Emil Maurice Emil Maurice ( 19 January 1897 , Westermoor – 6 February 1972 , Munich ) was an early member of the National Socialist German Workers Party and one of the founders of the SS . Together with Erich Kempka , he also served as one of Hitler ' s personal drivers — despite having Jewish ancestry . Early life and association with Hitler . A watchmaker by trade , Maurice was a close associate of Adolf Hitler ; their personal friendship dated back to at least 1919 . With the founding of the " Sturmabteilung " in 1920 , Maurice became the first " Oberster SA - Führer " ( Supreme SA Leader ) . In 1923 , Maurice also became the SA commander of the newly established " Stabswache " , a special SA company given the task of guarding Hitler at Nazi parties and rallies . He was imprisoned with Hitler and Rudolf Hess at Landsberg after the failure of the Beer Hall Putsch . While in prison with Hitler , he took down part of the dictation for " Mein Kampf " and is mentioned in the book . In 1925 , two years after the failed Beer Hall Putsch , Maurice and Hitler refounded the Stabswache as the " Schutzstaffel " ( SS ) . At that time , Hitler became SS member No . 1 and Emil Maurice became SS member No . 2 . Maurice became an " SS - Führer " in the new organization , although the leadership of the SS was assumed by Julius Schreck , the first " Reichsführer - SS " . Maurice became Hitler ' s chauffeur . He reportedly had a brief relationship with Geli Raubal , Hitler ' s niece , and lost his job as Hitler ' s chauffeur . When the SS was reorganized and expanded in 1932 , Maurice became a senior SS officer and would eventually be promoted to the rank " SS - Oberführer " . While Maurice never became a top commander of the SS , his status as SS member # 2 effectively credited him as the actual founder of the organization . Heinrich Himmler , who ultimately would become the most recognized leader of the SS , was SS member # 168 . Conflict with Himmler over Jewish roots . After Himmler had become Reichsführer - SS , Maurice fell afoul of Himmler ' s racial purity rules for SS officers when he had to submit details of his family history before he was allowed to marry in 1935 . All SS officers had to prove racial purity back to 1750 , and it turned out that Maurice had Jewish ancestry : Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger ( 1805 – 1896 ) , the founder of Thalia Theater in Hamburg , was his great - grandfather . Himmler , who had always been jealous of Hitler ' s close friends since the party ' s early days ( especially of the lack of control he had over Hitler ' s inner bodyguards ) , was delighted . Himmler recommended that Maurice be expelled from the SS , along with other members of his family . To his annoyance however , the Führer stood by his old friend . In a secret letter written on 31 August 1935 , Hitler compelled Himmler to make an exception for Maurice and his brothers , who were informally declared " Honorary Aryan s " and allowed to stay in the SS . Despite his Jewish ancestry , Maurice was first and foremost a loyal companion to Hitler . Later life . In 1936 he became a Reichstag deputy for Leipzig and from 1937 was the chairman of the Munich Chamber of Commerce . From 1940 to 1942 , he served in the Luftwaffe as an officer . After the war in 1948 , he was sentenced to four years in a labor camp .