Paul Giesler

Paul Giesler
Giesler in 1943
Gauleiter of Gau Westphalia-South
In office 9 November 1941 – 26 January 1943
Preceded by	Josef Wagner
Succeeded by	Albert Hoffmann
Gauleiter of Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria
In office 23 June 1942 – 8 May 1945
Preceded by	Adolf Wagner
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Ministerpräsident of Bavaria
In office 2 November 1942 – 28 April 1945
Preceded by	Ludwig Siebert
Succeeded by	Fritz Schäffer
Reichsminister of the Interior
In office 30 April 1945 – 2 May 1945
Appointed by	Adolf Hitler
President	Karl Dönitz
Chancellor	Joseph Goebbels
Preceded by	Heinrich Himmler
Succeeded by	Wilhelm Stuckart
Personal details
Born	Paul Heinrich Hermann Giesler (1895-06-15)15 June 1895 Siegen, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	8 May 1945(1945-05-08) (aged 49) Stanggaß [de], Bavaria, Nazi Germany
Cause of death	Suicide
Nationality	German
Political party	Nazi Party
Relatives	Hermann Giesler (brother)
Alma mater	Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Technische Universität Darmstadt
Profession	Architect
Civilian awards	Golden Party Badge
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire  Nazi Germany
Branch/service	Royal Prussian Army German Army
Years of service	1914–1918 1939–1940
Rank	Leutnant of reserves Hauptmann of reserves
Unit	1st Foot Guards Regiment 2nd Foot Guards Regiment
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Military awards	Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class War Merit Cross, 1st and 2nd class Wound Badge

Paul Giesler (15 June 1895 – 8 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party politician and SA-Obergruppenführer. From 1941, he was the Gauleiter of Westphalia-South, and he was appointed to the same position for the Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria in 1942. From 2 November 1942 to 28 April 1945, he was also Ministerpräsident of Bavaria. He was responsible for multiple acts of brutality, which included killing opponents of the regime in southern Germany. Giesler was also named in Hitler's Political Testament as Interior Minister, replacing Heinrich Himmler, in the short-lived Goebbels Cabinet. He committed suicide together with his wife in the closing days of the war in Europe.