Article from the Nazi organization book, on the SS, including its mission, members, organization and departments, and Waffen SS

ORGANIZATION BOOK OF THE NSDAP [Organisationsbuch der NSDAP] 1943
Editor: Dr. Robert Ley Pages 417-428
DIE SCHUTZSTAFFELN DER NSDAP
Command
The Schutzstaffel—SS—an independent organization of the party, is under the command of the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Missions
The original and most eminent duty of the SS is to serve as the protection of the Fuehrer.
By decree of the Fuehrer the sphere of duties of the SS has been enlarged to include the security of the Reich from within.
Selection of Members
For the fulfillment of these missions a homogeneous firmly welded fighting force has been created bound by ideological oaths, whose fighters are selected out of the best Aryan humanity.
The conception of the value of the blood and soil serves as directive for the selection into the SS. Every SS man must be deeply imbued with the sense and essence of the national socialist movement. He will be ideologically and physically trained so that he can be employed individually or in groups in the decisive battle for the national socialist ideology.
Only the best and thoroughbred Germans are suited for commitment in this battle. Therefore it is necessary that an uninterrupted selection is retained within the ranks of the SS, first superficially, then constantly more thoroughly.
This, however, is not only restricted to the men, because its purpose is the retaining of pure kindred. Therefore, it is required of every SS man to marry only a woman who is of his own kind. Year by year the requirements are increased which are placed upon the SS for the retaining of their purity.
Faithfulness, honor, obedience, and valor distinguish the activities of the SS men. His arms bear the inscripton conferred by the Fuehrer: "My honor signifies faithfulness!" Both virtues are bound together by ties that cannot be broken. Whoever repudiates has become unworthy to belong to the SS.
Obedience is unconditionally demanded. It arises from the conviction that the national socialist ideology must rule. He who possesses it and passionately supports it submits himself voluntarily to the compulsion of obedience. Therefore, the SS man is
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prepared to carry out blindly every order which comes from the Fuehrer or is given by one of his superiors, even if it demands the greatest sacrifice of him.
Bravery is valued by the SS man as the highest virtue in a struggle for his ideology.
He openly and unrelentingly fights the most dangerous enemies of the state: Jews, Free Masons, Jesuits, and political clergymen.
However, he recruits and convinces the weak and inconstant by his example who have not been able to bring themselves to the national socialist ideology.
He who fights for the highest ideals as the SS man must be able to bring about extraordinary performances spiritually and physically. There is no kind of sport which is omitted in the SS, Wherever the SS man appears in public for a competitive race he is conscious that he must give his best and last for the honor of his SS.
One of his most eminent means of publicity is the publication "The Black Corps" [Das Schwarze Korps]. It appears every Wednesday. It is the duty of every SS man to read this fight publication of the SS and to see to it that it is circulated among the whole German people.
Structure and Sphere of Duties
The structure is formed from the multitude of missions of the SS. The Reichsfuehrer SS exercises the commanding power over the whole SS. For the publication and execution of his orders and decrees for the whole SS, the police and any other delegated spheres of jurisdiction, he employs the main offices of thé Reichs-fuehrung SS which are directly affiliated to him as well as several other offices which are directly responsible to him. The latter, according to the organization of September 1942, includes the Reichsdoctor SS and police and the chief of communication affairs.
The main offices of the Reichsfuehrung SS have been created during the course of time in the following order:
SS Main Office [Hauptamt]
Reichs Security Main Office [Reichssicherheitshauptamt]
The Race and Settlement Main Office SS
Main Office of the Order Police [Ordungspolizei]
Personal Staff of the Reichsfuehrer SS
SS Main Personnel Office
Main Office SS Courts
SS Main Directorate Office
Office of SS Lieutenant General Heissmeyer
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Main Office of the Staff of the Reichs Commissar for the Consolidation of German Nationality Main Office National German Middle Office [Mittelstelle] Sphere of Jurisdiction of the SS Main Offices
The SS Main Office [Hauptamt]
The mission of the SS main office is the ideological and political direction, school and training of the SS, the recruitment of the whole SS and police and those affiliated groups which are placed under the SS and the comprehension of the SS members and their kindred. Further missions are the physical training and the cultural tendance of the SS. Of special importance is the construction and the direction of the SS in the German states [Laender].
The Reich Security Main Office [Reichssicherheitshauptamt]
The RSHA handles all the organizational, personnel, management, and technical affairs of the security police and the SD. In addition, it is the central office of the state police and criminal police executive, as well as the central directorate of the intelligence net of the SD.
The Race and Sêttlement Main Office [Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt]
The Race and Settlement Main Office SS takes care of the racial selection of the SS new recruits within its offices, directs the selection of mates for the SS men and furthers the creation of hereditary-biological, valuable, child-rich families. Suitable SS men who wish to settle will be given the possibility for the establishment of their own farms.
The Main Office Order Police [Ordnungspolizei]
The sphere of duties of the Main Office of the Ordnungspolizei includes police administration as well as the management and direction of the protective police [Schutzpolizei] of the Reich, the gendarmes, the protective police of the community, the water protection police, the air protection police, the fire protection police, the protective groups in the occupied territories, the colonial police, the volunteer fire department, the compulsory and youth fire departments, the technical aid and the technical SS and police academy.
The SS Management and Administrative Main Office
The SS Management and Administrative Main Office handles all missions which are given to it by the Reichsfuehrer SS and chief of the German police Heinrich Himmler concerning management and administration.
Personal Staff Reichsfuehrer SS
The personal staff is the central main office. Developed out of the adjutancy of the Reichsfuehrer SS, all those offices are under it which are entrusted with the realization of the special plans of the Reichsfuehrer SS. The chief of the personal staff is the liaison officer of the Reichsfuehrer SS in the Fuehrer supreme headquarters and there handles all problems of the SS including the armed SS [WaffenJ and the police.
The SS Main Personnel Office
The SS Personnel Office includes the following sphere of duties: handling of the personnel affairs of all the officers of the SS as well as the General SS, the Armed SS and the SD with regard to induction, promotion, and discharge. Further it handles the SS length-of-service lists, the bestowal of death head rings and daggers of honor as well as the promotion of the General SS.
The Main Office SS Courts
The Main Office SS Courts handles the disciplinary and grievance affairs as well as honor-protection affairs for the Reichsfuehrer SS. In addition, it is the central office and the ministerial court for the special penal jurisdictions of the SS and police (among others, the Supreme SS and the police court and 30 SS and police courts are affiliated with it). The Main Office SS Courts also fulfills legal missions given to it by the Reichsfuehrer SS.
The SS Main Directorate Office [Fuehrungshauptamt]
The SS Main Directorate Office serves the Reichsfuehrer SS as headquarters for the direction of the Armed SS and for the pre-and post-military direction and training of the General SS. The SS Main Directive Office originated in August 1940 due to the necessity of combining all functions which deal with the employment, the direction, the organization and training of all units into one office. The following offices are within the SS Main Directive Office:
The Command Office of the Armed SS, the Command Office of the General SS, the SS Administrative Office, the SS Weapons Office, Office for Officer Training, the SS Medical Office, and the Inspection Office.
Office of the SS Lieutenant General Heissmeyer
Office of SS Lt. General Heissmeyer has the mission to manage the National Political Training Institutes, to be responsible for their new development and enlarged construction, and to execute
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the reconversion of the boarding schools in the Reich into German home schools, to enlarge them and to newly develop them. In the German home schools, mainly those children will be accepted who belong to fallen soldiers, officials, and all party members who because of numerous official changes in their seat of office do not have the opportunity to let their children go to regular education (schools).
The Main Office of the Staff of the Reichs Commissar for the Consolidation of German Nationality
The Main Office of the Staff of the Reichs Commissar for the Consolidation of German Nationality is intrusted with the whole settlement and constructive planning and with its execution within the Reich and all those territories under the authority of the Reich, including all administrative and economic questions in connection with settlement, especially the employment of man power for this purpose.
The SS Main Office "German-National Intermediary-Department
[Mittelstelle] "
The SS Main Office "German-National Intermediary-Department" works on questions of nationality [Volkstumsfragen], especially matters of German nationality. It carries out national political instructions of the Reichsleader SS. The most important part of this work is the strengthening of the feeling of solidarity among all Germans and the resulting practical national-political deductions.
Supporting members of the SS (FM) [Foerdernde Mitglieder]
Service in the SS which makes extreme demands, especially during the time of the Fuehrer meetings, is economically incomparably more difficult because the individual units of the Schutzstaffel are stationed further apart than the units of the SA. This makes for much higher transportation expenses in the execution of the service.
