Federal Gendarmerie
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The Federal Gendarmerie(German: Bundesgendarmerie) was an Austrian federal police force. It was responsible for approximately two thirds of the population on approximately 98% of Austrian national territory, alongside the Federal Safety Guard Corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps. All Austrian law enforcement agencies were merged into the Federal Police, or Bundespolizei, on 1st July 2005.
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[edit] The history of the Austrian Gendarmerie
[edit] Establishment
The idea to establish a Gendarmerie originates from the 1848 Revolution. It was formed on the 8th of June 1849 as a component of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Johann Franz Kempen, Baron von Fichtenstamm, was appointed the first "General-Gendarmerie-Inspector". While it was originally a military corps responsible for the Hapsburg monarchy, gradually over the second half of the nineteenth century it became responsible for public order.
These military origins were still represented in the retention of the old corps insignia, a flaming grenade, after the Gendamerie became a component of the civil administration in 1918. The predominately grey uniform also owed its inspiration to the Austro-Hungarian Army.
The direct forerunner was the Gendarmerieregiment of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, after the Viennese Congress of 1815. Up to then 1776 set up "military police awake corps" existed in Austria as a militarily organized corps alone (since 1840: “Military police Commanden”) in the large cities of (Vienna, Lemberg, Krakau, Przemysl and others.
[edit] The time of the monarchy up to the First World War
The Mission of the Royal and Imperial Gendarmerie was the maintenance of the public order. Beside that Crime prevention became those Gendarmerie later in the time of the Absolutists politically instrumentalisiert, which brought in it the hate of the middle class. 1876 were separated it from the army. Already before that The First World War became at the Gendarmerie Daktyloskopie and Police dogs were introduced.
During the First World War the Gendarmerie was used in the hinterland, and as Feldgendarmerie. After the war it remained further militarily organized, however for civilian tasks one divided. As leftover that military Structure the gendarmes the remaining became Civil servant only 1918 on an equal footing and the civil jurisdiction subordinated (before were Military courts responsibly for the gendarmes).
[edit] The time up to the Second World War
After having lost world war one, and considering Austria's shrunken size,the size of the Gendarmerie was greatly reduced. 1934 were involved the Gendarmerie getting into fights relating to domestic affairs and National socialism, they infiltrated the Austrian fascists. After the Anschluss of 1938 high ranking gendarmes were interened in Concentration camps and large numbers of gendarmes were locked up, dismisses, retired or transferred for disciplinary reasons. The remainder were integrated into the German Order police .
[edit] From 1945 to the dissolution of the Gendarmerie in 2005
With the reestablishment of the republic Austria 1945 a Gendarmeriekommando were furnished. At the beginning the control was disputed over the executive, why the Gendarmerie had to get along initially with few officials. This circumstance improved however soon so far that the Gendarmerie was again able to ensure a minimum of national order. As of that A communist party in October 1950 a general strike was proclaimed, was it among other things to the careful employment of the security forceses to be due that that October rebellion to be relatively unblutig suppressed could.
1952 became those B-Gendarmerie, one with heavy weapons strengthened Gendarmerieeinheit, set up, those after the conclusion of the Convention the basic stick of the Federal army formed. It is not safe whether the contraction “B” for Readiness or Special Gendarmerie to stand should. This paramilitärische Unit would have in case of an invasion that Soviet army in the western zones of occupation of Austria to be used are.
Those Bundesgendarmerie was to 30. June 2005 beside Federal safety guard corps and that Kriminalbeamtenkorps („Police “) in although militarily more organized - civilian Awake body in Austria. Those Gendarmerie was locally responsible for all parts of Austria. From it the Federal Capital was excluded Vienna and the state capitals (except Bregenz) as well as isolates other larger cities of Austria (usually Statutarstädte). Altogether it gave thus in the 15 largest cities of Austria (with exception of the Vorarlberger of cities Dornbirn, Feldkirch and Bregenz) Police, for the remainder was responsible the Gendarmerie. It provided thus for the security of approximately two thirds of the population on approximately 98 % of the Austrian national territory.
