''SS-Bewerber'' or ''Staffel-Bewerber'' (; "SS-Applicant") was an
SS rank
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II.
It beg ...
used in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
from 1934 to 1945. The rank of SS-''Bewerber'' was the lowest possible SS rank and was assigned to those personnel who were candidates in the SS. The rank was used in the ''
Allgemeine-SS
The ''Allgemeine SS'' (; "General SS") was a major branch of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany; it was managed by the SS Main Office (''SS-Hauptamt''). The ''Allgemeine SS'' was officially established in the autum ...
'' as a prelude to appointment as an SS-''
Anwärter'' (recruit).
Within the ''Allgemeine-SS'', the rank of SS-''Bewerber'' was (more often than not) used simply as an administrative title while a background investigation was being conducted on a potential SS member. Typically this would involve a criminal history check, political reliability screening, and investigation into the prospective SS member's racial background.
Notes
Bibliography
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SS ranks
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