Figure 1.--Upon becoming Chancellor (1933), Hitler's first major effort was to gain controln of the various police forces in Germany. Because Germany was a fedeal state, this was a little complicated and the existing police force and judiciary at first included were various national and local police units. The Gestapo was one of many units, but important because particularly important because it was a political police unit. Another problem was that there were many hnoranle policemen ho were not NAZIs. Here soon after the NAZI take over we see the SA working with the police. Both Göring and Himmler were involved with the process of Nazification. The process after the Night of the Long Knives and the supression of the SA (1934) became the responsibility of Himmler and the SS.

Gestapo is a term used to describe the NAZI secret police. The actual organizaion is complicated and varied over time. Both Göring and Himmler as well as well as Heydrich and other NAZI luminaries played major roles in the development and administration of the Gestapo. The Gestapo was taen over by the NAZIs within in weeks of seizing power. The Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo--Secret State Police) was taken over inittially Hermann Göring when Hitler was made Chancellor (January 1933). It was part of a coalition government. Hitler insisted that the NAZIs be given the Interior Ministry. (In America Interior many national parts and forrests. In other countries Interior normally means the police, which of course is why Hitler insisted on it.) Göring, was made the Prussian minister of the interior. (Prussia was the most important German state.) Göring immediately reorganized the police by separating the espionage and political units of the Prussian police and staffed these units with committed NAZIs. Göring took command of this new police unit on April 26, 1933. While this was underway, Heinrich Himmler was reshaping the Party small Schutzstaffel (SS-Protective Echelon) unit from Hitler's personal body gurd to a powerful state security body. Himmler in April 1936 he was given command of the Gestapo which was then integrated within the SS structure. Himmler later in 1936 merged the Gestapo with the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo--Criminal Police). This newly integrated unit was named the Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo--for Secret Police). The former name of Gestapo, however, is generally used rather than Sipo. With the onset of World War II in 1939 the Sipo or Gestapo was again reorganized. The Sipo was incorporated into the intelligence branch of the Wehrmacht, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD--Security Service). Sipo became the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA--Reich Security Central Office) of the SD. Himmler put his trusted deputy, Reinhard Heydrich, in charge of the RHSA or Gestapo. These constant organizational changes mean that the responsibilities and priorities of the Gestapo varied over time and overlapped with other NAZI security units. In the months leading up to the invsion of Poland, the RHSA formed the notorious Einsatzgruppen (Task Force) which carried out mass killings of Jews in Poland and then on a larger scale in the Soviet Union after the 1941 invasion. The Gestapo operated without any legal restrictions. They were authorized to make arrests without any legal restraints. They also were authorized to use torture and even execute those arrested without trial. Many arrested by the Gestapo simply disappeared in the concentaion camps. There were trials, but compliant NAZI judges guarnted that defendants would be convicted.

Background

Gestapo is a term used to describe the NAZI secret police nade famous for ruthlessly persecutiung the real and preceiced enemies of the NAZI Party. The actual organizaion is complicated and varied over time. Both Göring and Himmler as well as well as Heydrich and other NAZI luminaries played major roles in the development and administration of the Gestapo. The Gestapo operated throughout the Reich and after the onset of World War II also in the occupied countries. While a law enforcement agency, the Gestapon operated both within and outside the law. The Gestapo was aaw in itself. As long as it was pursuing the groups that that Hitler identified or individuals ho opposed him there was no limits on what the Gestapo could do. This was precisely the situation with Stalin's NKVD. Gestapo had absolute power over those accused of opposing Hitler and the NAZI state.

Creation

The Gestap was seized by the NAZIs withinin weeks of seizing power. The Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo--Secret State Police) was seized by Hermann Göring and convered from the russian secret police to a national secret police. When Hitler was made Chancellor in January 1933, it was part of a coalition government. Hitler insisted that the NAZIs be given the Interior Ministry. (In America Interior many national parts and forrests. In other countries Interior normally means the police, which of course is why Hitler insisted on it.) Göring, was made the Prussian minister of the interior. (Prussia was the most important German state.) Göring immediately reorganized the police by separating the espionage and political units of the Prussian police and staffed these units with committed NAZIs. Göring took command of this police unit on April 26, 1933.

Political Police

The Gestapo was a political police force, separate from the unifiened rural constabulstory an municipal police, sometimes called the Green Police becauise of their green coats. The Gestapo were not a spy agency, although an impoprtant part of their responsibility was to hunt down spies, both in the Reich and after the War began in the occupied countries. The sp agencies were the mkilitary Abwehr and SS Security Service (SD). Himmler's Deputy, Reinhard Heydrich, was the chief of the SD. Heydrich was appointed head of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA--Reich Security Central Office) just before Hitler launched the War (1939). This was part of Himmler' overall process of bringing all police forces in the Reich under the control of the SS. This mean that Heydrich gained control of the Gestapo.

