SS-Oberabschnitt Alpenland was one of two main division strength commands of the Allgemeine-SS in the country of Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. The Alpenland Oberabschnitt was formed in 1939, a year after Germany incorporated Austria through the Anschluss

Anschluss

The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....

. The territory of the Oberabschnitt Alpenland had previously been a part of the SS-Oberabschnitt Donau

SS-Oberabschnitt Donau

SS-Oberabschnitt Donau was the primary division command of the Allgemeine-SS in the country of Austria. The Oberabschnitt was formed in 1934 under Alfred Rodenbücher as an early attempt to influence the Anschluss with Nazi Germany...

.

Alfred Rodenbücher, who had served as the original commander of the Donau Oberabschnitt, was also the first commander of Oberabschnitt Alpenland. The headquarters of the Oberabschnitt was in the city of Salzburg

Salzburg

-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...

. The command encompassed the northern border of Austria and Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, including the area of the Berghof. SS soldiers attached to the Oberabschnitt Alpenland would occasionally perform ceremonial duties at the Berghof; however, during visits by Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

, security was always provided by the Leibstandarte-SS

1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...

.

During World War II, Oberabschnitt Alpenland was gradually folded into the office of the SS and Police Leader

SS and Police Leader

SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...

 commanding the northern Austrian frontier. As the war progressed, most of the General-SS troops either joined the Waffen-SS

Waffen-SS

The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...

 or were conscripted into the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

. By 1941, the commander and staff of the Oberabschnitt Alpenland had been completely merged with the Office of the SS and Police Leader of Salzburg.

The last commander of Oberabschnitt Alpenland was SS-Gruppenführer Erwin Rösener

Erwin Rösener

Erwin Friedrich Karl Rösener was an SS-Obergruppenführer who was responsible for mass executions of civilians in Slovenia and was posthumously on the indictment at the Nuremberg Trials for war crimes....

; however, during the last year of World War II, the day-to-day administration of the command was handled by SS-Brigadeführer Hermann Harm. Oberabschnitt Alpenland was disbanded in May of 1945 upon the surrender of Nazi Germany.

Oberabschnitt Commanders

• SS-Gruppenführer Alfred Rodenbucher (June 1, 1939 - May 15, 1941)
• SS-Brigadeführer Dr. Gustav-Adolf Scheel
  Gustav Adolf Scheel
  Gustav Adolf Scheel was a German physician and "multifunctionary" in the time of the Third Reich...
  
  (May 15, 1941 - November 18, 1941)
• SS-Gruppenführer Erwin Rösener (November 18, 1941 - May 8, 1945)
  • SS-Brigadeführer Hermann Harm [Acting Deputy] (November 1, 1944 - May 8, 1945)

Reference

• Yerger, Mark C. Allgemeine-SS: The Commands, Units, and Leaders of the General SS, Schiffer Publishing (1997). ISBN 0-7643-0145-4