Democracy Destroyed The First 100 Days of Nazi Rule

Day 94, Wednesday 3 May 1933: The remaining union federations submit to Hitler; Göring defines the Gestapo's powers

Day 94 of 100

The remaining union federations submit to Hitler; Göring defines the Gestapo’s powers

Ley announced that the Christian trade unions, the Hirsch-Duncker union ring and other employees’ federations had placed themselves unconditionally under Hitler and his action committee. A circular from Göring set out the new Secret State Police Office’s tasks and its headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Straße 8, and the Berlin daily Tägliche Rundschau was banned until the end of May. The German National People’s Party renamed itself the “German National Front”. In Berlin a football play-off ended 3–3 after extra time.

Portrait of a man with a white moustache and short white hair in a dark suit
Alfred Hugenberg, Reich minister in Hitler’s cabinet, photographed in the first half of 1933. For context Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-2005-0621-500 / CC-BY-SA 3.0. CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

Göring’s circular to all police authorities turned the law of 26 April into an organisation. The Secret State Police Office in Berlin was to take over the political police tasks of the old state criminal police office; a state police post (Staatspolizeistelle) was to be set up in every administrative district, while in Berlin the office itself did the work. It was given the power to seize and ban publications and to order restrictions of property, personal liberty and the rights of association and assembly, and interference with the secrecy of letters, post and telephone.

Politics and power

Government, terror and persecution

  1. Economy Berlin

    Christian and Hirsch-Duncker unions submit unconditionally

    Ley announced through the Nazi press service that the federation of Christian trade unions, the Hirsch-Duncker ring of employees’, workers’ and civil servants’ associations, the GDA and other federations had placed themselves unconditionally under Hitler’s leadership and the orders of his “Action Committee for the Protection of German Labour”. Negotiations with the DHV, the last federation still outside, were to follow the next day.1

  2. Terror Berlin

    Göring sets out the Gestapo’s tasks

    The Prussian interior minister issued a circular implementing the law of 26 April. The Secret State Police Office, at Prinz-Albrecht-Straße 8 in Berlin and directly under the minister, was to investigate all “political activities dangerous to the state” throughout Prussia with its own officers and regional posts, and could give instructions to other police authorities.2,3

  3. Propaganda Berlin

    Tägliche Rundschau banned

    The Berlin daily Tägliche Rundschau was banned with immediate effect until 31 May, after an article headed “Students, where to?” (Studentenschaft wohin?).3,4

    Sources disagree. One report attributed the ban to the Berlin police headquarters, another, a day later, to the Secret State Police Office, which had taken over the power to ban Berlin periodicals on 29 April.

  4. Opposition late evening, Berlin

    The DNVP becomes the “German National Front”

    Meeting in Berlin, the executive of the German National People’s Party (DNVP) unanimously demanded equal treatment for its members in political and economic life and, declaring that the Weimar party state belonged to the past, renamed the party the “German National Front” (Deutschnationale Front).2,4

  5. Foreign policy Berlin, Reich Chancellery

    Hitler receives the Polish envoy

    Hitler received the Polish envoy in Berlin, Wysocki, with Foreign Minister von Neurath present. According to the official statement Hitler stressed the German government’s firm intention to keep its attitude and actions strictly within the existing treaties.2

Everyday life

What else was happening in Germany

  1. Sport evening, Berlin

    Berlin play-off ends 3–3

    On Wednesday evening Viktoria 89 and Berliner SV 92 drew 3–3 after extra time in the play-off for Berlin’s second place in the national football championship. The match was to be replayed on Sunday, and their first-round tie against Schalke 04 had to be moved.5,6

  2. Economy

    Reichsbank’s thin cover

    The Reichsbank’s return for the last week of April showed its holdings of bills, cheques, loans and securities up by 379.6 million to 3,643.3 million Reichsmarks, while its gold and foreign exchange fell by 1.9 million to 510.0 million; banknote cover dropped to 14.4 per cent from 15.6 per cent.4

  3. Education Stuttgart

    An honorary doctorate for Hitler

    The Technical University of Stuttgart made Hitler an honorary doctor.4

In Berlin today

Old brick walls with arched recesses and fallen stone blocks on gravel beneath a glass canopy, with visitors reading display panels
Excavated brick cellar walls of the former Gestapo headquarters at the Topography of Terror, with the outdoor exhibition beside them, in August 2016. Fred Romero from Paris, France / CC BY 2.0. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Topography of Terror (former Prinz-Albrecht-Straße 8)

Niederkirchnerstraße 8, 10963 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Then
Göring’s circular, published on 3 May 1933, gave Berlin SW 11, Prinz-Albrecht-Straße 8, the former School of Applied Arts, as the seat of the Secret State Police Office.3,7
Today
The site of the former Gestapo headquarters is the Topography of Terror documentation centre, whose permanent exhibition documents the Gestapo, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office.

Open in OpenStreetMap

More pictures

Portrait of a man in a dress uniform with embroidered collar and decorations
Alfred Wysocki, Polish envoy in Berlin, in diplomatic dress uniform. For context Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  1. Laupheimer Verkündiger, 4 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 1, "Unterstellung der Gewerkschaften unter Adolf Hitler" (Berlin, 3 May)
  2. Hamburgischer Correspondent, 4 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 1, "Deutsch-polnische Aussprache" and "Geheimes Staatspolizei-Amt" (Berlin, 3 May); p. 2, the DNVP's change of name
  3. Buersche Volkszeitung, 4 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 2, text of the circular on the Secret State Police Office and "Die Tägliche Rundschau bis zum 31. Mai verboten"
  4. Erzgebirgischer Volksfreund, 4 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 2, items datelined Berlin and Stuttgart, 3 May
  5. Karlsruher Tagblatt, 5 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 8, sports notes
  6. General-Anzeiger (Bonn), 4 May 1933 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Zeitungsportal, p. 6, football notes
  7. Geschichte des Ortes vor 1945 Stiftung Topographie des Terrors

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