''Gauführer'' was an early
paramilitary rank used by the ''
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...
'' (SS) between 1925 and 1929. Translated as "SS-region leader", the ''SS-Gauführer'' had command of several ''SS-Stafflen'' which were in turn commanded by an ''SS-
Staffelführer''.
The rank of ''Gauführer'' was influenced by the similar named Nazi Party position of ''
Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a '' Gau'' or '' Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest rank in the Nazi political leadership, subordinate only to '' Reichsleiter'' and to ...
''. The insignia for a ''Gauführer'' was a
swastika armband with two white stripes.
The rank of ''SS-Gauführer'' ceased to exist in 1929 when the ''SS-Gaus'' were re-consolidated into new
SS units known as ''SS-Oberführerbereiche'', each commanded by an ''SS-
Oberführer
__NOTOC__
''Oberführer'' (short: ''Oberf'', , ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) dating back to 1921. An ''Oberführer'' was typically a NSDAP member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographic ...
''.
SS ranks
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