On August 23, 1973, a failed bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, unknowingly gave birth to one of the most controversial psychological concepts of the 20th century: Stockholm Syndrome. The siege at Sveriges Kreditbanken not only captivated the world but also sparked a new understanding of the complex relationships between captors and their hostages. As the six-day standoff unfolded, it became clear that this was no ordinary crime but rather an event that would leave an indelible mark on history.
A Siege In The Vault
The ordeal began when Jan-Erik Olsson, a seasoned criminal, stormed into the bank, taking four hostages and demanding money, a getaway car, and the release of Clark Olofsson, one of Sweden’s most notorious criminals and the subject of a recent Netflix series. As negotiations dragged on, the hostages, confined to a vault, began exhibiting unusual behavior.
Kristin Enmark, a then-23-year-old bank employee, even expressed sympathy for her captors, telling the incumbent Swedish prime minister that she felt safer with them than with the police. This unexpected development puzzled the authorities and laid the groundwork for a new psychological theory. Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who was advising police during the siege, coined the term “Stockholm Syndrome” to describe this phenomenon.
Bejerot observed that the hostages appeared to form emotional bonds with their captors, a reaction he believed was a psychological survival mechanism. The term quickly gained traction and was widely adopted by the media, becoming a symbol of the strange and unsettling dynamics that can emerge in life-threatening situations.
A Masterclass In Hostage Negotiations
The Stockholm bank siege also marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of police tactics. At the time, hostage negotiation as a formal discipline was still in its infancy. However, the dramatic events in Stockholm, combined with the tragic outcomes of other hostage situations, like the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, underscored the need for a new approach.
In response, the New York Police Department officers Frank Bolz and Harvey Schlossberg pioneered the art of hostage negotiations, emphasizing communication and patience over force. Their methods, later featured in the 1980 BBC documentary “Inside Story: Hostage Cops,” revolutionized law enforcement practices around the world. By the end of the 1970s, police forces worldwide were adopting these techniques, which prioritized the safety of both hostages and captors and sought to resolve standoffs without bloodshed.
A Legacy Of Controversy
While Stockholm Syndrome has become a well-known concept, its validity has been widely debated. Critics argue that it oversimplifies the complex psychological responses of individuals in traumatic situations, reducing their survival strategies to mere symptoms of a “syndrome.” For many, including Kristin Enmark, the term is seen as a way to blame victims rather than understand their actions. Enmark herself has rejected the label, asserting that it misrepresents her experience during the siege.
Despite the controversy, Stockholm Syndrome remains a significant part of the historical narrative around the 1973 bank heist. It serves as a reminder of the psychological complexities that can arise in extreme circumstances and the ways in which these events can influence our understanding of human behavior.
Resources:
WebMD: Stockholm Syndrome Explained
Britannica: Stockholm syndrome
The New York Times: How to Bargain Like a Kidnap Negotiator
References:
BBC: ‘The one thing we’re all afraid of is going insane’ – Stockholm Syndrome and the art of hostage negotiation
AP: What is Stockholm syndrome? It all started with a bank robbery 50 years ago
The Washington Post: The bizarre, six-day bank heist that spawned ‘Stockholm syndrome’