The Nazi official with Jewish ancestry who Hitler personally protected from his own SS

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Emil Maurice was a founding member of the SS and Adolf Hitler's first personal chauffeur. Despite his deep involvement in the Nazi party, his family history revealed Jewish ancestry. This created a bizarre paradox where the man who helped build the SS became an 'honorary aryan' by Hitler's decree.

Emil Maurice was a watchmaker by trade who became one of Adolf Hitler's earliest and most trusted associates. Their friendship began in 1919 when both joined the German Workers' Party. Maurice served as the first leader of the Sturmabteilung and later became a founding member of the Schutzstaffel, holding SS member number 2, while Hitler held number 1. He was a participant in the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch and served as the original transcriber of Mein Kampf during their shared incarceration at Landsberg prison.

The conflict regarding Maurice's heritage emerged in 1935 when he sought permission to marry. Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer-SS, enforced strict racial purity rules requiring officers to prove Aryan ancestry back to 1750. Investigations revealed that Maurice’s great-grandfather, Chéri Maurice, was Jewish. Himmler viewed Maurice as a significant security risk and pushed for his expulsion from the SS, despite his long-standing loyalty and status as a recipient of the prestigious Blood Order.

Hitler intervened personally to protect his old friend. In a secret letter dated 31 August 1935, Hitler compelled Himmler to grant an exception for Maurice and his brothers, designating them 'honorary aryans.' This allowed Maurice to remain in the SS and continue his career, which included serving as a Reichstag deputy and chairman of the Munich Chamber of Commerce. After the war, Maurice was captured by American forces in 1945, sentenced to a labour camp, and eventually returned to his original profession as a watchmaker in Munich until his death in 1972.

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