Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

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

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...

officer. Lybeck's senior commands include

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

, Commander-in-Chief of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet (, 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 as a unit until ...

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, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, 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 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 19 ...

'' in 1892. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1895, and undertook language studies in Russia 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 The Fleet Staff () was a Staff (military), staff in the Swedish Navy created in 1884, that corresponded to the General Staff (Sweden), General Staff in the Swedish Army. It consisted of a commander with the rank of flag officer or Kommendör, capta ...

for four years, and advancing to the rank of lieutenant in 1901. In 1904, he was sent to East Asia to observe the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

. He served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), 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 ...

to the Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea, captain Wilhelm Dyrssen 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, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

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 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 ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

in 1917, chief arbitrator in the international commission in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

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

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

concerning international law cases between Germany and

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

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 A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. 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 Commander-in-Chief 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 The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (, KSSS), is the largest and oldest yacht club in Sweden and one of the five oldest in the world, formed 15 May 1830. The Royal Swedish Yacht Club is also the oldest yacht club in Continental Europe. Activities inc ...

(KSSS) from 1936 to 1946 and of the

Swedish Sailing Federation The Swedish Sailing Federation (, SSF) is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in Sweden, recognised by World Sailing. History The Swedish Sailing Federation was founded on 16 December 1905 on initiative from the Royal Swedish Y ...

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 of Sweden (, "minister of state") is the head of government of the Sweden, Kingdom of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to th ...

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. ...

, 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, 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 Burial Place" 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. Th ...

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 19 ...

'' *26 April 1895 – Sub-lieutenant *30 December 1901 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*11 December 1914 – Lieutenant commander *31 July 1917 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

*29 June 1921 –

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 ...

*4 December 1925 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

*9 December 1932 –

Vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

*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 23 February 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 founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

(15 December 1921) * Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

(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 () 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 performed acts of special merits for ...

with swords * Order_of_the_Dannebrog_S

Grand Cross of the

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

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 (; ) 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. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

Commander of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

* Commander of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

* 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 ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

Officer of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (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 world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

Knight Third Class of the

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; 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 Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...

with swords * Knight Second Class of the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

Knight of the

Military Order of Aviz The Military Order of Aviz (), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz () or ''Friars of Santa Maria of Évora'', is one of the four former ancien ...

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () 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 military (army and air force) and de ...

(1918) *Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1903) *Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1921)

Selected bibliography

* * * * *

References

External links

Article
at '' Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' {{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 Royal Swedish Yacht Club commodores