Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei

The wreathed Polizeiadler (police eagle) was worn as a cap badge and on the left sleeve by all uniformed police

The ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei were developed in 1936 after the nationalization of Germany's regular police forces.

Ordnungspolizei rank titles

Ordnungspolizei ("Orpo") ranks were based on local police titles and were considered a separate system from the ranks of the SS. It was also possible for Orpo members to hold dual status in both the Orpo and the SS, meaning that two ranks could be held simultaneously. In the case of Orpo generals, equivalent SS rank was always held in which case the Orpo general would be addressed by their SS rank first, followed by their police titles (for example: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei). In 1944, all Orpo generals also gained equivalent Waffen-SS rank so that, in the event of capture by the Allies, the Orpo general would hold status as a military officer instead of a police official.

Orpo personnel who were also members of the Allgemeine-SS were authorized to wear an embroidered SS Sigrunen patch on the breast pocket.

Ordnungspolizei rank insignia

In addition to collar and shoulder insignia, Ordnungspolizei also wore the wreathed police eagle on the upper left sleeve. The collar patch and shoulderboards were backed, and the sleeve eagle (below the rank of Leutnant) embroidered, in truppenfarbe, a color-code which indicated the branch of police: green for Schutzpolizei (municipal police) and police general officers, orange for rural Gendarmerie, carmine-red for fire brigades, gold for maritime police and so on.

Orpo general rank	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia 1936-42	Collar insignia 1942-45
Chef der Deutschen Polizei	Reichsführer-SS
Generaloberst der Polizei	Oberstgruppenführer
General der Polizei	Obergruppenführer
Generalleutnant der Polizei	Gruppenführer
Generalmajor der Polizei	Brigadeführer

Note: Since most police generals, increasingly as time went on, were also SS generals, they typically wore an SS uniform except at police-specific functions.

Orpo officer rank	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia
Oberst der Polizei	Standartenführer
Oberstleutnant der Polizei	Obersturmbannführer
Major der Polizei	Sturmbannführer
Hauptmann der Polizei	Hauptsturmführer
Oberleutnant der Polizei	Obersturmführer
Leutnant der Polizei	Untersturmführer

Orpo enlisted rank	Translation	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia
Meister	Master	Sturmscharführer
Hauptwachtmeister	Chief watch master	Hauptscharführer
Revier-oberwachtmeister (Schupo) Bezirks-oberwachtmeister (Gendarmerie) Zugwachtmeister (Kasernierte Polizei)	Precinct senior watch master District senior watch master Platoon watch master	Oberscharführer
Oberwachtmeister	Senior watch master	Scharführer
Wachtmeister	Watch master	Unterscharführer
Rottmeister	Team master	Rottenführer
Unterwachtmeister	Junior watch master	Sturmmann
Anwärter	Candidate	Mann