at SA Parade in
Nürnberg, September 1935; SA at the left; SS-
Sturmbannführer Jakob Grimminger behind car at the
Dachau concentration camp on 8 May 1936 Prior to 1934 the SS were nominally under the command of the
Sturmabteilung and so it could be said that both
Adolf Hitler as
Oberster SA-Führer and
Ernst Röhm as
Stabschef SA outranked the most senior SS position of
Reichsführer-SS. Following the
Night of the Long Knives Hitler "raised the SS, hitherto subordinate to the SA, to the rank of an independent organisation". Hitler also was considered SS Member No. 1,
Emil Maurice (considered the founder of the SS) was member No. 2, although leadership was assumed by
Julius Schreck who was member No. 5. Himmler was SS member No. 168. Based on the seniority system of SS membership number, this made Hitler senior in the SS to all other members even if not by rank. After the
Night of the Long Knives, when the SS became independent from the SA, Hitler was listed on SS officer rolls as member No. 1 and considered supreme commander of the entire SS (
Oberster Führer der Schutzstaffel: Literally, "Supreme Leader of the SS") by virtue of his position as the Führer of Germany. There is no photographic record of Hitler ever wearing an actual SS uniform nor was there a special SS insignia for Hitler above that worn by Himmler. ==SS Generals==