Three Comrades characters

Also known as Robby

Appears from the start

A veteran of the First World War who works with Otto Köster and Gottfried Lenz in their small motor-repair business. Robert narrates from the emotional shelter of their friendship, using work and drink to manage memories of the war and the instability of postwar Germany.

Appears from the start

Robert's former commanding officer and one of his two closest friends. Calm, physically capable, and sparing with words, Otto owns the garage the three men operate and drives their unassuming but exceptionally fast racing car, Karl.

Appears from the start

The third of the comrades, a sociable former soldier with a romantic manner and a ready store of political and philosophical opinions. Lenz brings wit and warmth to the garage and treats the men's wartime bond as a continuing obligation.

Also known as Pat

First appears in chapter 2

A poised young woman whom Robert meets during a drive celebrating his birthday. She has elegance without much money and moves through the men's rougher world with curiosity and tact. Robert is drawn to her reserve as well as to the moments of high spirits beneath it.

Appears from the start

The young apprentice at the garage. Jupp handles errands and basic work while observing the three veterans whose loyalty gives the struggling business its real structure.

First appears in chapter 3

Robert's landlady, an alert observer of the residents in her boarding house. She combines curiosity about their affairs with practical kindness and gives Robert's unsettled life a measure of domestic continuity.

First appears in chapter 5

A painter in Robert's circle whose work and conversation dwell on death, decay, and the masks people use against them. His dark humor makes him a companion suited to veterans who distrust easy optimism.

First appears in chapter 8

A prosperous publican and acquaintance of the comrades. Alfons values direct loyalty and welcomes the men into his bar, though the increasingly violent politics outside complicate old friendships and public associations.

First appears in chapter 16

Pat's physician, who treats her recurring lung illness with a mixture of professional frankness and concern. He becomes an essential source of guidance for Robert when affection cannot alter the medical danger.

First appears in chapter 7

A fellow veteran who celebrates having survived by spending freely on drink. Valentin's ritual excess reflects both gratitude for being alive and the difficulty of building an ordinary peace after the war.

First appears in chapter 8

An impoverished Russian émigré who works as a taxi driver and moves among Robert's circle of displaced people. His lost social position and present resourcefulness echo the wider instability of their world.