Kārlis Lobe (26 March 1895 – 9 July 1985) was a Latvian officer in the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...
, Latvian Army and the
Latvian Legion, recipient of the
Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...
.
Biography
Kārlis Lobe was born in "Janēni" homestead in
Jaunpiebalga parish,
Cēsis district. He graduated the Piebalga congregation school, and in 1914 an agricultural school in the vicinity of
Pskov
Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...
.
World War I
In 1916 he graduated from military academy and joined the
2. Riga Latvian Riflemen Regiment, where he commanded a company in the Christmas Battles of 1916/1917. In 1918, after the
October Revolution
The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
, Lobe joined the
Army of Kolchak, and later commanded the Latvian Imanta Regiment founded in
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
, with which he intended to return to Latvia to join the
War of Independence
Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...
.
Latvian Army
Lobe returned to
Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
in 1920 and joined the Latvian Army. From 1921 he was a lecturer at the Military academy, at the rank of a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. In 1932 Lobe graduated from the Higher Military Academy courses, and in 1935 was placed in command of the 12. Bauska Infantry Regiment of the 4. Zemgale Infantry Division. In April 1938 he was transferred to the Military academy. In 1939 he was promoted to
lieutenant colonel and appointed at chief of staff of 2. Ventspils Infantry Regiment of the 1. Kurzeme Infantry Division. During the year of
Soviet occupation Lobe escaped repression and deportations.
Lobe married his wife Milda (b. 13 February 1898 in Latvia) on 22 May 1922. She died on 31 May 1985, at Österhaninge south of Stockholm, Sweden.
World War II
After the
German invasion of the USSR Lobe became the commander of the Ventspils self-defence force. There is conflicting information regarding Lobe's participation in the
Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
, as of now his involvement is yet to be definitively proven.
[http://www.president.lv/images/modules/items/PDF/item_1641_Vesturnieku_komisijas_raksti_18_sejums.pdf (Page 124)] At the end of 1941 Lobe was appointed head of the Latvian self-defence force. Later he was involved in
anti-partisan operations against
Soviet guerillas in
Eastern Latvia and
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
with the
Latvian police battalions. In spring of 1943 Lobe became commander of the 2. (Imanta) Infantry Regiment of the
19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS on the
Volkhov Front. In 1944 Lobe was awarded the rank of
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and commander of the infantry of the entire division, participating in fighting in the
Opochka district and in
Vidzeme
Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', ) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-centra ...
. At the end of 1944 he was appointed as commander of Latvian
construction battalion in Germany, but due to his Latvian nationalistic views was relieved of this command and placed before a German
military tribunal
Military justice (or military law) is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Many nation-states have separate and distinct bodies of law that govern the conduct of members of their armed forces. Some states us ...
. At the end of the war Lobe was interned in
British zone of occupation for the period of a year.
Post-war
After the war, Lobe actively participated in the commune of Latvians in exile in Germany, such as the Hawks of Daugava organization. He continued this involvement after moving to Sweden in 1950. From 1954 until his death, Lobe was employed at the
Military Archives of Sweden
The Military Archives of Sweden () is the part of the National Archives of Sweden that keeps archives related to agencies that answer to the Ministry of Defence. The Military Archives were established in 1805 and contain listings of military per ...
. He was an active participant in the Central Council of Latvians in Sweden. In 1970, Lobe unsuccessfully tried to sue the Swedish newspapers
Ny Dag and
Kvällsposten
(''The Express'') is one of two nationwide evening List of Swedish newspapers, newspapers in Sweden. Describing itself as independent liberal, was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and its slogans are "it stings" or " to your rescue".
The ...
, after articles about his past as a Holocaust perpetrator and Nazi collaborator had been published in the newspapers. He died on 9 July 1985 in Österhaninge, south of Stockholm, Sweden.
Karlis Lobe married his wife Milda on 22 May 1922. She was born on 13 February 1898 and died on 31 May 1985 at Österhaninge, south of Stockholm, after 63 years of marriage.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lobe, Karlis
1895 births
1985 deaths
People from Cēsis Municipality
People from Cēsis county
Imperial Russian Army officers
SS-Standartenführer
Latvian military officers
Latvian Riflemen
Latvian Waffen-SS personnel
Russian military personnel of World War I
Latvian expatriates in Sweden
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
World War II prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom