Here you will find descriptions of a range of terms, events, themes and institutions featured on the website.
SA
The Sturmabteilung (SA) was the paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP, sworn to Adolf Hitler. The SA incited anti-Semitism and violently attacked political opponents. After Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor, the SA served as »auxiliary police« in Prussia, arresting and torturing individuals, often in »wild camps«. By 1934, it had approximately four million members. Hitler curtailed the SA leadership’s efforts to transform it into a comprehensive party militia by disempowering it.
The SD (Security Service of the Reichsführer SS) was established in 1931 by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler as the intelligence service of the SS (Schutzstaffel). Its task was to gather information on political opponents and oppositional movements within and outside the National Socialist circles. From 1934, the SD became the intelligence service of the NSDAP. It was subordinated to Reinhard Heydrich, who merged the SD with the security police (Gestapo and Kripo) into the newly formed Reich Security Main Office in 1939.
The Sturmabteilung (SA) was the paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP, sworn to Adolf Hitler. The SA incited anti-Semitism and violently attacked political opponents. After Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor, the SA served as »auxiliary police« in Prussia, arresting and torturing individuals, often in »wild camps«. By 1934, it had approximately four million members. Hitler curtailed the SA leadership’s efforts to transform it into a comprehensive party militia by disempowering it.
Schlurf
»Schlurfs« were young members of the working class in Vienna, who during the National Socialist regime attracted attention with their unique sense of style and love of jazz music. »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like the »swings« in Hamburg, the »zazous« in Paris or the »Potápki« in Prague, the »Schlurfs« lived in their own youth sub-culture which was diametrically opposed to the military drill of the Nazi youth organisations. They were persecuted by the Nazis.
»Schlurfs« were young members of the working class in Vienna, who during the National Socialist regime attracted attention with their unique sense of style and love of jazz music. »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like »Schlurf« is an Austrian term for idleness. Like the »swings« in Hamburg, the »zazous« in Paris or the »Potápki« in Prague, the »Schlurfs« lived in their own youth sub-culture which was diametrically opposed to the military drill of the Nazi youth organisations. They were persecuted by the Nazis.
SD
The SD (Security Service of the Reichsführer SS) was established in 1931 by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler as the intelligence service of the SS (Schutzstaffel). Its task was to gather information on political opponents and oppositional movements within and outside the National Socialist circles. From 1934, the SD became the intelligence service of the NSDAP. It was subordinated to Reinhard Heydrich, who merged the SD with the security police (Gestapo and Kripo) into the newly formed Reich Security Main Office in 1939.
The SS (»Schutzstaffel«) under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler was envisioned as an elite paramilitary organisation of the National Socialist state. With Himmler’s takeover and reorganisation of the police, the SS became the regime’s central instrument of terror. In 1934, it was given control over all concentration camps. The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), formed in 1939 as the planning centre for crimes in German-occupied Europe, was subordinated to it.
The SD (Security Service of the Reichsführer SS) was established in 1931 by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler as the intelligence service of the SS (Schutzstaffel). Its task was to gather information on political opponents and oppositional movements within and outside the National Socialist circles. From 1934, the SD became the intelligence service of the NSDAP. It was subordinated to Reinhard Heydrich, who merged the SD with the security police (Gestapo and Kripo) into the newly formed Reich Security Main Office in 1939.
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) ruled the German Reich from 1933 to 1945. The party was founded in Munich in 1919. It had an antisemitic and »völkisch« orientation and sought to establish a dictatorship. The Nazi Party was structured as a hierarchy with leader Adolf Hitler at the very top. After his appointment as Reich Chancellor in 1933, Hitler banned all other parties. In 1943 the Nazi Party had more than 7.5 million members.
The Nazis established the »Secret State Police« (Geheime Staatspolizei, abbr. Gestapo) to combat political opponents. It was also instrumental in the persecution of minorities. Gestapo officials did not require a court warrant to search apartments or to detain people, send them to concentration camps or murder them. They tortured people under interrogation to force confessions out of them. In the occupied territories members of the Gestapo participated in mass shootings and other crimes.
Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei)
Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor in 1933, the National Socialists gradually brought the police under their control. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler united the newly established Secret State Police (Gestapo) with the Criminal Police (Kripo) to form the Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei). This was subsequently merged with the Security Service (SD) in 1939 under the umbrella of the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt, abbr. RSHA).
The SS (»Schutzstaffel«) under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler was envisioned as an elite paramilitary organisation of the National Socialist state. With Himmler’s takeover and reorganisation of the police, the SS became the regime’s central instrument of terror. In 1934, it was given control over all concentration camps. The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), formed in 1939 as the planning centre for crimes in German-occupied Europe, was subordinated to it.
Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor in 1933, the National Socialists gradually brought the police under their control. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler united the newly established Secret State Police (Gestapo) with the Criminal Police (Kripo) to form the Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei). This was subsequently merged with the Security Service (SD) in 1939 under the umbrella of the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt, abbr. RSHA).
The SD (Security Service of the Reichsführer SS) was established in 1931 by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler as the intelligence service of the SS (Schutzstaffel). Its task was to gather information on political opponents and oppositional movements within and outside the National Socialist circles. From 1934, the SD became the intelligence service of the NSDAP. It was subordinated to Reinhard Heydrich, who merged the SD with the security police (Gestapo and Kripo) into the newly formed Reich Security Main Office in 1939.
The Criminal Police (Kriminalpolizei, »Kripo«) is a regular police division in charge of investigating crimes. In the National Socialist state its tasks additionally included the surveillance and persecution of »community aliens« (»Gemeinschaftsfremde«). People deemed »career criminals« or »asocials« by the Criminal Police were placed under systematic surveillance and were detained indefinitely.
It was up to police officers to decide what was to be considered »asocial behaviour«: the slightest deviation from the norm could lead to imprisonment.
The Nazis established the »Secret State Police« (Geheime Staatspolizei, abbr. Gestapo) to combat political opponents. It was also instrumental in the persecution of minorities. Gestapo officials did not require a court warrant to search apartments or to detain people, send them to concentration camps or murder them. They tortured people under interrogation to force confessions out of them. In the occupied territories members of the Gestapo participated in mass shootings and other crimes.
Sittlichkeitsverbrecher
| People who committed sexual offences were classified as »Sittlichkeitsverbrecher«. Even under the criminal law of the German Empire, »crimes and offences against morality« could be punished with prison terms or penal servitude. The National Socialists tightened existing criminal law by legally enshrining longer prison sentences, indefinite preventive detention, and additional measures for »habitual criminals«. |
| People who committed sexual offences were classified as »Sittlichkeitsverbrecher«. Even under the criminal law of the German Empire, »crimes and offences against morality« could be punished with prison terms or penal servitude. The National Socialists tightened existing criminal law by legally enshrining longer prison sentences, indefinite preventive detention, and additional measures for »habitual criminals«. |
SS
The SS (»Schutzstaffel«) under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler was envisioned as an elite paramilitary organisation of the National Socialist state. With Himmler’s takeover and reorganisation of the police, the SS became the regime’s central instrument of terror. In 1934, it was given control over all concentration camps. The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), formed in 1939 as the planning centre for crimes in German-occupied Europe, was subordinated to it.
The SS (»Schutzstaffel«) under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler was envisioned as an elite paramilitary organisation of the National Socialist state. With Himmler’s takeover and reorganisation of the police, the SS became the regime’s central instrument of terror. In 1934, it was given control over all concentration camps. The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), formed in 1939 as the planning centre for crimes in German-occupied Europe, was subordinated to it.
In September 1939 the Reich Security Main Office (»Reichssicherheitshauptamt«, RSHA) was created under the leadership of senior SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Under the authority of the SS, it was the central agency for all police tasks and matters related to security policy in the National Socialist state. Equipped with unlimited legal powers, its tasks included deciding on admissions to concentration camps. The (main) offices of the Gestapo and Criminal Police throughout the Reich were subordinate to the Reich Security Main Office.
Subcamps
So-called subcamps were established at virtually all concentration camps, particularly after 1942. The concentration camp prisoners held in the subcamps had to perform forced labour. Living conditions were as inhumane as in the main camps. There were more than 1,000 subcamps in the German Reich and the occupied territories.
Systematic police surveillance
This form of surveillance enabled the Criminal Police to control people without a court ruling and to impose harsh conditions on them. The main groups affected were prostitutes, homosexuals, Sinti and Roma and people classed as »career criminals«. In many cases these individuals were subject to a night-time curfew, had to report to the police every week or required authorisation in order to change their place of residence. They had no right of appeal over these conditions.
The Criminal Police (Kriminalpolizei, »Kripo«) is a regular police division in charge of investigating crimes. In the National Socialist state its tasks additionally included the surveillance and persecution of »community aliens« (»Gemeinschaftsfremde«). People deemed »career criminals« or »asocials« by the Criminal Police were placed under systematic surveillance and were detained indefinitely.
It was up to police officers to decide what was to be considered »asocial behaviour«: the slightest deviation from the norm could lead to imprisonment.