Bregenz: Nazi Law Gazette for the Land of Austria and Historical Administrative Records

This digital exhibition feature examines the history of the Landes-Feuerversicherungsanstalt for Vorarlberg and its administrative records during the period of Nazi rule. It highlights how the Law Gazette for the Land of Austria replaced previous legislative records following the 1938 'Anschluss'.

The exhibition entry focuses on the historical trajectory of the provincial fire insurance institute in Vorarlberg, established in 1920. Following the 'Anschluss' of Austria to Nazi Germany in 1938, the institution experienced significant political pressure, with leadership replaced by reliable party functionaries and the threat of forced mergers with the Tyrolean state insurance. This narrative illustrates the broader institutional shifts and political standardization that took place across the region during the Nazi regime. Central to the display is the collection of legal gazettes, including the 'Gesetzblatt für das Land Österreich' (1938–1940) and subsequent German 'Reichsgesetzblätter' (1940–1945). These documents serve as primary evidence of the administrative integration into the German Reich. The exhibit concludes by noting the physical survival of these records, some of which bear the marks of war, reflecting the end of the Nazi era in May 1945.