The position of Higher SS and Police Leader (Höhere SS und Polizeiführer - HSSPF) was the highest and most feared post created by Himmler. It was created to unify the SS and Police commands under Himmler's direct control. These men were personally appointed by Himmler, had the power of life and death in their jurisdictions and were often brutal in the execution of their duties. These ranged from destroying the Warsaw Ghetto and suppression of armed rebellion to anti-partisan operations. The equivalent NSDAP rank within the Reich was that of Gauleiter. Two positions of Highest SS and Police Leaders (Höchste SS und Polizeiführer - HöSSPF) were created for Italy and Central Russia.
This is a map of the SS Main Districts in Germany in 1938. the number of districts was increased to include countries annexed and conquered by Germany during the war. Districts were also changed and realigned but it will give you an idea of where some of them were.
Most Higher SS and Police Leaders held dual positions such as commander of the SS Main District in their jurisdiction. Most also held more than one position of HSSPF although not simultaneously. Short term substitute and/or temporary Higher SS and Police Leaders are not included in this list. The ranks shown are the highest ranks attained according to the last Dienstaltersliste that they appear in and are not necessarily those held while in the HSSPF position. While many of these men were tried, convicted and executed after the war and others committed suicide, some were awarded Germany's highest political awards as well as its highest awards for bravery:
 = Knight's Cross |
 = NSDAP Golden
Party Badge |
 G = German Cross in Gold |
 =
SS-Totenkopf Honour Ring |
 S = German Cross in Silver |
 = SS
Officer's Sword |
| Höchste SS und Polizeiführer - HöSSPF (Highest SS and Police Leader) | |
|---|---|
| Name and Rank | HöSSPF Command |
| Prützmann, Adolf S SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Ukraine |
| Wolff, Karl SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS |
Italien |
| Höhere SS und
Polizeiführer - HSSPF (Higher SS and Police Leader) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Rank | HSSPF Command | ||
| Alvenslaben, Ludolf von SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Elbe (EC
Germany) Schwarzes-Meer (Black Sea) | ||
| Bach, Erich von dem1 G SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Rußland-Mitte (Central Russia) Südost (SE Germany) | ||
| Bassewitz-Behr, Georg-Henning
Graf SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Nordsee (North Sea) | ||
| Behrends, Dr. Hermann SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Serbien (Serbia) | ||
| Berger, Gottlob S SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS | Slowakei (Slovakia) | ||
| Berkelmann, theodor SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Elbe (EC Germany) Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) West (W. Germany) Warthe (W. Poland) | ||
| Bierkamp, Dr. Walter SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei | Südost (SE Germany) | ||
| Diehm, Christoph SS-Obergruppenführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Belgien-Nordfrankreich (Belgium-Northern France) | ||
| Eberstein, Karl Friedrich Freiherr von SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Süd (S. Germany) Main (SC Germany) | ||
| Ebrecht, Georg SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Nordost (Northeast) | ||
| Fitzthum, Josef G SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Albanien (Albania) | ||
| Frank, Karl Hermann SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Böhmen-Mähren (Czechoslovakia) | ||
| Franz, Hermann SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei | Griechenland (Greece) | ||
| Fuchs, Dr. Wilhelm SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Mitte (C. Germany) | ||
| Globocnik, Odilo SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Adriatisches Küstenland (Adriatic Coast) | ||
| Gottberg, Kurt von9 G SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Weissruthenien (White Russia) Rußland-Mitte (Central Russia) | ||
| Gutenberger,
Karl SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | West (W. Germany) | ||
| Haltermann, Hans SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Nordost (Northeast) | ||
| Harm, Hermann SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei | Alpenland (Alps) | ||
| Heißmeyer, August5 SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Spree (E. Germany) | ||
| Hellwig, Otto SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Nordost (Northeast) | ||
| Hildebrandt, Richard SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Weichsel (Danzig-West Prussia) Südost (SE Germany) Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) Böhmen-Mähren (Czechoslovakia) Schwarzes-Meer (Black Sea) | ||
| Hofmann, Otto SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Südwest (SW Germany) | ||
| Höfle, Hermann SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Mitte (C. Germany) Slowakei (Slovakia) | ||
| Jeckeln, Friedrich7 G SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Ostland (Baltic States) West (W. Germany) Ostland und Rußland-Nord (North Russia) Rußland-Sud (South Russia) Belgien-Nordfrankreich (Belgium-Northern France) | ||
