The Nizkor Project: Remembering the Holocaust (Shoah)

Glossary 

   Ahnenerbe: [Ancestral Heritage], The Institute for the 
       Scientific Study of Ends and Purposes, located in Berlin. 
       (See eichmann.006)

   Einsatzgruppe: Battalion-sized, mobile, armed unit of police

   Einsatzgruppen: Battalion-sized, mobile, armed units of police,
       primarily Security Police and SD officials, which were used
       to attack and execute perceived enemies in conquered territories.
       (Brietman, 311)

   Einsatzkommando: Company-sized component of the Einsatzgruppen 
       (Ibid., 311)

   Gauleiter: Supreme territorial or regional party authority(-ies)
       (The term is both singular and plural). The Nazi Party divided
       Germany and some annexed territories into geographical units
       called Gaue, headed by a Gauleiter. (Ibid., 311)

   General Government: The Nazi-ruled state in central and eastern
       Poland. Headed by Governor Hans Frank. (Ibid., 311)

   Final Solution: Euphemism for the extermination of European Jewry

   SD (Sicherheitsdienst): The SS Security Service

   Selektionen: (Selection) The process by which newly-arrived prisoners
       were divided into those capable of work, and those deemed unfit
       for work, i.e. those to be exterminated immediately.

   Sonderkommandos: Division of Einsatzgruppen, generally smaller than
       Einsatzkommando, but also a more general term for special
       commando units assigned particular functions. (Ibid., 311)

   Military rank - here's a list from Breitman (314) which lists SS
   ranks and the Western military equivalent:





Oberstgruppenführer  
General

Obergruppenführer 
Lieutenant General

Gruppenführer 
Major General

Brigadeführer
Brigadier General

Oberführer
between Brigadier & Colonel

Standartenführer
Colonel

Obersturmbannführer 
Lieutenant Colonel

Sturmbannführer
Major

Hauptsturmführer
Captain

Obersturmführer
First Lieutenant

Unterscharführer
Corporal

Rottenführer
Private, First Class

Sturmann
Private

SS-Mann
no equivalent

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