Imperial Ministry of the Interior

The Imperial Ministry of the Interior existed before the NSDAP came to power in Germany in 1933, being one of the most important state institutions in Germany. However, the importance of the ministry was somewhat diminished by the fact that, unlike most European countries, the police under the jurisdiction of the land governments did not obey it.

The portfolio of the Minister of the Interior was one of three that the Nazis received during the formation of Hitler’s cabinet on January 30, 1933 . It was then received by the head of the NSDAP faction in the Reichstag, Wilhelm Frick .

The role of the Imperial Ministry of the Interior increased especially after the sovereign rights of the lands of Germany were transferred to the Reich on January 30, 1934 , the land governments were subordinated to the center, and the imperial governors - the IMVD. “From now on, the land authorities are only the administrative units of the Reich,” said William Frick then. After that, a police department was formed in the IMVD system, at the head of which, on May 11, 1934, one of the highest ranks of the SS , the head of the Prussian land police, lieutenant general of the police Kurt Daluge was appointed.

On November 1, 1934, the imperial and Prussian ministries of the interior merged. Its central apparatus then consisted of departments: 1st (drafting and application of laws), 2nd (personnel and administration), 3rd (police), 4th (public health), 5th (communal), 6 7th (German nation, physical development, church issues) and 7th (working service).

The Reich Minister of the Interior had several state secretaries : the leading role was played by the leading state secretary, who was the permanent deputy reich minister; all administrative and legal services of the IMVD were subordinate to the state secretary for administration and law; The Secretary of State for Public Health is the departments involved in public health, public welfare and veterinary medicine. In addition, the heads of the Imperial Labor Service and the Imperial Sports Service had the rank of state secretaries.

With the increasing role of the SS, the functions of the IMVD began to gradually be limited, especially after the Reichsfuhrer CC Heinrich Himmler was appointed chief of the German police in the rank of state secretary on June 17, 1936 . Although “de jure” G. Himmler was subordinate to the IMVD, he, being one of the most influential figures of the Third Reich, including the Reichsleiter of the NSDAP, pursued his own policy, ignoring W. Frick.

However, a certain strengthening of the role of the IMVD became possible after the appointment of V. Frick as General Commissioner for the Imperial Administration on August 30, 1939 . After G. Himmler was appointed Reich Minister of the Interior on August 24, 1943 , most of the IMVD divisions finally came under the control of the SS, and ministry officials received the rank of SS.

With the actual withdrawal of the police from the IMVD, it was divided into two main parts, each of which was led by the state secretary. Wilhelm Stuckart was subordinate to the departments involved in administrative, legal, personnel and communal matters. This part was actually the IMVD. The other part, headed by Secretary of State Leonardo Conti , was actually the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Imperial Ministry of the Interior had the following structure ^[1] :

• Office of the Reich Minister ( Ministerbüro ), Head: Minister of Materials, Dr. Heinrich Draeger.
• Central Department : Dr. Wöölke, Ministerial Director.

• 1st Division - Drafting and application of laws , heads: Helmut Nikolai (until March 11, 1935), Wilhelm Stuckart (March 11, 1935 - May 8, 1945). The department was divided into subdivisions ( Unterabteilung ):
• I Organization, Head: Minister of Medicine, Dr. Franz Medicus;
• I Administration, Chief: Minister Wiener Hohe;
• I Southeast, Head: Minister of Health, Dr Werner Hohe;
• I BM (Bohemia and Moravia), Head: Minister Hiering;
• I East, Head: Minister of Health, Dr. Georg Hubrich;
• I West, Head: Ministerial Dr. Hans Globke .

• • IR Division - Civil Defense, Head: Ministerial Director Ehrensberg. The department included the following departments:
    • IR-V (Civil Defense), Head: Ministerial Walter Jacobi;
    • IR-W (military law), Head: Reichsrichter Dr. Pabst;
    • IR-S (losses caused by the war), Head: Reichsrichter Dr. Dankelman.

