SS-Hauptamt

SS-HA

SS-Hauptamt
Vehicle flag of the SS-Hauptamt
The SS-Hauptamt was the administrative office of the SS until 1940
SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger commander of the SS-Hauptamt (1939-45)
Agency overview
Formed	1935
Preceding agencies	SS-Amt SS-Oberführerbereiche
Dissolved	May 8, 1945
Jurisdiction	Germany Occupied Europe
Headquarters	SS-Hauptamt, Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, Berlin 52°30′26″N 13°22′57″E / 52.50722°N 13.38250°E / 52.50722; 13.38250
Minister responsible	Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, (1935–1945)
Agency executives	SS-Gruppenführer Kurt Wittje, Chef fur SS-Amt (1934–1935) SS-Obergruppenführer August Heissmeyer, Chef fur SS-Hauptamt, (1935–1939) SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger, Chef fur SS-Hauptamt, (1939–1945)
Parent agency	SS
Child agencies	Allgemeine-SS until c.1940 SS-Verfügungstruppe until c.1940 SS-Totenkopfverbände until c.1940

The SS Main Office (German: SS-Hauptamt) (SS-HA) was the central command office of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in Nazi Germany until 1940.

The office traces 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 (General SS). In 1933, after the NSDAP came to power, the SS-Amt was renamed the SS-Oberführerbereichen and placed in command of all SS units within Nazi Germany.

This agency then became the SS-HA on January 30, 1935. The organization oversaw the Allgemeine-SS, concentration camps, the SS-Verfügungstruppe (Special-purpose troops), and the Grenzschutz (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. This included the SS officer schools (Junker Schools), physical training, communication, SS garrisons, logistics and support. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, 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 Leading Main Office) and the main offices of the Allgemeine-SS, such as the Reich Main Security Office.

In 1940 the SS-Hauptamt remained responsible for SS administrative matters such as manpower allocation, supplies, personnel transfers, and promotions. The SS-HA had 11 departments (Ämter or Amtsgruppe):

The SS-HA was technically subordinate to the Personal Staff Reichsführer-SS, but in reality it remained autonomous.