Lageführer

Lageführer is a German term literally meaning “leader of the situation.” In Nazi Germany it was used as a designation for a senior official charged with directing and coordinating security operations in a defined area or during a specific operation. The exact remit varied by organization but typically fell within the police and security apparatus, including agencies such as the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police), the Sicherheitspolizei (Security Police), and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). A Lageführer could be responsible for planning, on‑site supervision, liaison with local authorities, and the implementation of security and coercive measures. In occupied territories, Lageführer often coordinated actions of police and security units and reported to higher authorities within the regional command structure, such as district commanders or higher SS and police leadership (for example, the Höhere SS- und Polizeiführung in the region).

The term is primarily attested in historical records from the Nazi era and is not part of contemporary German administrative usage. It is distinct from Lagerführer, the title for a camp commandant of a concentration camp, which denotes a separate role. In modern scholarship, Lageführer is described as part of the organizational vocabulary of the Nazi security state, illustrating how the regime defined local leadership for security operations and repressive actions.