''Abteilungsleiter'' (''section leader''), German for department head, was also a mid-level administrative political position of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
, often held by staff political officers attached to various ''
Gaue
''Gau'' (German , nl, gouw , fy, gea or ''goa'' ) is a Germanic term for a region within a country, often a former or current province. It was used in the Middle Ages, when it can be seen as roughly corresponding to an English shire. The adm ...
'' throughout Germany.
[Clark, J. (2007). Uniforms of the NSDAP. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing] The position of Abteilungsleiter was not an actual
Nazi Party political rank, but a title held by a Party member in addition to their formal rank. The position was first created in 1933, after the Nazis had secured power in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
A rank of ''Unterabteilungsleiter'' also existed, literally "Junior Section Leader".
From 1933 to 1939, there was no outward insignia to denote the position of Abteilungsleiter. This changed upon the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, when a new system of
political armbands were created to denote the position of "Department Leader" to which the former title of Abteilungsleiter was incorporated.
References
{{Nazi Germany Paramilitary Ranks
Nazi terminology
Nazi political ranks