Zollgrenzschutz

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Customs Border Guards
Zollgrenzschutz
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-263-1595-32, Bei Hendaye, Rommel, v. Obstfelder.jpg
On the far left, an Oberzollrat of the Zollgrenzschutz.
Agency overview
Formed1918
Dissolved8 May 1945
TypeParamilitary Border Guards
Jurisdiction Germany
Agency executive
  • Minister of the Reich Finance Administration
  • General Inspector of the Customs Border Guards
Parent agency [de]

Zollgrenzschutz (ZGS) (lit.'Customs Border Guards') was an organization under the German Finance Ministry from 1937 to 1945. It was charged with guarding Germany's borders, acting as a combination Border Patrol and Customs & Immigration service.

History[]

It originated in the early 19th century as a tariff enforcement unit of the Prussian government. Reorganized in 1919 under the Weimar Republic following World War I, it gradually became more militarized and transformed into a paramilitary force, also due to the economic woes of blockade, inflation and Great Depression.

In Nazi Germany it was reformed again in 1937 by Fritz Reinhardt, a State Secretary of the Finance Ministry. It came to comprise about 50,000 officials. The Border Police (Grenzpolizei), which had the tasks of passport and border control, was different from the Customs Border Guards. (Zollgrenzschutz).[1]

Heinrich Himmler tried to bring the Zollgrenzschutz under the control of the Schultzstaffel (SS), which was unsuccessful at first. During the war, the units were used in occupied territories outside of Germany. A significant portion of younger officials were recruited to the Wehrmacht, leaving the Zollgrenzschutz with older men. After the 20 July 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, the units were taken out of the control of the Finance Ministry and placed under Amt IV (Gestapo) of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA).[1]

It was deactivated at the end of World War II in Europe when Germany was partitioned.

Grades[]

Collar insignia Shoulder insignia ZGS Rank[2][3] Translation Heer equivalent
Reichminister Der Finanzen Reich Minister of Finance Generaloberst
Staatssekretar State Secretary General der Waffengattung
ZGS-Generalinspekteur h.svg Generalinspekteur des Zollgrenzschutzes
Ministerialdirektor
General Inspector of the Customs Border Guards
Ministerial Director
Generalleutnant
Oberfinanzprasident Senior Finance President Generalmajor
ZGS-Ministerialrat h.svg Ministerialrat
Finanzprasident
Ministerial Counsellor
Finance President
Oberst
ZGS-Oberregierungsrat h.svg Oberregierungsrat Senior Government Counsellor Oberstleutnant
ZGS-Regierungsrat h.svg Zollamtmann
Zollrat
Oberzollrat
Regierungsrat
Customs Official
Customs Counsellor
Senior Customs Counsellor
Government Counsellor
Major
ZGS-Oberzollinspektor h.svg Oberzollinspektor
Regierungsassessor
Regierungsrat
with less than three years in the grade
Senior Customs Inspector
Government Assessor
Government Counsellor
with less than three years in the grade
Hauptmann
ZGS-Zollinspektor h.svg Zollinspektor Customs Inspector Oberleutnant
ZGS-Oberzollsekretär h.svg Oberzollsekretär Senior Customs Secretary Leutnant
ZGS-Zollsekretär h.svg Zollsekretär
Hilfzollsekretär
Customs Secretary Stabsfeldwebel
ZGS-Zollassistent h.svg Zollassistent
Hilfzollassistent
Customs Assistant Oberfeldwebel
ZGS-Zollbetriebsassistent h.svg Zollbetriebsassistent
Hilfszollbetriebsassistent
Customs Operations Assistant Feldwebel
ZGS-Zolloberwachtmeister h.svg Zolloberwachtmeister Customs Senior Watch Master Unteroffizier
ZGS-Zollwachtmeister h.svg Zollwachtmeister Customs Watch Master Gefreiter
Obergefreiter
ZGS-Zollgrenzangestellter h.svg Zollgrenzangestellter Customs Border Employee Schütze
  • Ranks in italics with the prefix Hilfs- belonged to the Zollgrenzschutzreserve (reserves), formerly the VGAD (Reinforced border inspection service).

References[]

  1. ^ a b "The trial of German major war criminals : Proceedings of the International Military Tribunal sitting at Nuremberg Germany". Nuremberg Trial Proceedings Volume 11. Yale Law School. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Germany 1933-1945 (Third Reich): Customs Service". Uniform Insignia. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Uniform und Dienstgradabzeichen der Landzollbeamten (Zollgrenzschutz)" (in German). Retrieved 1 January 2019.

External links[]

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