Heinrich Himmler was a personal adviser to Hitler and part of the highest tier of the Nazi Party.
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( [ ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈluˑɪtˌpɔlt ˈhɪmlɐ ] ; 7 October 1900 -- 23 May 1945 ) was Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel ( Protection Squadron ; SS ) , and a leading member of the Nazi Party ( NSDAP ) of Germany . He studied agronomy in college , and joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and the SS in 1925 . In 1929 , he was appointed Reichsführer-SS by Hitler .