GLOSSARY OF COMMON GERMAN AND NAZI TITLES, DESIGNATIONS, AND TERMS, WITH THEIR OFFICIAL ABBREVIATIONS
Reading edition
AbbreviationGermanEnglish
A
AbschnittRegional unit of SS and SD (about divisional strength)
Abt.AbteilungDivision
Abteilung Deutsche PresseGerman or Home Press Department
AbwehrIntelligence and counter-intelligence department of OKH
ADtsch R.Akademie fuer Deutsches RechtAcademy for German Law
AmtOffice
AGAktien-GesellschaftJoint Stock Company
AmtsgerichtLocal Court
AngriffskriegWar of Aggression
AnklagebehoerdeOffice of Public Prosecutor
AuslandThe world outside the borders of the Reich
AOAuslands-OrganisationForeign Organization of the NSDAP
AuslandsdeutscheGerman citizens residing outside Germany
APAAussenpolitisches AmtNSDAP Bureau for Foreign Affairs
aD.ausser DienstRetired
AAAuswaertiges AmtMinistry for Foreign Affairs
B
BeauftragterCommissioner, delegate
BdF.Beauftragter des Fuehrers fuer die Ueberwachung der gesamtengeistigen und weltansschaulichen Schulung und Erziehung der NSDAPDelegate of the Fuehrer for the Total Supervision of Intellectual and Ideological Training and Education of the Party (Rosenberg)
Beauftragter fuer den VierjahresplanDelegate for the Four Year Plan (Goering)
BdO.Befehlshaber der OrdnungspolizeiCommander of the Order Police
BdS.Befehlshaber der SicherheitspolizeiCommander of the Security Police
BefehlsleiterRank in Party Administration
BereichsleiterRank in Party Administration
Bev.BevollmaechtigterPlenipotentiary
BewegungThe movement, i.e., the Nazi Party, including Party formations, affiliated and supervised organizations
BlockSmallest unit of the Nazi Party, including several houses
BlockleiterNSDAP leader of a block
BotschafterAmbassador
BDMBund Deutscher MaedelGerman Girls’ League (female Hitler Youth)
BGBBuergerliches GesetzbuchGerman Civil Code
C
Ch.ChefChief, head, commander, superior
Chef der ZivilverwaltungHead of civil administration (e.g. of an annexed area)
ChefsacheClassified document for general officer only
D
DAFDeutsche ArbeitsfrontGerman Labor Front
DFWDeutsches FrauenwerkGerman Woman’s Organization (sub-organization of the NSF)
DGTDeutscher GemeindetagGerman Municipal Congress
DHDDeutscher HandelsdienstGerman Commercial Service (News Agency)
DNBDeutsches NachrichtenbueroOfficial German News Agency
DienstleiterRank in Party administration
Drang nach OstenDrive to the East
DreierkollegiumThe College of Three (the two Plenipotentiaries for War Economy and Administration, and the Chief of the OKW)
DPKDeutsche diplomatisch-politische KorrespondenzGerman Diplomatic and Political Correspondence (News Agency of the Foreign Office)
DRKDeutsches Rotes KreuzGerman Red Cross
E
eh.ehrenhalberHonorary
EinsatzgruppeSpecial (Gestapo and SD) formation used for special purposes, e.g., executing Nazi race policy, policing and raiding occupied areas
EinsatzstabSpecial Purpose Staff
Einsatzstab RosenbergRosenberg’s staff for looting art treasures
EKEisernes KreuzIron Cross
F
FreikorpsIllegal terrorist military formations of former officers and ex-servicemen in Germany after World War I
FuehrerbefehlFuehrer Order
FuehrererlassFuehrer Edict
FuehrerkorpsCorps of political leaders of the NSDAP
FuehrerprinzipLeadership principle of the NSDAP
Fuest.FuehrungsstabOperational Staff
FdR.Fuer die RichtigkeitTrue or accurate copy
G
GauLargest NSDAP unit; 42 in the Reich and one for all Party groups outside the Reich
GauamtsleiterAdministrative head of the Party Gauleitung
GauleiterNSDAP leader of a Gau
GauleitungCenter of Party administration in a Gau
GaurichterJudge in a Gau Party Court
GauschatzmeisterTreasurer of the Party Gauleitung
Geheimer KabinettsratSecret Cabinet Council
GKos.Geheime KommandosacheTop Secret (military classification)
Geheime ReichssacheTop Secret (civil classification)
GestapoGeheime StaatspolizeiSecret State Police. The political police system established in Prussia and extended throughout the Reich and the occupied territories.