Himmler and the SS

While Goering was creating the Gestapo, Heinrich Himmler was reshaping the Party small Schutzstaffel (SS-Protective Echelon) unit from Hitler's personal body gurd to a powerful state security body. It was Himmler who began building the concentration camp system. The first was Dachau near Munich.

Concentration Camps

The NAZIs open the first concentration camp at Dachau, near Munich (March 4, 1933). The GESTAPP had facilities where they could detain, interogate, and torture the people they suspected. Here there was, however, some limnited accountability. In the concentration camps behind brbed wire there were no limits and accountability. The first inmates were not Jews, but political opponents, especially the Communists. The camps play an important role in Hitler's seizure of total political power so that he could pursue his political and economic program without opposition. The camp at Dachau would be the blueprint for a massive system of camps that would eventually extend throughout Western Europe and include both work and death camps. The concentraton camps were necesary for both Hitler's seizure of power and the Holocaust. They lead directly after the start of World War II to the Death Camps opened in occupied Poland.

Transfer to Himmler

Himmler in April 1936 was given command of the Gestapo which was then integrated within the SS structure. Himmler later in 1936 merged the Gestapo with the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo--Criminal Police). This newly integrated unit was named the Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo--for Secret Police). The former name of Gestapo, however, is generally used rather than Sipo.

Operations

The Gestapo was a political police fiorce. And it operated without any legal restrictions. They were authorized to make arrests without any legal restraints. They also were authorized to use torture and even execute those arrested without trial. Many arrested by the Gestapo simply disappeared in the concentaion camps. There were some trials, but compliant NAZI judges guarnted that defendants would be convicted.

Informing

The Gestapo never was a huge group. Its effectiveness was in large part due to the willingness og Germand to report on their neighbors. As the regime took hold, it became clear what it mean to be German. Those who stood out in any way were commonly reported by their neighbors. This permitted the Gestapo to very effectively find and deal with potential dissenters with a relatively small force. Thus Germans who consorted with those known to be critical of theNAZIs would be reported. The same was true of those associating with Jews. Many thus began to distance themselves from Jewish frinds and associates. This was part of the plan to separate Jews from German life.

World War II

With the onset of World War II in 1939 the Sipo or Gestapo was again reorganized. The Sipo was incorporated into the intelligence branch of the Wehrmacht, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD--Security Service). Sipo became the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA--Reich Security Central Office) of the SD. Himmler put his trusted deputy, Reinhard Heydrich, in charge of the RHSA. These constant organizational changes mean that the responsibilities and priorities of the Gestapo varied over time and overlapped with other NAZI security units. In the months leading up to the invsion of Poland, the RHSA formed the notorious Einsatzgruppen (Task Force) which carried out actions against Jews in Poland and then on a much larger scale in the Soviet Union after the 1941 Barbrossa invasion.

People's Courts (Volksgerichtshof)

Most of the Gestapo's victims disappeared in the concentration camps. As in the Soviet Uniomn, thre were a few selcted show trials. The wwee legal shams. The NAZI organized Peoples' Courts (Volksgerichtshof) were a vehicle for these trials. The difference between the regular counts and the People's Courts was there was no semblance of justice in the People's Courts. Hitle appointed Roland Freisler to head the People's Courts. The judges were fervent NAZIs like Freisler who commonly handed down death sentences. Most of these sessions were not filmed, but was have a good idea what the were like because the trials of some of the July 20 Bomb plotters were filmed. We see Freisler in judicial robes screaming before men subjected to Gestapo brutality and given panrs so large that they had to hold them up while being browbeaten. Freisler was one of the NAZI paryticipating in the Wannsee Conference held to perfect the killing phase of the Holocaust (Fectuary 1942). Unlike many NAZIS, Freisler would not escpe justice. Freisler was hard a work overseeing a Saturday session of the People's Court when American bombers arrived ovr Berlin (February 3, 1945). Government and NAZI Party buildings in central Berlin were hit, including the Reich Chancellery, the Gestapo headquarters, the Party Chancellery, and the People's Court. There are some differentccounts, but it appears that hearing the air-raid sirens, Freisler hastily adjourned the court and ordered the court to an air-raid shelter. He stopped to gatherup the files before leaving. Bombs hit the court-building at 11:08 AM. Much of the building collapsed. Freisler was crushed by a masonry column and killed. Among the files he clutched up was that of Fabian von Schlabrendorff, a July Plot conspirator who escaped execution because Freisler did not complete the proceedings.

Sources

Padfield, Peter. Himmler: Reichsführer-SS (Henry Holt: New York, 1991), 656p.

Navigate Ewlated HBC Pages:
[German choirs] [Hitler Youth] [German school uniforms] [German royalty] [German sailor suits] [Lederhosen] [Ethnic] [Tights] [Long stockings]

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Theatricals]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Biographies] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: March 14, 2004
Last updated: 2:41 AM 4/15/2018