thumb|right|115px|NSDAP insignia for full party members
() is a German title that translates as "candidate", "applicant" or "recruit". During the Nazi era, SS- was used as a paramilitary rank by both the Nazi Party and the SS. Within the Nazi Party, an was someone who had been accepted into a government service position and the rank was issued in two degrees: one for party members and the other for non-party members. was the lowest Nazi Party rank in the extensive system of Nazi Party political ranks.
As an SS rank, an SS- was a recruit, someone who had applied for membership in the SS and was undergoing a probationary period, after which time an appointment would be issued to the rank of SS-Mann. The earliest recorded use of as an SS rank was 1932;
Within the Allgemeine-SS, the transition from to Mann was an extensive process, typically taking over one year. During that year, a potential SS member would be drilled and indoctrinated; racial, political, and background checks would also be conducted. At the end of this time, typically in an elaborate ceremony, an would be promoted to the rank of SS-Mann.
After 1941, was also used as a rank of the Waffen-SS, but to a much lesser degree than in the general SS. A Waffen-SS was usually a recruit who had been processed into the SS (typically at a recruiting station) but had yet to report for basic training. Once basic training began, the was promoted to the rank of SS-Schütze.
Between 1942 and 1945, an even lower rank existed within the SS known as Bewerber. The SS was the only Nazi paramilitary group to have a rank lower than that of . The SS rank of used no insignia.
In modern-day Germany, the title of is typically used by those applying for employment and also as a designation for members of the Bundeswehr who are under consideration for a leadership assignment.
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0.5em auto; clear: both;"
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|width="30%" align="center"|Junior status<br>SS-Bewerber
|width="30%" align="center"|SS rank<br>SS-
|width="40%" align="center"|Senior status<br />SS-Mann
|}
Insignia
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File:NSDAP-Anwärter.svg|NSDAP
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