GeneralbeauftragterCommissioner-General
GeneralbevollmaechtigterPlenipotentiary-General
GBAGeneralbevollmaechtigter fuer den ArbeitseinsatzPlenipotentiary-General for Labor Allocation (Sauckel)
Generalbevollmaechtigter fuer die KriegswirtschaftPlenipotentiary-General for War Economy (Schacht)
Generalbevollmaechtigter fuer die ReichsverwaltungPlenipotentiary-General for Administration (Frick-Himmler)
GGGeneralgouvernementGovernment-General (Poland)
GeneralkommissarCommissar-General
Genst.GeneralstabGeneral Staff
GesandterMinister (diplomatic rank)
GmbH.Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter HaftungLimited liability company
GleichschaltungThe process of compulsory coordination of German organizations of all types to conform to the Nazi racial pattern and accept Party control.
Gliederungen der NSDAPParty Formations
H
HauptstelleMain Bureau
H. Gr.HeeresgruppeArmy Group
HerausgeberPublisher of a Newspaper or Publishing Firm
HerrenvolkMaster race
HJHitlerjugendHitler Youth
HoheitstraegerNSDAP bearer of sovereignty within a specific area of Party jurisdiction, i.e., a leader of a Gau, Kreis, Ortsgruppe, Zelle or Block.
HSSPf.Hoeherer SS-und PolizeifuehrerHigher SS—and Police Leader
I
IAOperations officer or section; cf. G-3
IBSupply officer or section; cf. G-l
ICIntelligence officer or section; cf. G-2
iA.im AuftragBy order of (above a signature)
iG.im GeneralstabAttached to the General Staff
iV.in VertretungPer (signature); acting for.
K
KZKonzentrationslagerConcentration Camp
KdF.Kraft durch FreudeStrength through Joy (German Labor Front subsidiary)
KreisLargest NSDAP subdivision of a Gau
KreisleiterNSDAP leader of a Kreis
KriegsmarineGerman Navy
KripoKriminalpolizeiCriminal Police
Kripo-LeitstelleRegional Criminal Police office, directly under Reich Criminal Police authority
Kripo-StelleSmaller than Kripo-Leitstelle, but also directly under Reich Criminal Police authority
L
LandOne of the federal states of Germany (e.g. Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, etc.)
LandesgruppeThe Nazi Party organization in any country outside Germany
LebensraumLiving space
Leiter der ParteikanzleiChief of the Party Chancellery (Bormann)
Lw.LuftwaffeGerman Air Corps
M
Mil. Bef.MilitaerbefehlshaberMilitary Commander (commanding non-operational troops in occupied territories)
Ministerrat fuer die ReichsverteidigungMinisterial Council for the Defense of the Reich
MinisterialdirektorHigh Civil Servant (chief of a main section of a Ministry)
MinisterialdirigentHigh civil servant, ranking below Ministerialdirektor
MinisterialratHigh civil servant, ranking below Ministerialdirigent
Mit deutschem GrussWith German salute (equivalent to Heil Hitler)
MdR.Mitglied des ReichstagsMember of the Reichstag
N
NSNationalsozialismusNational Socialism
NSBONationalsozialistische Betriebszellen OrganisationNational Socialist Factory Cells Organization
NSDAPNationalsozialistische Deutsche ArbeiterparteiNational Socialist German Workers’ Party; Nazi Party
Nationalsozialistischer DeutscherNS German Students’ Bund
Nationalsozialistischer DozentenbundNS University Teachers’ Bund
NSFKNationalsozialistisches FliegerkorpsNS Flying Corps
NSFNationalsozialistische FrauenschaftNS Women’s League
NSKNationalsozialistische KorrespondenzNS Official News Agency
NSKKNationalsozialistischer KraftfahrkorpsNS Motor Corps
Nurnberger GesetzeNurnberg anti-Semitic laws
O
OBOberfehlshaberCommander in Chief
ObKom.OberkommandoHigh Command
OKLOberkommando der LuftwaffeAir Force High Command
OKMOberkommando der MarineNavy High Command
OKWOberkommando der WehrmachtArmed Forces High Command
OKHOberkommando des HeeresArmy High Command
OSAFOberste SA-FuehrungSupreme Command of the SA
ORPOOrdnungspolizeiOrder Police
OTOrganisation TodtLabor Corps organized by Todt
OrtsgruppeLargest NSDAP subdivision of a Kreis
OrtsgruppenleiterNSDAP leader of an Ortsgruppe
OstlandBaltic countries and White Russia
OstmarkAustria
P
PPKParteiamtliche Pruefungskommission zum Schutze des NS-SchriftumsOfficial Party Examining Commission for the Protection of National Socialist Publications
Pg.ParteigenosseParty Member (male)
Pgn.ParteigenossinParty Member (female)
Preussische GesetzsammlungPrussian Law collection
R
RatsherrTown Councillor
ReiehsamtsleiterHead of a department in the Party Reichsleitung
