# Reichskommissar für Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung

> German authority for the registration of political movements (1920-1929)

**Wikidata**: [Q1389554](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1389554)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/reichskommissar-fur-uberwachung-der-offentlichen-ordnung

## Summary
The Reichskommissar für Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung (RKO) was a German government and security agency responsible for the registration and monitoring of political movements between 1920 and 1929. Headquartered in Berlin, it operated under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior of the German Reich to maintain public order during the Weimar Republic era.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** 1920
- **Dissolution Date:** July 1, 1929
- **Primary Function:** Registration and surveillance of political movements
- **Parent Organization:** Ministry of the Interior of the German Reich
- **Headquarters Location:** Berlin, German Reich
- **Operating Area:** German Reich
- **Classification:** Government agency; security agency
- **Short Name/Aliases:** RKO; Reichskommissar für öffentliche Ordnung
- **Archival Location:** German Federal Archives (BArch, R 1507; fonds)
- **Successor Entity:** Q11860444
- **International Identifiers:** 
    - **GND ID:** 2056486-7
    - **ISNI:** 000000010673453X
    - **VIAF ID:** 153100469
    - **Library of Congress ID:** n82121545
    - **IdRef ID:** 026358638
    - **CiNii Research ID:** 1140845216520298240
    - **NACSIS-CAT Author ID:** DA02370485
    - **BNF ID:** 11862202n
    - **National Library of Israel ID:** 987007381792605171
    - **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/120wr1_j

## FAQs

**What was the primary purpose of the Reichskommissar für Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung?**
The RKO served as a specialized security agency tasked with the registration and surveillance of political movements within the German Reich. It functioned as an organizational part of the government to provide specific public services related to the maintenance of public order and internal security.

**When was the RKO active and who oversaw its operations?**
The agency was established in 1920 and remained active until its dissolution on July 1, 1929. Throughout its existence, it was a subordinate entity of the Ministry of the Interior of the German Reich and was based in Berlin.

**Where are the historical records of the RKO preserved today?**
The official records and fonds of the agency are maintained at the German Federal Archives. Researchers can locate these materials under the archival reference code BArch, R 1507.

## Why It Matters
The Reichskommissar für Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung played a pivotal role in the administrative and security landscape of the post-WWI German Reich. As a centralized authority for monitoring political movements, it represented the state's effort to manage the volatile political climate of the 1920s. Its integration into the Ministry of the Interior highlights the era's focus on internal surveillance as a means of preserving the "öffentlichen Ordnung" (public order). The agency's records provide a foundational data set for understanding the registration of political groups and the evolution of German security apparatuses prior to the 1930s.

## Notable For
- **Centralized Political Oversight:** Acted as the primary German authority for the formal registration of political movements for nearly a decade.
- **Institutional Continuity:** Served as a direct precursor to the security structures that followed its dissolution in 1929 (specifically entity Q11860444).
- **Extensive Bibliographic Footprint:** Recognized across major international authority files including the Library of Congress, the National Library of Israel, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
- **Archival Significance:** Its complete fonds are preserved as a distinct collection (R 1507) within the German Federal Archives.

## Body

### Administrative Structure and Mandate
The Reichskommissar für Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung, commonly known by the abbreviation RKO, was a specialized government agency of the German Reich. It was established in 1920 as an organizational component of the Ministry of the Interior. The agency was classified as both a government agency and a security agency, placing it alongside other public services responsible for the judiciary, foreign affairs, and transportation. Its primary mandate was the "Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung," which translated to the monitoring and surveillance of public order, specifically through the registration of political movements.

### Operational History and Location
The RKO was headquartered in Berlin and exercised jurisdiction over the entire territory of the German Reich. From its inception in 1920 until its formal abolition on July 1, 1929, the agency served as a central node for gathering intelligence on political activities. Following its dissolution, its responsibilities were transferred to a successor entity identified in academic and archival databases as Q11860444.

### Archival and Global Identification
The historical legacy of the RKO is preserved through extensive documentation and international cataloging. The German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv) holds the agency's fonds under the signature BArch, R 1507. The agency is also tracked through various global identification systems:
- **Academic and Research IDs:** It is indexed in the CiNii Research database (1140845216520298240) and the NACSIS-CAT author ID system (DA02370485).
- **Library Authorities:** The agency is recognized by the Library of Congress (n82121545), the National Library of Israel (987007381792605171), and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (11862202n).
- **Standardized Identifiers:** It maintains a GND ID (2056486-7), a VIAF ID (153100469), and an ISNI (000000010673453X).

### Scope of Influence
As a security agency, the RKO's work was integral to the Ministry of the Interior's broader mission. It provided the necessary administrative framework to track the rise and shift of political groups during a period of significant social and governmental transition in Germany. Its role as a registration authority ensured that the state maintained a formal record of political movements, a function that was essential for the internal security operations of the German Reich during the 1920s.

## References

1. CiNii Research