Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team: The SS Economic & Administrative Department and the Nazi Concentration camps

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The SS Economic & Administrative Department and the Nazi Concentration camps

SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt - WVHA

The SS Economic & Administrative Department and the Nazi Concentration camps

Himmler inspects buildings constructed by concentration camp prisoners

The SS Wirtschafts und Verwaltungshauptamt (WVHA; Economic and Administrative Main Office) was established in March 1942, with Oswald Pohl as its chief. It took the place of several previous offices, including the Administrative Department (Verwaltungsamt) of the SS Central Office (SS Hauptamt), the Department of Budget and Buildings (Hauptamt Haushalt und Bauten), and the Inspector of Concentration Camps (Inspekteur der Konzentrationslager).

On February 1, 1942, Himmler ordered another reorganization, and both main offices were fused into one large SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (WVHA).

Himmler order, dated April 20th, 1939, establishing the [Hauptamt Verwaltung und Wirtschaft] "Main Office for Administration and Economy" which would later become the WVHA:

Berlin,

20 April 1939

The Reich Leader SS and Chief of the German Police

August Frank

Subject: Establishment of a New Main Office.

1. With effect from 3 April 1939 the Office of the Administrative Chief of the SS will be raised to the status of Main Office in the Reich Leadership.

2. The new Main Office will be called: "Main Office Administration and Economy" abbreviated: "V and W Main Office".

3. The Administrative and Economic Main Office is a main office like the other Main Offices of the Reich Leadership SS (SS Main Office, SD Main Office, Race and Settlement Main Office, Constabulary Police [Ordnungspolizei] Main Office, and Security Police Main Office).

4. The chief of the Administrative and Economic Main Office in the Reich Leadership SS will at the same time be chief of the Main Office Budget and Buildings of the Reich Leader SS and chief of the German Police in the Reich Ministry of the Interior (Ministerialdirektor). His activities as such will be dependent on the organization of the work of the office. The tasks of the SD connected with politics and intelligence service will not be affected (Administration and Economy).

The Reich Leader SS
[Signed] H. HIMMLER

Certified true copy:
BY ORDER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHIEF OF THE SS
[Signature illegible
SS Obersturmfuehrer and Adjutant
[Stamp] SS Race and Settlement Main Office

No...........19 April 1939

WVHA Organizational Chart (click text to enlarge)

The WVHA was organized into the following divisions and offices:

Division A Chief: SS Brigadefuehrer and Brigadier General of the Waffen SS Frank with offices:

A I Budget office, Budget of the Waffen SS and of the General SS (Reich cashier of the SS).
A II Cash and salary matters.
A III Legal office.
A IV Auditors' office.
A V Personnel office.

Georg Loerner

Division B Chief: SS Brigadefuehrer and Brigadier General of the Waffen SS Loerner with offices:

B I Food.
B II Clothing.
B III Housing.

B IV Raw materials, price control, foreign currencies, and purchases.

Hans Kammler

Division C Chief: SS Oberfuehrer Dr. Ing. Kammler with offices:

C I General construction tasks.
C II Special construction tasks.
C III Special technical spheres.
C IV Special artistic spheres.
C V Central inspectorate for constructions.
C VI Maintenance of building and business economy.

Division W Chief: SS Gruppenfuehrer Pohl

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