Walter Schellenberg achieved new prominence and power in 1944 as head of the combined SS and Wehrmacht security services. His appointment followed the dissolution of the Abwehr and the arrest of its leader, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris. A one-time aide to Heinrich Himmler, Schellenberg performed various responsibilities throughout the war, including leading RSHA Amt VI, which was responsible for intelligence gathering in foreign countries. His new appointment in 1944 placed him second in command only to Himmler within the SS.
Photo: Berlin Document Center / United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Photo Archive