RADReichsarbeitsdienstReich Labor Service
RAMReichsaussenministerReich Foreign Minister (Ribbentrop)
RDBReichsbund der Deutschen BeamtenGerman Civil Servant’s League
ReichsdeutscheGerman citizens residing in Germany
RFSSReichsfuehrer SSReich Leader of the SS (Himmler)
RGBl.ReichsgesetzblattReich Legal Gazette
ReichshawptamtsleiterHead of the central departments of the Party
ReichsinnenministerMinister of Interior (Frick, succeeded by Himmler)
RJFReichsjugendfuehrungReich Youth Leadership
ReichskriegsministerReich War Minister
RKKReichskulturkammerReich Chamber of Culture
ReichsleiterMember of the Supreme Party Directorate, in general the top level leader of an NSDAP function
Reichsleiter fuer die JugenderziehungReich Leader of Youth Education (von Schirach)
Reichsleiter des ReichsrechtsamtesHead of the Legal Office of the Party (Hans Frank)
RLReichsleitungSupreme Party Directorate
RMReichsmarkThe mark; pre-war value about $.40
RMfdbO.Reichsminister fuer die besetzten OstgebieteReich Minister for Occupied Eastern Territories (Rosenberg)
Reichsministerium fuer Volksaufklaerung und PropagandaReich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda (Goebbels)
ReichsnaehrstandReich Food Estate (compulsory association of all persons engaged in agriculture) (Backe)
ReichsparteitagReich Party Rally (annual Nazi Congress at Nurnberg)
RPLReichspropagandaleitungParty Propaganda Department
ReichsregierungReich Cabinet
RRGReichs-RundfunkgessellschaftReich Broadcasting Corporation
RSHAReichssichterheitshauptamtReich Main Security Office (Kaltenbrunner)
RTReichstagReich Parliament
ReichstatthalterReich Governor (of a Land or Reichsgau)
RVRReichsvefteidigungsratReich Defense Council
ReichswehrThe German Army
S
SchulungslagerA Party training camp for political indoctrination
SSSchulzstaffelElite Corps of NSDAP (black shirts); personal bodyguard of the Fuehrer, used for military and policing purposes
SDSicherheitsdienstSecurity Service; Intelligence and counter-intelligence Agency of SS
SIPOSicherheitspolizeiSecurity police. This was the name given to the Gestapo and Kripo considered jointly
StaatssekretaerUnder Secretary of a Ministry and permanent civil service head of a ministry
StalagStammlagerPrisoner of War Camp (for enlisted men)
StandartenfuehrerRank in a Party formation, roughly equivalent to Colonel
StapoGestapo, Secret Police
Stapo-LeitstelleRegional Gestapo office, directly under central command of Gestapo
SASturmabteilungStorm Troops of NSDAP (brown shirts)
SystemzeitSystem Era (Nazi designation of the Era of Weimar Republic, 1918-1933)
T
TVTotenkopfverbaendeDeath-Head units of the SS (Concentration Camp Guards)
TOTransozeanTransocean (News Agency)
TPTranskontinent PressTranscontinent Press (News Agency)
Treuhaender der ArbeitTrustee of Labor
U
UnterstaatssekretaerCivil Servant, of a grade lower than Staatssekretaer
V
VTVerfuegunstruppenSS Units for Special Tasks
VerlagPublishing House
VOBlVerordnungsblattOrdnance Gazette
VierjahrsplanFour Year Plan
VolkFolk, people, race: all persons of German blood
VDAVolksbund fuer das Deutschtum im AuslandLeague for Germanism Abroad
VolksdeutscherA person of German blood but of non-German citizenship residing abroad, and considered a member of the German people
VolksgerichtPeople’s Court, Highest Court for Political Crimes
VolksgemeinschaftPeople’s or racial community; the world-wide community composing all people of German blood
VolksgenosseRacial comrade; a person of German blood regardless of citizenship
W
WSSWaffen-SSCombat SS
WehrkreisMilitary District
WehrkreiskommandoMilitary authority in charge of a Wehrkreis
WehrmachtArmed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force)
WFStWehrmacht-FuehrungsstabOperational Staff of Armed Forces
WehrwirtschaftsfuehrerTitle awarded to prominent industrialists for merit in armaments drive
Wi-RueWehrwirtschafts und RuestungsamtWar Economy and Armament Office (in OKW)
WeltanschauungWorld-view or philosophy
WHWWinterhilfswerkWinter Relief Organization
WVHAWirtschaft-und-Verwaltungs HauptamtEconomic and Administration Main Office (of SS) in charge of Concentration Camps
Z
ZeitungNewspaper
ZelleNSDAP subdivision of an Ortsgruppe
ZellenleiterNSDAP leader of a Party cell
zbVzur besonderen VerwendungFor special missions or duties
zVzur VerfuegungAt disposal