title: Gestapo
text: The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. It was formed in 1933. It was led by Hermann Göring, Reinhard Heydrich and Heinrich Himmler. It became part of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in 1939.
  
  Hermann Göring, the Minister-President of Prussia, formed the unit in 1933. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of SS national leader Heinrich Himmler. In 1936, Himmler was appointed Chief of German Police (Chef der Deutschen Polizei) by Hitler.
  
  The name stands for Geheime Staatspolizei. This means "secret state police". It was under the overall administration of the Schutzstaffel.
  
  The Gestapo were allowed to arrest people that offended the government. The government could use the secret police to accuse and arrest anyone they wanted without being questioned. They were important to the SS in enforcing The Holocaust.
  
  References 
  
  1933 establishments
  1945 disestablishments in Germany
  1930s establishments in Germany
  Reichssicherheitshauptamt