Therefore the Fuehrer permitted the Schutzstaffel to set up the "Supporting Members Organization" [FM-Organization]. The supporting members who do not have to be party members, pay a fixed monthly fee. Only the official offices of the SS are authorized to collect these fees. They were commissioned by the RFS to do so. The supporting members organization is of the greatest importance to the existence of the Schutzstaffel and shall not be disturbed in its work by any other official office. For the duration of the war fees shall not be collected.
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Organization of the SS Units General SS [Allgemeine SS]
The territory of the Greater German Reich at present is subdivided into 18 SS corps areas [Oberabschnitte] ; in addition there is one corps area each in the territory of the Netherlands and in Norway and two in the former western Russian territory as well as the independent, directly controlled SS corps area [SS Abschnitt] in the Protectorate Bohemia—Moravia. The territorial limits of the SS corps areas are fixed according to specific directives given by the Reich leader SS.
In the individual SS corps areas the leaders of the SS corps are appointed who have the title "Hoeherer SS und Polizeifuehrer" and who, as deputies of the Reich leader SS, exercise the power of command in their respective SS corps area. Within his staff the leader of the SS corps area has at his disposal for services within the framework of the SS, the following:
The staff leader of the general SS for the tasks of the general SS.
The SD leader of the SS-corps area for the tasks of the SD.
The leader for race and resettlement questions in the SS-corps area for the tasks of race and settlement.
In the subdivision of the SS corps areas, two to four SS divisions are subordinate to these, depending on the size of their territory (at present 44 without Bohemia—Moravia). Directly subordinate to the SS corps areas are the SS cavalry regiments [Reiter Standarten] (at present 21) as well as the SS communication battalions [Nachrichten Sturmbanne] (at present 16) and the SS engineer battalions [Pionier Sturmbanne] (at present 10).
Under the inspector of the Stammabteilung, belonging to the staff of the SS corps area, a Stammabteilung is created in each SS corps area in which the old and no longer serviceable SS members are assembled. These1 Stammabteilung are divided into Stammabteilung regions which embrace the territory of one of the subordinate SS regiments and which manage the men belonging to these Stammabteilung within these regions. The leaders of these Stammabteilung are attached to the corresponding regiments.
Within the structure of the SS divisions are two to four SS infantry regiments under the direction of an SS regimental commander (at present 125 including two in the Protectorate Bohemia-Moravia) which are each subdivided into three SS battalions and further into four SS companies.
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In the SS companies there is another subdivision which consists of several squads. The SS regiments have a band while each of the SS battalions has a music platoon and a medical team. Directly placed under the SS divisions are SS motor companies and SS medical companies.
The SS Corps Areas [The SS Oberabschnitte]
1. Danube
2. Alps
3. South
4. Westmark
5. Southwest
6. Rhine
7 West
8. North sea
9. Vistula
10. Northeast
11. Warthe
12. Southeast
13. Elbe R.
14. Main R.
15. Fulda-Werra
16. Center
17. Spree R.
18. Baltic Sea
R.
In the occupied territories exist the following corps areas:
1. Northwest (Netherlands)
2. North (Norway)
3. Ukraine - 4. East
Armed SS |Waffen]
The Armed SS originated out of the thought: to create for the Fuehrer a selected long-service troop for the fulfillment of special missions. It should make possible for the members of the General SS as well as volunteers which fulfill the special requirements of the SS to fight in the battle for the evolution of the National Socialist idea with the weapon in his hand in unified groups, partly within the framework of the army. Therefore the Fuehrer decreed the creation of a garrison troop, the present day Armed SS. It combines a sharp spiritual performance with a soldierly bearing and also trains its men to be political fighters.
Aside from the reserves, the Armed SS at present also acknowledges volunteers for the duration of the war. The continuous status of the organization is given by men who are serving 4 to 12 years.
The officers, non-commissioned officers and men, the active as well as the volunteers and reserves, are placed on an equal basis with regard to pay and pension with the members of the Wehrmacht. Service in the Armed SS is fulfillment of the legal conscription.
The origin of the Waffen SS goes back to the decree of 17 March 1933, establishing the "Stabswache" with the original strength of 120 men. Out of this small group developed the later Emergency Force [SS Verfuegungstruppe] resp. the
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Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler." groups grew into divisions: .
In the course of the war these
Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler."
