SS. He attained the rank of SS  Obersturmführer  (SS first lieutenant). In 1937 he was given command of the 22nd Hundertschaft (hundred-man-unit) of the SS  Totenkopf  detachment "Brandenburg." Ziereis' unit was assigned to after the  Anschluss  with Germany. On July 1, 1938, he transferred to the SS Totekopf regiment "Thüringen" as