Henry Oliver Rinnan
Encyclopedia
Henry Oliver Rinnan was a notorious Gestapo
agent in the area around Trondheim
, Norway
during World War II
.
He led a group called Sonderabteilung Lola
. This group, known as Rinnanbanden among Norwegians had fifty members. Among them were Karl Dolmen, Arild Hjulstad-Østby, and Ivar and Kitty Grande.
Born in Levanger
on 14 May 1915, Rinnan was the oldest of eight children in an impoverished family. Unusually short (1.61 meters – 5 ft 3 in), he was a loner during his childhood. He worked briefly for his uncle, but was fired for theft.
During the Winter War
, Rinnan tried to enlist with the Finns to fight against the Soviet Union, but was rejected due to his poor physique.http://home.online.no/~bani-er/rinnanbanden/historien.html During the Norwegian Campaign
in 1940, he drove a truck for the Norwegian Army
. According to Rinnan, he was recruited by the Gestapo in June 1940.
Beginning in September 1943, the Rinnanbanden had its headquarters in Jonsvannsveien 46 in Trondheim, known as Bandeklosteret ("gang monastery"). Rinnan worked closely with the German Sicherheitspolizei
in Trondheim, where his main contacts were Gerhard Flesch
and Walter Gemmecke. During this decade the private residence of the Rinnan-family was in the captured house of Landstads Vei 1, located approximately one kilometer from the gang monastery.
The members of Sonderabteilung Lola infiltrated the resistance movement by engaging people in conversation in buses, trains, cafés, etc., encouraging them to talk about their attitudes toward the Nazi occupation. Having identified people who they thought were in the resistance, Rinnan's agents worked to build trust with them and penetrate their networks. The Rinnan gang was responsible for the death of at least a hundred people in the Norwegian resistance and the British Special Operations Executive
, for torturing hundreds of prisoners, for more than a thousand arrests, for compromising several hundred resistance groups, and in some cases, for luring people to perform missions for the Nazis. Rinnan operated with impunity and little interference from his Nazi taskmasters, often using murder and torture as sanctioned means.
In the course of two trials
after the war, forty-one members of the Rinnan gang were convicted and sentenced. Twelve received sentences of execution by firing squad
from the court of Frostating
on 20 September 1946. Ten of those death sentences were carried out. Eleven other defendants were sentenced to lifelong forced labour (later pardoned), while the rest were given long prison sentences.
Rinnan was sentenced for personally murdering thirteen people, but the real number is probably higher. Four hours after midnight on 1 February 1947, Rinnan was taken from his cell in Kristiansten Fortress
. A guard blindfolded him and led him outside, where he was tied to a pole. At 04:05, Rinnan was executed by firing squad.
Rinnanbanden was so notorious that forty percent of the people executed as a result of Norwegian war crimes trials after World War II were connected to Sonderabteilung Lola.
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
agent in the area around Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He led a group called Sonderabteilung Lola
Sonderabteilung Lola
Sonderabteilung Lola was a group under the German Sicherheitsdienst in Trondheim, and consisted of around 50-60 Norwegian informants who worked for Henry Oliver Rinnan, many of whom were former frontline soldiers....
. This group, known as Rinnanbanden among Norwegians had fifty members. Among them were Karl Dolmen, Arild Hjulstad-Østby, and Ivar and Kitty Grande.
Born in Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
on 14 May 1915, Rinnan was the oldest of eight children in an impoverished family. Unusually short (1.61 meters – 5 ft 3 in), he was a loner during his childhood. He worked briefly for his uncle, but was fired for theft.
During the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, Rinnan tried to enlist with the Finns to fight against the Soviet Union, but was rejected due to his poor physique.http://home.online.no/~bani-er/rinnanbanden/historien.html During the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
in 1940, he drove a truck for the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
. According to Rinnan, he was recruited by the Gestapo in June 1940.
Beginning in September 1943, the Rinnanbanden had its headquarters in Jonsvannsveien 46 in Trondheim, known as Bandeklosteret ("gang monastery"). Rinnan worked closely with the German Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
in Trondheim, where his main contacts were Gerhard Flesch
Gerhard Flesch
Gerhard Friedrich Ernst Flesch was a German Nazi executed for war crimes, specifically the torture and murder of members of the Norwegian resistance movement....
and Walter Gemmecke. During this decade the private residence of the Rinnan-family was in the captured house of Landstads Vei 1, located approximately one kilometer from the gang monastery.
The members of Sonderabteilung Lola infiltrated the resistance movement by engaging people in conversation in buses, trains, cafés, etc., encouraging them to talk about their attitudes toward the Nazi occupation. Having identified people who they thought were in the resistance, Rinnan's agents worked to build trust with them and penetrate their networks. The Rinnan gang was responsible for the death of at least a hundred people in the Norwegian resistance and the British Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
, for torturing hundreds of prisoners, for more than a thousand arrests, for compromising several hundred resistance groups, and in some cases, for luring people to perform missions for the Nazis. Rinnan operated with impunity and little interference from his Nazi taskmasters, often using murder and torture as sanctioned means.
Legal purge in Norway after World War II
When the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
after the war, forty-one members of the Rinnan gang were convicted and sentenced. Twelve received sentences of execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
from the court of Frostating
Frostating
Frostating was the site of an early Norwegian court. Frostating had its seat at Tinghaugen in Frosta municipality in the county of Nord-Trøndelag.-Tinghaugen:...
on 20 September 1946. Ten of those death sentences were carried out. Eleven other defendants were sentenced to lifelong forced labour (later pardoned), while the rest were given long prison sentences.
Rinnan was sentenced for personally murdering thirteen people, but the real number is probably higher. Four hours after midnight on 1 February 1947, Rinnan was taken from his cell in Kristiansten Fortress
Kristiansten Fortress
Kristiansten Fortress is located on a hill east of the city of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It was built after the city fire of Trondheim in 1681 to protect the city against attack from the east. Construction was finished in 1685. It fulfilled its purpose in 1718 when Swedish forces...
. A guard blindfolded him and led him outside, where he was tied to a pole. At 04:05, Rinnan was executed by firing squad.
Rinnanbanden was so notorious that forty percent of the people executed as a result of Norwegian war crimes trials after World War II were connected to Sonderabteilung Lola.