Gustav Adolf Nosske (23 March 1912 – 13 June 1990) was a German SS‑Sturmbannführer (major) who served in the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) during the Nazi era. He held command positions in occupied Poland and later in Belgium, where he was involved in anti‑partisan operations and actions against civilian populations, including the persecution and deportation of Jews.
Early life and education
- Born in Hohenbocka, Prussia (now in Germany).
- Completed secondary education and pursued vocational training before joining the Nazi Party and the SS in the early 1930s.
Nazi‑era service
- Entered the SS in 1933 and received officer training.
- Served in the SD in the German Reich and later was assigned to the occupied eastern territories.
- In 1942 he was appointed commander of the SD‑Einsatzgruppe in the Białystok district of occupied Poland, overseeing security and anti‑Jewish measures.
- Transferred to Belgium in 1944, where he led the SiPo/SD unit responsible for counter‑insurgency and anti‑partisan operations, which included reprisals against the civilian population.
Post‑war prosecution
- After the war, Nosske was detained by Allied forces and later released.
- In 1971, the West German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment for his role in war crimes, specifically for participation in the murder of civilians and Jews in Poland.
- He served part of his sentence before being released on health grounds.
Later life and death
- Lived in West Germany after his release, maintaining a low public profile.
- Died on 13 June 1990 in Hamburg, Germany.
Historical assessment
Historians regard Nosske as an example of mid‑level SS officers who implemented Nazi security policies in occupied territories, contributing to the broader system of persecution and mass murder of Jews and other targeted groups during the Holocaust. His trial in the 1970s was part of West Germany’s later efforts to prosecute former Nazi officials for war crimes.