| Jungclaus, Richard SS-Gruppenführer und Generalmajor der Polizei | Belgien-Nordfrankreich (Belgium-Northern France) | ||
| Kaltenbrunner, Ernst SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Donau (Austria) | ||
| Kammerhofer, Konstantin SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Kroatien (Croatia) | ||
| Katzmann, Fritz SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Weichsel (Danzig-West Prussia) | ||
| Kaul, Kurt SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Südwest (SW Germany) | ||
| Koppe, Wilhelm SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Warthe (W. Poland) Ost (E. Poland) Süd (S. Germany) | ||
| Korsemann,
Gerrett SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Rußland-Mitte (Central Russia) | ||
| Krüger, Friedrich-Wilhelm4 G SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Ost (E. Poland) | ||
| Martin, Dr. Beno SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Main (SC Germany) | ||
| Mazuw, Emil SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Ostsee (Baltic Sea) | ||
| Meyszner, August SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Serbien (Serbia) | ||
| Oberg, Carl-Albrecht SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Frankreich (France) | ||
| Pancke, Günther SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Mitte (C. Germany) Dänemark | ||
| Prützmann, Hans-Adolf S SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Nordsee (North Sea) Nordost (NE Germany) Rußland-Sud (South Russia) | ||
| Pückler-Burghaus, Carl Graf von SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS | Rußland-Mitte (Central Russia) | ||
| Querner, Rudolf SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Nordsee (North Sea) Mitte (C. Germany) Donau (Austria) | ||
| Rauter,
Hans SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Nordwest (Holland) | ||
| Rediess, Wilhelm SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Nord (Norway) Nordost (Northeast) | ||
| Reinfarth, Heinz6 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant. der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Warthe (W. Poland) | ||
| Rodenbücher, Alfred SS-Gruppenführer und Korvettenkapitän der Reserve | Alpenland
(Alps) Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) | ||
| Rösener, Erwin SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Alpenland
(Alps) Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) | ||
| Scheel, Dr. Gustav-Adolf SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Alpenland (Alps) | ||
| Schimana,
Walter G SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und Polizei | Donau
(Austria) Griechenland (Greece) | ||
| Schmauser, Heinrich SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Südost (SE Germany) | ||
| Schmelcher, Willy SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei | Warthe (W. Poland) | ||
| Schneller, Max SS-Gruppenführer und Leutnant zur Zee | Spree (E. Germany) | ||
| Sporrenburg, Jakob SS-Gruppenführer und General Leutnant der Polizei | Nordost (North East) Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) | ||
| Stroop, Jürgen3 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Rhein-Westmark (Rheinland) Griechenland (Greece) | ||
| Vogler,
Anton SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS | Süd (S. Germany) | ||
| Waldeck
und Pyrmont, Josias Erbprinz zu SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und der Polizei | Fulda-Werra (WC Germany) | ||
| Weitzel, Fritz SS-Obergruppenführer | West (W. Germany) Nord (Norway) | ||
| Winkelmann, Otto SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Ungarn (Hungary) | ||
| Woyrsch, Udo von SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei | Elbe (EC Germany) | ||
| 1von dem Bach won the Knight's Cross in September 1944 while commanding Battle Group "von dem Bach" for his leading role in crushing the Warsaw uprising. In 1940, he changed his last name from von dem Bach-Zelewski. He died in 1972. | |||
| 3Stroop commanded the troops responsible for the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto. He changed his first name from "Josef". He was executed by the Poles in 1951. | |||
| 4Krüger won the Knight's Cross in September 1944 as Commander of the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division "Nord". He committed suicide in Austria in May 1945. | |||
| 5Heißmeyer was the controlling authority for the political education institutions. | |||
| 6Reinfarth won the Knight Cross in the French Campaign in 1940 while with the Army. He won the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross as the commander of a battle group in fierce fighting against Polish Nationals in Warsaw in 1944. | |||
| 7Jeckeln won the Knight's Cross on August 27th 1944 for defensive battles against partisans and the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on March 8th 1945 for defensive fighting against the Soviets. He was executed by the Russians in 1946. | |||
| 9von Gottberg won the German Cross in Gold on August 7th 1943 and the Knight's Cross on June 30th 1944 as commander of Battle Group "von Gottberg" on the Russian Front. He committed suicide on May 9th 1945. | |||