Ernst-Heinrich Schmauser (18 January 1890 – 10 February 1945) was a German Nazi Reichstag deputy and SS-Obergruppenführer who was the Higher SS and Police Leader (HSSPF) in Breslau (today, Wrocław) during World War II.

[4] Following Schmauser's demobilization in February 1919, he was promoted to Hauptmann and given permission to continue wearing the uniform of the 133rd Infantry Regiment.

When the Party and SA were banned in the wake of the Beer Hall Putsch in November 1924, he joined the right-wing conservative voting alliance known as the Völkisch-Social Bloc.

On 15 July 1933, Schmauser, on request of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, took over the leadership of the SS-Gruppe "Süd", headquartered in Munich.

Schmauser was considered one of the few ranking members of the SS trustworthy enough to be involved in the arrests and killings (despite his past as an SA officer).

[11] Schmauser was present when SS-Brigadeführer Theodor Eicke and SS-Obersturmbannführer Michael Lippert murdered SA-Stabschef Ernst Röhm in his cell at Stadelheim prison.

A telling example is witnessed in the fact that Schmauser had no qualms about using Jewish slave labor, as he reported in April 1942 to Himmler how pleased he was to have Jews working for his operation, since workers were otherwise scarcely available.

[16] When the first gas chamber was tested at Auschwitz in the summer of 1942, Schmauser was present, as were both Himmler and Gauleiter Fritz Bracht of Upper Silesia.

[2] Early in the summer of 1944, the SS began transferring the 130,000 prisoners at Auschwitz–Birkenau to other camps since the Red Army was moving rapidly west.

[19] Not knowing exactly how to handle the matter, however, he telephoned SS-Obergruppenführer Oswald Pohl, who told him that Himmler wanted no 'healthy' prisoners left alive in the camp.

In accordance with Higher Police Headquarters (HSSPF Breslau), Schmauser ensured to the best of his ability that no inmates would end up in the hands of the Soviets.

[22] On 20 January 1945, Schmauser issued an order to murder the remaining inmates and destroy evidence of Operation Reinhard.

[23] On 10 February 1945, Schmauser was driving from Waldenburg (today, Wałbrzych) in a convoy of several vehicles when he encountered some German troops near Altenrode.