The Stockholm Syndrome

Stockholm Syndrome has become a world-renowned phenomenon where hostages develop sympathy for or identify with their captors. On a summer day in August 1973, four employees of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg, now Nobis Hotel, were taken hostage. This infamous bank drama held Sweden captive for nearly six days. At 10 AM on August 23, the robber Jan Erik Olsson entered Svenska Kreditbanken's Norrmalmstorg branch. He fired a pistol into the ceiling and took three women and one man, all bank employees, hostage. When the police arrived, the robber demanded three million Swedish kronor in cash and the release of inmate Clark Olofsson from Norrköping Prison. The government agreed to his demands but refused when the robber insisted on free passage with his hostages. The robber had barricaded himself in the bank vault with the bank employees. When negotiations between the robber and the police yielded no results, the police decided to gas out the robber. As the police drilled holes in the vault ceiling and released the gas, the robber immediately surrendered. The hostages were rescued, and the drama concluded after 130 hours. Today, the drill holes are filled but remain visible inside Nobis Hotel.