Sonderabteilung Lola
Encyclopedia
Sonderabteilung
Lola was a group under the German
Sicherheitsdienst
in Trondheim
, and consisted of around 50-60 Norwegian informant
s who worked for Henry Oliver Rinnan
, many of whom were former frontline soldiers.
Under cover the group contacted people who were anti-Nazis, and through these they infiltrated the resistance movement
. After a period of active work in the resistance group, both to gather information and build trust, the network was rolled up and the participants arrested and tortured. This kind of infiltration operations were called "provocation business", in a self-help to expedite action as a subsequent arrest the suspects. Rinnan even called this a "game in the negative sector". The group worked towards the entire Central Norway, ie Trøndelag
, Møre
and Romsdal
. Rinnan even wanted to expand operations to Oslo
, but this was stopped by its German parent.
The group, which was also called the Rinnan gang, was not formally a part of the Sicherheitsdienst until 1943 when Rinnan received a formal position within the occupation. He utilized these powers to, among other things, start with their own interrogation by torture. Before this, he had reported resistance people to contact the German officers Gerhard Flesch
and Walter Gemmecke, so that these were arrested, tortured and possibly killed, or put in concentration camps.
From September 1943 the group had a base at Jonsvannsveien 46 in Trondheim, after the war known as Band Klosteret, which was equipped with cells and torture chambers in the basement, where several were killed under torture. Rinnan drove the group completely by their own rules and on a couple of occasions killed Norwegians without German prior consent. Several hundred were tortured, and it is believed that the group killed more than 80 people. In spring 1945 part of the group tried to flee to Sweden
with hostages, but was stopped and arrested five kilometres from the border.
Legal purge
against group unfolded during 1945 and 1946 and resulted in 7 life sentences and 12 death sentences, of which 2 were later converted to life sentences. Only men were executed (Henry Rinnan, Bjarne Jenshus, Aksel Mære, Harry Rønning, Harry Hofstad, Olaus Hamrun, Per Bergeen, Kristian Randal, Harald Grøtte and Hans Egeberg). The female members were sentenced to up to life sentences.
Sonderabteilung
Sonderabteilung is a German word often used to refer to some special German military formations during World War II. This term was similar to a detachment or battalion....
Lola was a group under the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
in 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...
, and consisted of around 50-60 Norwegian informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
s who worked for Henry Oliver Rinnan
Henry Oliver Rinnan
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...
, many of whom were former frontline soldiers.
Under cover the group contacted people who were anti-Nazis, and through these they infiltrated the resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
. After a period of active work in the resistance group, both to gather information and build trust, the network was rolled up and the participants arrested and tortured. This kind of infiltration operations were called "provocation business", in a self-help to expedite action as a subsequent arrest the suspects. Rinnan even called this a "game in the negative sector". The group worked towards the entire Central Norway, ie Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, Møre
Møre
Møre is the name of two traditional districts in different parts of Scandinavia.*Møre og Romsdal, Norway.*Möre, Sweden....
and Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
. Rinnan even wanted to expand operations to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, but this was stopped by its German parent.
The group, which was also called the Rinnan gang, was not formally a part of the Sicherheitsdienst until 1943 when Rinnan received a formal position within the occupation. He utilized these powers to, among other things, start with their own interrogation by torture. Before this, he had reported resistance people to contact the German officers 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, so that these were arrested, tortured and possibly killed, or put in concentration camps.
From September 1943 the group had a base at Jonsvannsveien 46 in Trondheim, after the war known as Band Klosteret, which was equipped with cells and torture chambers in the basement, where several were killed under torture. Rinnan drove the group completely by their own rules and on a couple of occasions killed Norwegians without German prior consent. Several hundred were tortured, and it is believed that the group killed more than 80 people. In spring 1945 part of the group tried to flee to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with hostages, but was stopped and arrested five kilometres from the border.
Legal purge
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...
against group unfolded during 1945 and 1946 and resulted in 7 life sentences and 12 death sentences, of which 2 were later converted to life sentences. Only men were executed (Henry Rinnan, Bjarne Jenshus, Aksel Mære, Harry Rønning, Harry Hofstad, Olaus Hamrun, Per Bergeen, Kristian Randal, Harald Grøtte and Hans Egeberg). The female members were sentenced to up to life sentences.