The SS Division "Reich."
The SS Totenkopf Division.
The SS Polizei Division.
The SS Division "Viking".
The SS Mountain Division North.
The SS Cavalry Division.
Further during the war
The SS Volunteer Division "Prince Eugen"; and the first and second SS infantry brigade.
The SS Division Viking is composed of Reich Germans, Germanic volunteers, and the Finnish volunteer battalion.
The SS brigades consist of the Germanic volunteer legions "Norway," "Netherlands," "Flanders," and the Freikorps "Denmark."
The Fuehrerkorps of the SS
The Fuehrerkorps is divided into:
1. Active SS fuehrers.
2. Attached fuehrers with the staffs of the Reichsfuehrer
SS, the main offices, the corps areas, and the divisions.
3. Fuehrers in the Stammabteilung.
4. Fuehrers in Reserve.
The designations of honorary and ranking fuehrers for special assignnients are discontinued since the honorary title "SS man" refers to every full-fledged member of the SS from SS man up to and including the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Ref. 1. Active SS fuehrers.
Active SS fuehrers are all fuehrers who are found in a regular office of the General SS, the Armed SS and the SS Main Offices as well as all generals, It. generals, and major generals regardless of whether they belong to a regular office or not. -Ref. 2. Attached fuehrers with the staffs.
Fuehrers are attached to the staffs which are found in the higher state and party offices and therefore cannot take part in the active service; further, those fuehrers who, due to their profession, are hot in a position to see active service in the SS.
Ref. 3. Fuehrer in the Stammabteilung.
All fuehrers belong to the Stammabteilung who are not included in nos. 1 and 2, who do not find employment in an office due to their age or who were forced to step out of the active service of all branches of the SS because of health restrictions.
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Ref. 4. Fuehrers in reserve.
Fuehrers who are in reserve retain the permission to wear the uniforms at special occasions. Those fuehrers are placed in reserve :
1. Whom the Reichsfuehrer SS does not deem as suitable to see service in the SS since they have been released of their official position due to conviction.
2. Whose services were not meritorious enough to warrant their transfer to the Stammabteilung.
3. Those who are still too young for the Stammabteilung.
A fuehrer can only be placed in reserve for a period up to 2 years. Within this time limit the proposal is to be made upon basis of a new hearing for the person in question whether to transfer the fuehrer to the Stammabteilung or whether he should become inactive.
If the fuehrer does not come into question for a transfer, then he will be released from the SS.
TRANSLATION OF AFFIDAVIT CONCERNING DOCUMENT 2641-PS
I, Alois Hoellriegel, being first duly sworn, declare:
I was a member of the Totenkopf SS and stationed in the Mauthausen concentration camp from January 1940 until the end of the war. I am thoroughly familiar with all the buildings and grounds at Mauthausen concentration camp. I have been shown Document 2641-PS, which is a series of six photographs. I recognize all of these photographs as having been taken at Mauthausen concentration camp. With respect to the first photograph I positively identify Heinrich Himmler as the man on the left, Ziereis, the commandant of Mauthausen concentration camp in the center, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner as the man on the right. I have been shown Document 3426-PS, which consists of two photographs. The first photograph is the same as the first photograph in Document 2641-PS. It shows inmates of the concentration camp at work. The second photograph shows Kaltenbrunner and Ziereis in an automobile.
[signed] Alois Hoellriegel
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 17th day of December 1945, in Nürnberg, Germany. .
[signed] Whitney R. Harris . Ltn. USNR.
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AFFIDAVIT
Before me, Sidney N. Schreiber, 2nd Lieutenant AC, being authorized to administer oath, personally appeared Jack R. Nowitz, 2nd Lieutenant AUS, who, being by me first duly sworn, made and subscribed the following statement:
1. Attached are six photos bearing my initials in the lower right-hand corner of the reverse side.
2. The said photographs were received by me from Lieutenant Jack Taylor, USNR, who stated that they were taken at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria, prior to its liberation by allied forces; and that said photographs came into his possession at said camp where he had been a prisoner.
[signed] Jack R. Nowitz JACK R. NOWITZ 2nd Lt„ AUS.
Subscribed and sworn to before me at Munich, Germany, on 3 November 1945.
[signed] Sidney N. Schreiber SIDNEY N. SCHREIBER 2nd Lt., AC Investigator-Examiner