[edit] Other Units
There was a transport department, a Kriminalabteilung (and not as in many TV-series the “criminal investigation department”) and a Grenzgendarmerie beside the individual Gendarmerieposten in the municipalities, which were increased folded up lately. For special employments the Gendarmerie maintained special units such as z. B. Dog leader, alpine gendarmes, flight rescuers and radiate-pure. |
[edit] Cobra
The terrorist assault on the OPEC headquarter in 1975 led to the establishment of a speciall task force of the Gendarmerie, the Gendarmerieeinsatzkommando EKO Cobra. This special unit trains in close proximity to Wr. Neustadt (city approx. 50 km south of Vienna) and gets activated for all acts of terrorism and kidnapping in addition to other particularly dangerous employments.
Furthermore there are so-called in the context of the Cobra since 1981 Air Mars neck, those as civilian companions during endangered flights Austrian Airlines along-fly. This system became of that The USA after the events of the 11. September 2001 taken over.
Beside that GEC Cobra as “” the elite unit in Austria still ordered each Landesgendarmeriekommando over “groups of special operations of SEG” for employments with middle endangerment stage. The SEG an official was former GEC of men thereafter the respective Gendarmerieposten returned and in a case of application was pulled together. SEG formed with larger employments also the tip of the spear up to the arrival GEC and were z. B. for dangerous alarm searches for the support of the regional posts intended.
[edit] Bereitschaftspolizei
A battalion for extensive use such as large meetings, concerts, soccer games, demonstrations, plus… there were additionally separately in each Land of the Federal Republic a “Gendarmerie employment unit EE”. This consisted of particularly trained gendarmes with an employment of the individual posts was likewise pulled together.
[edit] Amalgamation
In the context of the reorganization of the Austrian awake bodies running since 2002 should be folded up Gendarmerie, federal safety guard corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps. To 9. December 2004 was of National council with the voices of ÖVP and FPÖ decided that the pool at the 1. July 2005 takes place and it then only more a uniform awake body with the name Federal police gives.
At the time of the pool from Gendarmerie, federal safety guard corps and Kriminalbeamtenkorps to Federal police at the 1. July 2005 covered first approx. 15,000 officials.
In the course of the reform and pool was tried to the new federal police to put on the “old” Gendarmeriesystem, which in regard to the function in the Federal Capital Vienna appeared in particular as unsuitable, on the scopes of responsibility of the former federal safety guard. If this may have also functioned within the range of training and equipment, then it was shown that a 1:1 - rating of the service system of the Gendarmerie on the urban range, which pointed alleged, but not flexibility out of this system existing within some ranges. By the traditionally larger influence of the Gendarmerie within the range of the ministry of the Interior it was to be foreseen that also the pool under the leadership of the former gendarmes would go. One can recognize this also by the fact that an overwhelming part of the point functions was occupied within the new federal police by former gendarmes. “Police stands drauf, for Gendarmerie is in it” is a true utterance. Which means this for the quality of the work, in particular within the urban range, the future will show.
Until also the public got accustomed at the new name police, it will however still last some time. Thus one reads still still in the media of the Alpingendarmerie, tourist often looks for the Gendarmerieposten, children plays “robbers and gendarme” and the colloquial term “Schandi” (=Gendarm) also in many years still in use will still be.
Gendarmerieposten Gendarmerieposten
[edit] Former organisational structure
- Federal Ministry for The Interior (BMI)
- Central management for public security (section II of the BMI)
- 9 Safety managements (Simmer) in all States of the Federal Republic
- 8 Landesgendarmeriekommanden (LGKdo) in all Lands of the Federal Republic except Vienna
- Bezirksgendarmeriekommanden (BGK)
- Gendarmerieposten (GP), frontier control post (GÜP) and check points (Greko)
- Bezirksgendarmeriekommanden (BGK)
- Central management for public security (section II of the BMI)
