Thurnau druing the Nazi-Era

Thurnau during National Socialism

The new NS Gau “Bavarian Ostmark" was introduced in 1933 as a spatial concept to signal a well-fortified border region to Czechoslovakia, which was founded after the First World War.

There is relatively little research on Thurnau's role in the Third Reich. Noticeable are the high proportion of votes for the NSDAP already before 1933 and the early nomination of Adolf Hitler, Paul von Hindenburg and Hans Schemm as honorary citizens of the city. Efforts to regain the tax office and the district court did not succeed. For a time, a detachment of the female Reich Labour Service (RAD) as well as an SA leadership school were housed in the vacated premises in Thurnau. The construction of a new RAD camp was delayed again and again until it was finally decided on 6 December 1944 that it would be discontinued.

The market town of Thurnau was surrendered without a fight to the Americans at 5:25 p.m. on 13 April 1945.

References

Literature:

Zwei Kriege dazwischen wenig. Ersch. in: Markt Thurnau (Hrsg.): Thurnau 1239-1989. Bayreuth, 1989. S.52-65.

Kampflose Übergabe des Marktes Thurnau an die Amerikaner. Ersch. in: Markt Thurnau (Hrsg.): Thurnau 1239-1989. Bayreuth, 1989. S.66-70.

Sources:

Brief Gruppenführer Franken von 1933 an das Landbauamt Bayreuth bezüglich „SA Sportschule“ aus dem Staatsarchiv Bamberg (Signatur: StaBa, Regierung von Oberfranken (Rep. K3/2010 Nr. 203)

Authors: Robin Jacob, Karla Pfitzinger