Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. The ranks and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were a paramilitary rank system used by the SS to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Brigadeführer was also an SA rank. The ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung ( SA) were the first paramilitary rank system to be developed by the Nazi Party in 1920

The rank was first created due to an expansion of the SS and assigned to those officers in command of SS-Brigaden. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the In 1933, the SS-Brigaden were changed in name to SS-Abschnitte; however, the rank of Brigadeführer remained the same. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Late pattern Brigadeführer insignia

Originally, Brigadeführer was considered the second General Officer rank of the SS and ranked between Oberführer and Gruppenführer. Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921 Gruppenführer (literally “Group Leader” was an early Paramilitary Rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior This changed, however, with the rise of the Waffen-SS and also the Ordnungspolizei. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The Ordnungspolizei (Orpo was the name for the uniformed Regular German Police force in existence during the period of Nazi Germany, notably In both of those organizations, Brigadeführer was considered the equivalent to a Generalmajor and ranked just above an Oberst in the German Wehrmacht. Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Note that the rank of Generalmajor was the equivalent of Brigadier General, a one-star General in the US Army. Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.

The insignia for Brigadeführer was at first two oak leaves and a silver pip, however was changed in 1942 to a three oak leaf design after the creation of the rank Oberstgruppenführer. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Oberstgruppenführer was (from 1942 to 1945) the highest commissioned SS rank with the exception of Reichsführer-SS

Brigadeführers also wore the shoulder insignia of a Generalmajor and were referred to as such after their SS rank (e. g. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS und Polizei).