SS-Oberabschnitt Südost

SS-Oberabschnitt Südost was a division command of the Allgemeine-SS which encompassed SS activities in southeastern Germany. The command was first formed in 1932 under the command of Udo von Woyrsch. The first headquarters of the Oberabschnitt was in the city of Brieg. In 1935, the headquarters was transferred to Breslau.

In 1941, parts of western Poland were absorbed into the state of Upper Silesia, which then fell under the authority of SS-Oberabschnitt Südost. The most significant aspect of this territorial transfer was that the Auschwitz Concentration Camp was now geographically subordinate to an Allgemeine-SS command (although the camp was still under its own direct chain of command). The primary General-SS regiment, which existed as a counterpart to the Waffen-SS personnel in the region (which included the Auschwitz camp staff) was the 23rd SS-Standarte.

The territory of SS-Oberabschnitt Südost was overrun in 1945 by the advancing Red Army, although was maintained with a posted commander until the fall of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Oberabschnitt Commanders

 * SS-Gruppenführer Udo von Woyrsch (March 15, 1932 – January 1, 1935)
 * SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Rediess (January 1, 1935 – February 15, 1936)
 * SS-Gruppenführer Erich von dem Bach (February 15, 1936 – June 26, 1941)
 * SS-Obergruppenführer Heinrich Schmauser (June 26, 1941 – February 23, 1945)
 * SS-Brigadeführer Walter Bierkamp (February 23, 1945 – March 17, 1945)
 * SS-Obergruppenführer Richard Hildebrandt (February 23, 1945 – May 8, 1945)