Free Heinrich Himmler : A Life by Peter Longerich Page B

takeover of the political police in Hamburg see Browder,
Foundations
, 100 ff.; Michael Wildt, ‘Der Hamburger Gestapochef Bruno Streckenbach. Eine nationalsozialistische Karriere’, in Frank Bajohr and Joachim Szodrzynski (eds),
Hamburg in der NS-Zeit. Ergebnisse neuerer Forschungen
(Hamburg, 1995), 93–123;Henning Timpke (ed.),
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung des Landes Hamburg 1933
(Frankfurt a. M., 1964); Ludwig Eiber, ‘Unter Führung des NSDAP Gauleiters. Die Hamburger Staatspolizei (1933–1937)’, in Gerhard Paul and Klaus-Michael Mallmann (eds),
Die Gestapo. Mythos und Realität
(Darmstadt, 1995), 101–17; BAB, BDC, SS-O Kaufmann.
     
45 .
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung
, 169 ff.
     
46 . Ibid. 31.
     
47 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Hans Nieland, SS-OA Nord, 21 March 1934, to RFSS. This appointment only occurred orally but was made formal on 30 April 1934 (Head of the SS Office to OA Nord, 7 April 1934). Nieland had joined the SS officially on 1 November 1933. See
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung
, 177.
     
48 .
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung
, 177 f.
     
49 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Streckenbach; Wildt, ‘Streckenbach’, 101;
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung
, 176.
     
50 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Kaufmann, Himmler to Kaufmann, 15 November 1933.
     
51 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Georg Friedrich Ahrens, cv of 25 June 1942 and letter from Himmler dated 14 August 1934.
     
52 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Streckenbach.
     
53 .
Dokumente zur Gleichschaltung
, 176.
     
54 . Ibid. 231 ff.
     
55 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Hildebrandt and SS-O Ludwig Oldach (SS date of entry: 26 September 1933); Browder,
Foundations
, 104 f.;
Völkischer Beobachter
, 13 December 1933: ‘Himmler becomes leader of the political police in Mecklenburg.’
     
56 . On Himmler’s appointment in Württemberg see Browder,
Foundations
, 106 ff.; Paul Sauer,
Württemberg in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus
(Ulm, 1975), 58 ff. On Stahlecker see Jürgen Schuhladen-Krämer, ‘Die Exekutoren des Terrors. Herrmann Mattheiss, Walther Stahlecker, Friedrich Mussgay, Leiter der Geheimen Staatspolizeistelle Stuttgart’, in Michael Kissener and Joachim Scholtyseck (eds),
Die Führer der Provinz
.
NS-Biographien aus Baden und Württemberg
(Konstanz, 1997), 405–43, esp. 416 ff.
     
57 . BAB, R 18/5642, minute by Pfundtner on a conversation with Murr, 31 May 1934. Murr told Pfundtner: the ‘Führer is particularly keen on these units, which are similar to the Wecke unit, and, according to Herr Himmler, wants them to be introduced in all the states’.
     
58 . BAB, NS 19/1724, Himmler to Murr, 4 December 1933: ‘I would like to inform you that if you officially appoint me police chief in Württemberg I will be very happy to accept.’ In a letter to Murr of 15 December 1933 Himmler referred to ‘Würrtemberg as the first state with which I have been cooperating in the very important sphere of the political police for months’.
     
59 . Herbert,
Best
, 138.
     
60 . BAB, BDC, SS-O Murr.
     
61 . Browder,
Foundations
, 108; see also Herbert,
Best
, 137 f.
     
62 . Michael Stolle,
Die Geheime Staatspolizei in Baden. Personal, Organisation, Wirkung und Nachwirken einer regionalen Verfolgungsbehörde im Dritten Reich
(Konstanz, 2001), 85 ff.
     
63 . Browder,
Foundations
, 106 f.; Inge Marssolek and René Ott,
Bremen im Dritten Reich. Anpassung—Widerstand—Verfolgung
(Bremen, 1986), 121 ff. and 176 ff.; BAB, BDC, SS-O Laue and Schulz. According to his cv of 7 June 1935, from 1930 onwards the latter was in the Intelligence department, which de facto was the political police. From November 1933 he was acting head of the Secret State Police in Bremen. On Schulz see in particular Wildt,
Generation der Unbedingten
(Hamburg, 2003), 561 ff. See also BAB, NS 19/1718, telegram from Himmler’s Adjutant’s office to the Bürgermeister of Bremen, 18 December 1933, according to which Himmler was happy to become political police chief in Bremen.
     
64 . Browder,
Foundations
, 106.
     
65 . Buchheim, ‘SS’, 39;