Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Otto Emil Lybeck (19 February 1871 – 21 April 1947) was a

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels o ...

officer. Lybeck's senior commands include

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

, Chief of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet ( sv, Kustflottan, Kfl) was until 1994 a Swedish Navy authority with the main task of training the naval ships commanders and crews. After the formation of the authority Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, the Coastal Fleet remained ...

and Chief of the Naval Staff.

Early life

Lybeck was born on 19 February 1871 in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden, the son of Johan August Lybeck, a bank accountant, and his wife Emelie Carolina Sofia Klynder. Lybeck was a cadet at the

Royal Swedish Naval Academy The Royal Swedish Naval Academy ( sv, Kungliga Sjökrigsskolan, KSS) was a school for officer training for the Swedish Navy, which operated in various forms between the years 1756 and 1987. History 1683–1791 In 1683, when the charter was issue ...

from 1886.

Career

Lybeck was commissioned as an officer in the

with the rank of ''

underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word ''Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 192 ...

'' in 1892. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1895, and undertook language studies in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

from 1895 to 1897, after which he served as Russian language teacher in the Naval Staff before attending the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1898 to 1900. He then served in the Fleet Staff for four years, and advancing to the rank of lieutenant in 1901. In 1904, he was sent to

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

to observe the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. He served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to the Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea, captain

Wilhelm Dyrssen Admiral Wilhelm Dyrssen (26 March 1858 – 14 July 1929) was a senior Swedish Navy officer. He served as minister for naval affairs from 1906 to 1907, and the Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea from 1907 to 1916, as well as commander of ...

from 1904 to 1907, and as teacher of naval organizational learning at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1905 to 1909 and of strategy from 1910 to 1918. Lybeck was naval attaché in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

from 1906 to 1911 and teacher of naval sciences at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1908. Lybeck then served in the Naval Staff from 1909 to 1915. Several times nominated as councilor of the Naval Pension Fund (''Flottans pensionskassa''), Lybeck was, due to his outstanding ability and great work ability, engaged for a variety of special assignments, such as assisting the 2nd Defence Preparation in 1914, secretary of the Committee on Defence that same year, expert for special assignment within the

Ministry for Civil Service Affairs The Ministry for Civil Service Affairs ( sv, Civildepartementet) was a ministry in Sweden, established through the 1840 ministerial reform. The ministry and its most important areas of responsibility were agriculture, ''bergsrörelse'', trade, ship ...

in 1915, expert in the Ministry for Naval Affairs for an inquiry into wage regulation for the navy's personnel and for investigation concerning certain naval defense needs (1915–16), member of the international commission in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

in 1917, chief arbitrator in the international commission in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

concerning the treatment of raised ships in 1917, expert in arbitration in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

concerning international law cases between

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

in 1918 and more. Lybeck was appointed head of the Military Office of the Ministry for Naval Affairs (''Sjöförsvarsdepartementets kommandoexpedition'') in 1918 and from 6 June to 13 October 1921, he served as

and head of the Ministry of Defence. During this time, Lybeck was also a member of the Military Pay Experts (''Militära avlöningssakkunniga'') from 1919 to 1922 and a member of the Defense Audit (''Försvarsrevisionen'') from 1922 to 1923. He then served as commanding officer of the 4th Coastal Defence Ship Division (''Fjärde pansarbåtsdivisionen'') from 1922 to 1923 and as Inspector of the Submarine Force (''Inspektör för ubåtsvapnet'') in 1924. Lybeck was promoted to rear admiral in 1925 and in 1926 he was appointed Highest Commander of the

. In 1927, he was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff, a position Lybeck had for the next nine years. He was chairman of the Naval Teaching Commission (''marinundervisningskommissionen'') in 1928, and of the board of the Nautical Chart Department from 1929 to 1936. Lybeck was also chairman of the board of the

Royal Swedish Yacht Club Royal Swedish Yacht Club ( sv, Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet, KSSS), is the largest and oldest yacht club in Sweden and one of the five oldest in the world, formed 15 May 1830. KSSS is also the oldest yacht club in Continental Europe. Acti ...

(KSSS) from 1936 to 1946 and of the Swedish Sailing Federation (''Svenska seglarförbundet'') from 1937. He served as a member of the Committee on Stockholm's Naval Station from 1929 to 1930.

Personal life

In 1902, he married Ingeborg Boström (born 1878), the daughter of the

Prime Minister of Sweden The prime minister ( sv, statsminister ; literally translating to "Minister of State") is the head of government of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subj ...

Erik Gustaf Boström Erik Gustaf Bernhard Boström (11 February 1842 – 21 February 1907) was a Swedish landowner and politician who was a member of the Swedish Parliament (1876–1907) and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Sweden of the 19th century. He ...

, and Karolina (Lina) Almqvist. They had three children; Göran (born 1903), Brita (born 1905), and Märta (born 1908).

Death

Lybeck died on 21 April 1947 in

. The funeral service was held on 25 April 1947 at

Klara Church The Church of Saint Clare or Klara Church ( sv, Klara kyrka) is a church in central Stockholm. Since 1989, the Swedish Evangelical Mission is responsible for its activities. The Church of Saint Clare is located on Klara Västra Kyrkogata in the ...

, after which cremation took place in the Chapel of the Holy Cross at . He was later interred on 2 May 1947 at

Norra begravningsplatsen Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables. Nota ...

in Stockholm.

Dates of rank

*29 October 1892 – ''

Underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word ''Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 192 ...

'' *26 April 1895 –

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

*30 December 1901 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

*11 December 1914 –

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

*31 July 1917 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

*29 June 1921 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

*4 December 1925 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

*9 December 1932 – Vice admiral *20 February 1936 –

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_Grand_Cross_BAR

Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Or ...

(16 June 1933) * SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

Commander Second Class of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

(15 December 1921) * Order_of_the_Polar_Star_-_Ribbon_bar,_pre_1975

Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star ( Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of t ...

(1920) * RKM *

Medal of Merit in gold

Foreign

Order_of_Orange-Nassau_ribbon_-_Knight_Grand_Cross

Grand Cross of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

with swords * Order_of_the_Dannebrog_S

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Commander_BAR

Commander of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. ...

Commander of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

Commander of the Order of St. Olav * ESP_Cruz_Merito_Naval_(Distintivo_Blanco)_pasador

3rd Class of the Cross of Naval Merit, White Decoration (1923) * Grande_ufficiale_OCI_BAR

Grand Officer of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

Officer of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...

Knight Third Class of the

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Hol ...

with swords * RUS_Order_św

Knight Second Class of the Order of Saint Stanislaus * PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Knight_BAR

Knight of the

Military Order of Aviz The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien) is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for m ...

(1918) *Member of the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Örlogsmannasällskapet, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence i ...

(1903) *Honorary member of the

(1921)

Selected bibliography

* * * * *

References

External links

Article
at ''

Svenskt biografiskt lexikon ''Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' () is a Swedish biographical dictionary, started in 1917. The first volume, covering names ''Abelin'' to ''Anjou'', was published in 1918. As of 2017, names from A to S are covered. Volumes # ABELIN – ANJOU (1 ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Lybeck, Otto 1871 births 1947 deaths Swedish Navy admirals Swedish naval attachés Military personnel from Stockholm Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Commanders Second Class of the Order of Vasa Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen