ORPO was the designated term used to describe Nazi Germany's Ordnungspolizei-literally "Order Police".
On 17 June 1936, Himmler was named by Fuhrer Order as 'Chef der Deutschen Polizei'-Chief of German Police. The intention was to unify the control of Police in Nazi Germany. Hitherto, law enforcement in Germany had been the responsibilty of both state and local goverment. This decree effectively subordinated the police to the SS, Thus, Himmler gained authority because now all of Germany’s uniformed and non-uniformed law enforcement agencies were amalgamated into the new Ordnungspolizei.Non-Nazis were removed from all positions** which then were filled by SS members.
The police were then divided into the following:
ORPO as regular police: Everyday domestic matters and minor crime in Germany/Austria and as back-up to SIPO in occupied countries after 1939, responsible to the HSSPF's.
SIPO* (Sicherheitspolizei) as security police (SD*-Sicherheitsdienst): to counter espionage, State secrets etc.,
GESTAPO (Geheime Staatspolizei) State secret police to control espionage, sabotage, and political dissent, like anti-Nazi dissidents etc.,nder the control of Muller.
KRIPO (Kriminalpolizei) criminal investigation police. Professional detectives involved in fighting crime like muder, embezzlement etc.,**Many KRIPO members did not join the SS. Punitive action was not taken against them because of a shortage of skilled personnel to replace them!
*In September 1939, SD and the SIPO were made the responsibilty of RSHA under the control of Heydrich, until his assassination in Prague, and then Kaltenbrunner until May 1945.
All police ranks were in line with Wehrmacht (Army, Navy and Air-Force). The shoulder tags were same but for colouring. The collar runes were similar to the army.
ORPO's chief was SS-Oberstgruppenführer Kurt Daluege until 1943 when Daluege had a massive heart attack, who in turn was responsible to Himmler alone. From 1943, Daluege was replaced by Obergruppenführer Alfred Wünnenberg until May 1945.
ORPO was structurally reorganised by 1941. It had been divided into the following offices covering EVERY aspect of German law enforcement in accordance with Himmler's desire to control people.
Headquarters Command:Covered all divisions.
Schutzpolizei or local police. Everyday law and order in large German cities and towns. This was sub-divided
Gendarmerie or rural police and border guards (Grenzpolizei). For frontier crossing checks law enforcement in rural districts. Members of the Gendarmerie were also used as highway patrols on the new autobanns, traffic accidents and as escorts for ranking officials.
A myriad of small police groups E.g.,
Verwaltungspolizei-Administration police-a command authority for all ORPO police station personnel, a sort of 'Watcher' of the 'Watcher's' set-up!
Gesundheitspolizei: Health police. Responsible for local health matters.
Gewerbepolizei: Commercial police. Responsible for business trading regulations violation.
Baupolizei: Building police. To oversee buildings are constructed to code.
Verkehrspolizei: Traffic regulators as mention above.
Wasserschutzpolizei: Water 'protection' police who acted like a 'Coast Guard'. It patrolled the coast ports and inland waterways.
Bahnschutzpolizei: Railways police, former cops who were employed by the DR. Their tasks included sabotage and damage to DR property.
Postschutzpolizei: Post-Office cops who were responsible for security in Post Offices, postal vehicles and communications.
Feuerschutzpolizei: Fire protection police:By 1938, all of Germany's local fire brigades were part of the ORPO. Orpo Hauptamt had control of all civilian fire brigades.
Luftschutzpolizei:Air Civil Defence police. It was an air raid defence and rescue of victims of bombings. A bit like the British Civil Defence. This was set up in 1942 when Germany was being bombed proper.
Technischen Nothilfe (TENO):Technical Emergency Corps. Specialst groups in case of emergencies.
Funkschutz:Radio guard was made up of SS and Orpo security personnel assigned to protect German broadcasting stations from attack and sabotage. The Funkschutz was also the primary investigating service which detected illegal reception of foreign radio broadcasts. Reports were made to the Gestapo.
Werkschutzpolizei:Factory protection police who reported acts of laziness, slacking, suspected sabotage were the night watchmen of the Third Reich. Its personnel were civilians who were reponsible to ORPO. They wore paramilitary uniforms with ORPO insignia.
Police Battalions:
During WW2 the the ORPO also had military units known as Police Battalions, for use in occupied countries as mentioned above. They were used extensively in Poland, Russia and Yugoslavia under HSSPF direction. An example of a Police Batallion was the 4th Panzergrenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, known as the SS Polizei Division. In 1942 there were some twenty-eight Police Regiments, some seeing battle in Russia.
The notorious 'Einsatzgruppen' (Special Commando Squads) used available men from both the ORPO and the W-SS.
NOTE; The Military Police was not controlled by ORPO nor the W-SS. It came under Wehrmacht jurisdiction only.
Had the Allies lost WW2 then the fate of millions world-wide would have allowed Himmler's ultimate dream to replace the police forces of Germany withcombined racial SS units. Local law enforcement would be undertaken by the Allgemeine-SS with the Waffen-SS providing homeland-security and political-police functions in the rest of the occupied lands!
In May 1945 ORPO was no longer an authority.Pictures taken in Berlin of large groups of ORPO being taken prisoner by the Russians indicated their numbers! In the West the Allies quicky screened some prisoners and formed them into anti-Black Market Trafficking squads. They arrested prostitutes and people who traded in contraband-watches, cigarettes, nylon stockings etc., The Allies also assisted the West German Government set up the system that had existed prior to WW2. The Soviets however, forced the East German Government to set up the Volkspolizei-a para military force similar to the army! This was disbanded in 1989.
NOTE: From the above it can be seen that even before the Nazis came to power Germany was very much a 'Police State'!
Research:Ian Dixon.
June 1990.
ORPO-ORDNUNGSPOLIZEI- ORDER POLICE 2.
Hitler had always envisaged that the population in Germany and in the occupied lands may one day revolt against Government policies and actions. The ORPO was designed to counter such civil unrest. They were not to be confused with the ***SS Police Division made up of four Regiments.
This force was not under the control of the RSHA, but under the command of SS OberstGf. Kurt Daluege, who held dual rank 'Colonel General of Police', and remained independant of Heydrich and Kaltenbrünner, even after he was appointed to replace Heydrich as Reichs Protector in Prague after the latter`s assassination there in 1942. Daluege was directly reponsible to Himmler. His successor, OberGf. Alfred Wünnenburg, held the dual rank 'General of Police' until May 1945.
At the outbreak of WW2 in September 1939, policemen were called up as "Ordnungs Polizei" (Order Police or Green Police because of their green coloured uniforms), for active service as garrison troops; prison guards and watchmen in occupied territory. Some were sent into the "Polizei Division", others were transferred to the army as Feld Gendarmerie (Military Police). They did not wear SS collar patches, but green army runes until 1942. After 1942, SS runes in green were used for officers, usually at functions only. Members of the "Polizei Division" had army runes on the collar, but wore the "Eagle" on the upper left arm sleeve. "Ordnungs Polizei" wore the normal police badge on the upper left arm sleeve instead of the SS "Eagle". They also wore it on the peaked cap instead of the SS Death's Head. ALL police continued to use police rank titles.
In Germany its members wore the police helmet*, and in occupied countries they were regularly used alongside SS/SD personnel, they wore peaked caps**.
As the name Ordnungspolizei implies - these police were used to maintain order in Germany proper, as escorts in court appearances (*very prominent in the Roland Freisler Peoples' Courts which sentenced the participants of the so-called 'Hitler Plot'-the attempt on his life on July 20th 1944), and in the occupied lands to assist in the maintenance of order, (**as could be seen in photgraphs taken when interrogating suspected partisans in Poland and Russia).
* & **German local Police shoulder ranks and runes were worn. After 1942 officers usually wore the normal SS runes. At functions these would be colour green.
*** SS Police Divisions were (like W-SS) subordinated to Wehrmacht field commanders. They were not part of the W-SS. Their mission was to keep order;safeguard strategic installations and fight Partisan activity in occupied territory (Bandit control). After February 1943 they were allowed to use the SS designation. ORPO recruits had to meet the same strict physical requirements of the W-SS, E.g., height minimum of 1.7 metres. It's members fought courageously as emonstrated by Polizei Regiment 19, formed up in Vienna in 1942. It fought Partisans in Yugoslavia and was transferred to Paris and then to Lyon in February 1944 on "anti-bandit" duties. It was fully motorised with three battalions;an HQ Coy. and an anti-tank Coy. A total strength of 2000. An additional Platoon was added in June 1944.
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ORPO Insignia
Ian Dixon.
June 1999.
Updated June 2008.