- Anwärter
"Anwärter" is a German title which translates as “Candidate”. In modern day
Germany , the title of Anwärter is typically used by those applying for employment and also as a designation for members of theBundeswehr who are under consideration for a leadership assignment.During the Third Reich, Anwärter was used as a paramilitary rank by both the
NSDAP and the SS. Within the Nazi Party, an Anwärter was someone who had been accepted into a government service position and the rank was issued in two degrees: one for party members and the other for non-party members. Anwärter was the lowest Nazi Party rank in a complex and extensive system of Nazi Party political ranks leading up to such positions asGauleiter andReichsleiter .As an
SS rank , an Anwärter was someone who had applied for membership in the SS and was undergoing a probationary period after which time an appointment would be issued to the rank of "SS-Mann". The earliest recorded use of Anwärter, as an SS rank, was 1932 however the rank was used as title dating back to 1925.Within the
Allgemeine-SS , the transition from Anwärter to Mann was an extensive process typically taking over one year. During that year, a potential SS member would be drilled and indoctrinated and also a racial, political, and background check would be conducted. At the end of this time, typically in an elaborate ceremony, an Anwärter would be promoted to the rank of SS-Mann.After 1941, Anwärter was also used as a rank of the
Waffen-SS but to a much lesser degree than in the General-SS. A Waffen-SS Anwärter was usually a recruit who had been in-processed into the SS (typically at a recruiting station) but had yet to report for basic training. Once basic training began, the Anwärter was unceremoniously promoted to the rank of SS-Schütze .Between 1942 and 1945, an even lower rank existed within the SS known as
Bewerber . The SS was the only Nazi paramilitary group to have a rank lower than that of Anwärter. The SS rank of Anwärter used no insignia, however the Nazi Party rank displayed a bare collar tab with eagle and swastika pin issued for those Anwärters who were already Nazi party members.
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