissioner (1934)
- Reich Commissar for the Return of the Saarland (1935)
- Reich Commissar for the Saarland (1936)
- Reich Commissar for the Return of Austria (1938)
- State Governor of Ostmark (1939)
- Imperial Commissioner of Defense, Military District XVII (1939)
- Chief Civilian Administrator of Lorraine (1940)
- Imperial State Governor of Westmark (1941)
Deportation of French and Jews
In Lorraine, Bürckel organized the deportation of French families and individuals who were "friendly to France." On October 22, 1940, he ordered the deportation of all Jews to a concentration camp in the unoccupied zone of Vichy France.
Mysterious Death
On September 28, 1944, Bürckel and his wife were found dead under unexplained circumstances. The deaths are believed to be linked to a power struggle following the attempted assassination of Hitler.