• • Division P - Personnel, Heads: Minister of Materials, Dr. Erwin Schütze (1931-1940), Minister of Materials, Hans von Helms (March 1, 1941 - October 1944). The department was divided into subdivisions:
    • A (police officials), Chief: Minister of Health, Dr Hans Fabricius;
    • B (senior officials), chief: Minister Speidel;
    • C (lower-level officials), chief: Ministerial Jenke.

• 2nd Division - Officialism, study and training , Head: Ministerial Director Albert Rüdiger. The department was divided into subdivisions:
  • A (legislation and policy in the field of bureaucracy), Head: Minister of Health, Dr Jobs von Schönfeld;
  • B (salary), Head: Minister of Emergencies Gerhard Bommel;
  • C (retirement), Head: Professor Dr. Kneip.

• 3rd Division - Veterinary Administration , Head: Ministerial Director Dr. Friedrich Weber. The department was divided into subdivisions:
  • A: Drim Himmel;
  • In: Ministerial Executive Dr Musmeyer.

• 4th Division - Public Health , Heads: Minister of Media, Dr. Arthur Julius Gutt (February 19, 1934 - August 28, 1939), Minister of Media, Dr. Robert Krop (August 28, 1939 - May 8, 1945). The department was divided into subdivisions:
  • A (organization, administration, budget), Head: Minister of Health, Dr Bachmann;
  • B (Personnel), Chief: Dr Crane;
  • C (racial issues), Head: Minister of Health, Dr Herbert Linden;
  • W (Public Welfare), Head: Ministerial Ruppert;
  • J (Youth Health Issues), Head: Ministerial Ruppert.

• 5th Division - Communal Administration , Head: Ministerial Director Dr. Zuren. The department consisted of subdivisions:
  • I: minsterialdigent Franz Chantenfro;
  • II: Ministerial Director Dr Fuchs.

• • 6th Division - German nation, physical health, church , Head: Minister of the Media Dr. Ernst Follert.

• 7th Division - Worker Service , since June 1935 - Imperial Worker Service, leader: Konstantin Hirl . On August 25, 1943, it was removed from the IMVD and received the status of an independent ministry.

• 8th Division - Sports . The work of the department, subordinate to the Reichsport Sportfuhrer, was led by the permanent deputy head of the department oberegirungsrat Ritter von Lex.

Imperial Ministers of the Interior (1933-1945):

• Wilhelm Frick (January 30, 1933 - August 20, 1943)
• Heinrich Himmler (August 24, 1943 - April 29, 1945)
• Paul Gisler (April 29-30, 1945)
• Wilhelm Stuckart (May 3 - 23, 1945)

Executive Secretaries of State:

• Erich Zweiert (until February 4, 1934)
• Hans Pfundtner (February 1, 1933 - November 1943)

Police Secretaries of State:

• Heinrich Himmler (June 17, 1936 - August 24, 1943)
• Ernst Kaltenbrunner (1943-1945)

State Secretaries of Administration and Law:

• Herbert von Bismarck (until November 1, 1934)
• Ludwig Grauert (November 1, 1934 - June 30, 1936)
• Wilhelm Stuckart (June 30, 1936 - May 3, 1945)

Public Health Secretaries of State:

• Arthur Julius Guett (February 19, 1934 - August 28, 1939)
• Leonardo Conti (August 28, 1939 - April 30, 1945)

State Secretaries - Imperial Sports Leaders:

• Hans von Chammer und Osten (1936 - March 25, 1943)
• Karl von Halt (1944-1945).

State Secretary - Head of the Imperial Labor Service:

• Konstantin Hirl (June 1936 - August 25, 1943)

• Zalessky K.A. Who was who in the Third Reich: Biographical Encyclopedic Dictionary .. - M .: Publishing House AST: LLC Publishing House Astrel, 2002. - S. 871-872. - 942 [2] p. - ISBN 5-17-015753-3 (LLC "Publishing house AST"); isbn 5-271-05091-2 (Astrel Publishing House LLC).

• Zalessky K.A. NSDAP. Power in the Third Reich. - M .: Eksmo , 2005 .-- S. 326—329. - 672 p. - ISBN 5-699-09780-5 .