25 Glossary (Holocaust: Auschwitz)
Description
This article is from the Holocaust FAQ, by Ken McVay kmcvay@nizkor.org with numerous contributions by others.
25 Glossary (Holocaust: Auschwitz)
Ahnenerbe: [Ancestral Heritage], The Institute for the Scientific
Study of Ends and Purposes, located in Berlin.
(http://ftp.nizkor.org/ftp.cgi?people/e/eichmann.adolf/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:
Oberstgruppenfu"hrer General Obergruppenfu"hrer Lieutenant General Gruppenfu"hrer Major General Brigadefu"hrer Brigadier General Oberfu"hrer between Brigadier & Colonel Standartenfu"hrer Colonel Obersturmbannfu"hrer Lieutenant Colonel Sturmbannfu"hrer Major Hauptsturmfu"hrer Captain Obersturmfu"hrer First Lieutenant Unterscharfu"hrer Corporal Rottenfu"hrer Private, First Class Sturmann Private SS-Mann no equivalent
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