Bewerber

"Bewerber" ("applicant") was an SS rank used in Nazi Germany from 1942 to 1945. The rank of Bewerber was the lowest possible SS rank and was assigned to those personnel who were under consideration for candidacy in the SS. The rank was most often used in the Allgemeine-SS as a prelude to appointment as an SS-Anwärter.

Within the Allgemeine-SS, the rank of SS-Bewerber was (more often than not) used simply as an administrative title while a background investigation was being conducted on a potential SS member. Typically this would involve a criminal history check, political reliability screening, and investigation into the prospective SS member's racial background.

The rank of Bewerber was also occasionally used in the Waffen-SS, but merely as a title for an SS recruit who had yet to report for initial in-processing and basic training. An SS-Bewerber was rarely issued a uniform or any type of insignia. In the few cases where a uniform was provided, a basic SS uniform would be worn without any insignia.