File:Klaus_Barbie_in_uniform.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Klaus Barbie
Sign in to saveAlso known as Niklaus Barbie, Klaus Altmann, Butcher of Lyon
German SS officer, head of the Gestapo in Lyon and convicted war criminal (1913–1991)
OverviewAI-generated
Klaus Barbie was a German and Bolivian military officer, war criminal, and laborer. Born in Bad Godesberg in 1913, he served in the Waffen-SS during World War II, holding the rank of Hauptsturmführer. He was a member of the Nazi Party and held allegiance to Nazi Germany. His employers included the Gestapo, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Intelligence Service, and the Counterintelligence Corps.
Barbie was convicted of crimes against humanity and was detained at Montluc prison. He received the Iron Cross and the War Merit Cross. He spoke Spanish and German. He died of leukemia in Lyon, Pierre-Bénite, in 1991. The manner of his death was natural causes.
Synthesized by Vinony from 26 facts across 2 sources: Wikidata, TMDb. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Film & TV
Bad Godesberg, Deutschland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nikolaus "Klaus" Barbie (25 October 1913 – 23 September 1991) was an SS-Hauptsturmführer (rank equivalent to army captain) and Gestapo member. He was known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortured French prisoners of the Gestapo while stationed in Lyon, France. After the war, United States intelligence services employed him for their…
Known for
- The Trial of Klaus Barbie — Self2025
- The Nazi Cartel — Self2025
- Mein Name sei Altmann — Self2015
- Nazis in the CIA — Self (archive footage)2013
- Klaus Barbie, sur les traces d'un criminel nazi — Klaus Barbie2012
- My Enemy's Enemy — Himself2007
- Terror's Advocate — Self (archive footage)2007
- Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie — Self1988
via TMDB
Key facts
- Born
- Niklaus Barbie , ( 1913-10-25 ) 25 October 1913, Godesberg , Germany
- Died
- 25 September 1991 (1991-09-25) (aged 77), Pierre-Bénite , France
- Other names
- "Butcher of Lyon", Klaus Altmann
- Political party
- Nazi Party
- Criminal status
- Deceased
- Conviction
- Crimes against humanity
- Criminal penalty
- Death; commuted to life imprisonment
- Allegiance
- Nazi Germany Schutzstaffel United States West Germany Bolivia
- Branch
- Gestapo Counterintelligence Corps Federal Intelligence Service
- Service years
- 1935–1945
- Rank
- SS- Hauptsturmführer
- Unit
- Sicherheitsdienst (SD)
- Spouse
- Regina Margaretta Willms ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. April 1939</span>"}]]}'>1939 )
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Klaus
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Bolivia
- Place of birth
- Bad Godesberg
- Place of death
- Pierre-Bénite
- Occupation
- laborer
- Employer
- Counterintelligence Corps
- Political party
- Nazi Party
- Languages spoken
- German
- Award
- War Merit Cross
- Conflict
- World War II
- Military branch
- Waffen-SS
- Military rank
- Hauptsturmführer
- Image
- Klaus Barbie.jpg
- Convicted of
- crime against humanity
Show 13 more facts
- cause of death
- leukemia
- date of birth
- 1913-10-25
- date of death
- 1991-09-23
- Commons category
- Klaus Barbie
- manner of death
- natural causes
- place of detention
- Montluc prison
- allegiance
- Nazi Germany
- name in native language
- Klaus Barbie
- start of work period
- 1935-00-00
- birth name
- Niklaus Barbie
- P8168
- Kaspar Taimsoo
- end of work period
- 1955-00-00
- archives at
- German Federal Archives
Sources (6)
via Wikidata · CC0
~22 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Niklaus Barbie (25 October 1913 – 25 September 1991) was a German officer of the Schutzstaffel and Sicherheitsdienst who worked in Vichy France during World War II. He became known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortured prisoners—primarily Jews and members of the French Resistance—as the head of the Gestapo in Lyon.
After the war, United States intelligence services employed him for his anti-communist efforts and aided his escape to Bolivia, where he advised the dictatorial regime on how to repress opposition through torture. In 1983, the United States apologised to France for the U.S. Counterintelligence Corps helping him escape to Bolivia to avoid an outstanding arrest warrant.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Klaus Barbie” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.