A "SS and police leader" refers to a position of authority within the Schutzstaffel (SS) and the police forces during Nazi Germany. The SS was a paramilitary organization established in 1925, initially serving as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard, but later growing to become a powerful organization responsible for various aspects of law enforcement, intelligence gathering, and carrying out Nazi policies.
An SS and police leader was an individual assigned to oversee SS units and coordinate with police forces in a specific region. They held significant power and controlled the implementation of Nazi policies and practices within their jurisdiction. This involved maintaining security, suppressing political opposition, enforcing racial policies, and overseeing the prosecution and extermination of individuals targeted by the Nazi regime, including Jews, Romani people, homosexuals, and other persecuted groups.
Under the leadership of an SS and police leader, the SS and police forces collaborated closely to maintain control and enforce Nazi ideology. Their activities ranged from surveillance and repression to the establishment and operation of concentration camps, where countless individuals were subject to forced labor, medical experimentation, and ultimately, extermination.
SS and police leaders often held the rank of Obergruppenführer, equivalent to a general, and had significant autonomy in their regions. They are remembered as key figures in the implementation of Nazi policies, contributing to the widespread oppression and crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust and World War II.
