Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region. From 1921 to 1925, the phrase Oberführer was used as a title in Sturmabteilung, but became an actual SA rank after 1926.
Oberführer was also a rank of the Schutzstaffel (SS), established in 1925 as a rank for S...
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Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region. From 1921 to 1925, the phrase Oberführer was used as a title in Sturmabteilung, but became an actual SA rank after 1926.
Oberführer was also a rank of the Schutzstaffel (SS), established in 1925 as a rank for SS officers in charge of one of several SS-Gaue throughout Germany. In 1930, the SS was reorganized into SS-Gruppen and Brigaden, at which time Oberführer became subordinate to the higher rank of Brigadeführer.
By 1932, Oberführer was an established rank of both the SS and SA and was considered the first general officer rank, approximately the equivalent to a Brigadier. Oberführer wore two oak leaves on the uniform collar rank patch, along with the shoulder boards and lapels of a General Officer. In 1938, the status of SS-Oberführer began to...
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