Unlike most of the other territories which became part of the Habsburg realm the
region which was to become Vorarlberg, didn't form one policy before its annexation.
It was divided into several minor political units, which came under Habsburgs rule
between 1363 and 1814. (1)
Originally a District (Kreis) of the Land Tirol, Vorarlberg became a Kronland of the
Austrian Monarchy in 1861, enjoying a certain degree of selfgovernment.
(1) Principal acquisitions :
1363 : the Lordship of Neuburg
1379 : the County of Feldkirch
1394 : the County of Bludenz
1451 : the County of Bregenz
1474 : the County of Sonnenberg
1765 : the County of Hohenems
1804 : the Lordship of Blumenegg-Sankt Gerold
1814 : the Imperial Farm of Lustenau
The whole territory was part of Bavaria 1805 - 1814.
__________________________________________________________________________________
HEADS OF STATE
There was no style for Vorarlberg as a whole, the Emperors of Austria (of the House
of Habsburg - Lothringen) continuing to use the separate styles of the different
former polities, and as such being Count of Hohenems, of Feldkirch, of Bregenz, of
Sonnenberg, etc.
__________________________________________________________________________________
IMPERIAL ADMINISTRATORS
Kreishauptleute
(subordinated to the Statthalter of Tirol)
1822 - 1850 Johann Nepomuk von Ebner-Rofenstein 1790 - 1876
1850 - 1860 Silvester Ritter (1851) von Hammerer 1791 - 1861
1860 - 1861 Sebastian Ritter von Froschauer 1801 - 1884
Statthalter
1861 - 1918 The Statthalter of Tirol(2)(2) There was no central imperial authority in Vorarlberg itself, the different
Bezirkhauptmannschaften - since 1868 Bludenz, Bregenz and Feldkirch - being
directly dependent of the government in Tirol.
__________________________________________________________________________________
HEADS OF THE LAND GOVERNMENT
Landeshauptleute
1861 - 1873 Sebastian Froschauer 1801 - 1884
1873 - 1878 Anton Jussel 1816 - 1878
1878 - 1890 Carl Graf Belrupt-Tissac 1826 - 1903
1890 - 1918 Adolf Rhomberg 1851 - 1921
AUSTRIAN LAND VORARLBERG
In 1918 Habsburg rule came to an end and, after some hesitation, Vorarlberg joined
the new Austrian republic. (3)
After the annexation of Austria to Germany Vorarlberg at first continued to exist
as a separate Land until 1940.
(3) There was a strong movement for joining with Switzerland and in 1919 a
plebiscite resulted in 80% of the participants voting in favour of
the union. But as Switzerland showed no interest and the Allies didn't
even consider the matter, this had no further consequences and the
movement lapsed soon afterwards.
__________________________________________________________________________________
CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Landeshauptleute
1918 - 1930 Otto Ender 1875 - 1960
1930 - 1931 Ferdinand Redler 1876 - 1936
1931 - 1934 Otto Ender (2x)
1934 - 1938 Ernst Winsauer 1890 - 1962
1938 - 1940 Anton "Toni" Plankensteiner (4) 1890 - 1969
(4) According to Herr Weber of the Vorarlberger Landesarchiv Plankensteiner was
often styled Gauleiter
GERMAN VORARLBERG 1940 - 1945
In 1940 the land Vorarlberg was abolished and its territory incorporated into the
Statthalterei Tirol-Vorarlberg.
__________________________________________________________________________________
CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
1940 - 1945 The Statthalter and Gauleiter of Tirol-Vorarlberg. (5)
(5) In 1940 - 1941 the administration of Vorarlberg was briefly entrusted to
a separate (6th) division of the office of the Statthalter (Abteilung VI
- Außenstelle Vorarlberg)
__________________________________________________________________________________
PARTY LEADERS
Within the N.S.D.A.P. Gau Tirol - Vorarlberg, Vorarlberg was divided into three
Kreise : Bludenz, Bregenz and Dornbirn.
Kreisleiter of Bludenz
1939 - 1941 Hans Bernard
1941 - 194. Wernfried Richter
Kreisleiter of Bregenz
19.. - 194. Hans Dietrich
Kreisleiter of Dornbirn
1939 - 1941 Anton "Toni" Blankensteiner s.a.
1941 - 1945 ...
AUSTRIAN LAND VORARLBERG
In 1945 the separate Austrian land of Vorarlberg was restores.
__________________________________________________________________________________
