Gottlob Berger, born July 16, 1896 at Gerstetten, Württemberg, served as Himmler's main recruiting officer in 1939 and became head of the SS Central Office in 1940, but this only added duties of overseeing ideological training. His organizational abilities contributed to the amazing expansion of the Waffen-SS in World War II, but he also became ensnared in typical internecine fighting among the SS hierarchy. Berger volunteered for Army service at the outset of World War I and rose to the rank of first lieutenant in the infantry by the time of his discharge in 1919, having received several wounds and decorations of the iron cross first and second class. Joining the Nazi Party in 1922, he became a member of the SA and entered SS service in 1936. Training with the army brought him the rank of major in the reserve by 1938, but his initial rank upon entering the SS was colonel, based upon his SA service through 1933. His various duties on the SS staff centered on sport organization and training. After the war, the Nuremberg Tribunal sentenced him to 25 years' imprisonment, of which he served 10 years, being released in 1951. He worked on the staff of the right wing journal Nation Europa (Coberg), and died January 5, 1975 in his city of birth.
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