SS-Hauptamt

Uniform of a member of the SS-HA with cuffband

The SS-Hauptamt (English: SS Main or Head Office; SS-HA) was the central command office of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) in Germany until 1940 comparable to the Heerespersonalamt. Many of the members of the Hauptamt were foreign volunteers.

History

Dr. med. Franz Riedweg (1907−2005) of the "Germanische Leitstelle" (GL) of the SS-Hauptamt; Riedweg (de) was from Switzerland (Germanische SS Schweiz), his last rank was "SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS".

The office can trace its origins to 1931 when the SS created the SS-Amt to serve as an SS Headquarters staff overseeing the various units of the Allgemeine-SS. In 1933, after the NSDAP came to power, the SS-Amt was renamed the SS-Oberführerbereichen. This agency then became the SS-Hauptamt (SS-HA) on 30 January 1935.

The organization oversaw the Allgemeine-SS, concentration camps (German: Konzentrationslager), the SS-Verfügungstruppe (English: Special-purpose troops), and the Grenzschutz (English: Border Control Regiments). During the late 1930s, the power of the SS-HA continued to grow becoming the largest and most powerful office of the SS, managing nearly all aspects of the paramilitary organization. In 1940 the SS-Hauptamt remained responsible for SS administrative in matters such as manpower allocation, supplies, personnel transfers, and promotions.

Groups and departments

The SS-HA had 4 department groups (Amtsgruppe A to D), 11 departments (German: Ämter) and various sub-departments:

• Amt Zentralamt (Amt A I; English: Central office)
• Amt Leitender Arzt beim Chef SS-HA (Amt A II; English: Chief Medical Officer)
• Amt Verwaltung (English: Administration)
• Amt Ergänzungsamt der Waffen-SS (English: Waffen-SS Reinforcements)
• Amt Erfassungsamt (English: Requisitioning)
• Amt für Weltanschauliche Erziehung (English: Ideological Training)
• Amt für Leibeserziehhung (English: Physical Training)
• Amt für Berufserziehung (English: Trade Training)
• Amt Germanische Leitstelle (English: Germanic Control Center)
• Amt Germanische Ergänzung (English: Germanic Recruitment)
• Amt Germanische Erziehung (English: Germanic Education)

Subordination

The SS-HA was technically subordinate to the Persönlicher Stab „Reichsführer-SS“ (English: Personal Staff of the SS Reich Leader), but in reality it maintained autonomy.

World War II

Shortly after the outbreak of WWII, the SS-Verfügungstruppe expanded rapidly becoming the Waffen SS in 1940. By this time, the office of the SS-Hauptamt could no longer administer the entire SS organization. As a result, the SS-HA was downsized losing much of its pre-war power to the SS-Führungshauptamt (SS-FHA; English: SS Leading Main Office) and the main offices of the Allgemeine-SS.

SS-FHA

The SS Leadership Main Office or SS-Führungshauptamt (SS-FHA) was the actual operational staff office (headquarters) of the Waffen-SS from August 1940. It was created through a spin-off from the SS Main Office and was initially run by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler personally, and from 1943 onwards by SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Jüttner. The SS Leadership Main Office headquarters directed and managed supplies and provision, wage payments and equipment. The command offices of the Allgemeine-SS, the Waffen-SS and the SS guard units (SS-Wachverbände) were also subordinate to the SS-FHA. These command offices were created in 1935 and were considered the control centers of the armed SS units. An independent “Command Office of the General/Germanic SS” was later introduced for the volunteer associations of Germanic origin within the Waffen-SS. The training facilities, troop inspections and medical services of the Waffen-SS were also subordinated to the SS-FHA. In 1944, the SS Leadership Main Office had 450 employees.

Leadership (Cheff SS-Hauptamt)

• SS-Gruppenführer Curt Wittje (1894–1947): 12 February 1934 to 14 May 1935 (1 year, 91 days)
• SS-Obergruppenführer August Heißmeyer (1897–1979): 14 May 1935 to 9 November 1939 (4 years, 179 days)
• SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger (1896–1975): 1 December 1939 (other sources claim officially since 1 April 1940) to 8 May 1945 (5 years, 180 days)