The Norrmalmstorg Robbery- The Heist That Changed Psychology

Introduction

In the 1970s, in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden, an audacious and chaotic bank heist took place that would go down in history as the Norrmalmstorg Robbery. But this was not just about a daring theft. The Norrmalmstorg Robbery facilitated an unexpected psychological bond formed between the captors and their hostages, giving birth to a psychological phenomenon.

Jan-Erik Olsson, an escaped convict who was on furlough from prison while serving a three-year sentence, had already accumulated a history of multiple armed robberies and violent acts by the age of 16. Concealing a loaded submachine gun beneath his jacket, Olsson walked into Sveriges Kreditbanken, intending to rob it.

Jan-Erik wasted no time in making his demands. Jan-Erik wanted the release his fellow convict and friend, Clark Olofsson, who was serving time for armed robbery, and acting as an accessory in the 1966 murder of a police officer, along with a laundry list of items that included three million Swedish Kronor (approximately $275,000 today), two guns, bulletproof vests, helmets, and a Ford Mustang… and the authorities made it happen.

The Accomplice Arrives

Inside the bank, Clark helped Jan-Erik in various ways, including relaying messages to the police and using explosives to open a cashier's drawer. Clark destroyed security camera footage and scouted for signs of police intrusion. Over time, the duo acquired four hostages, and the hostages spent the initial days with Jan-Erik, keeping them close to him to avoid being targeted by sharpshooters outside.

The hostages' living quarters were the bank's safe-deposit vault on the ground floor. Jan-Erik saw it as a secure place, away from sharpshooters, with good sleeping conditions and amenities like toilets and a snack machine. Inside the vault, an unusual camaraderie began to take between the captors and captives.

A Nation Captivated

As the hours ticked by, the media frenzy intensified. Television screens across Sweden broadcasted the unfolding drama, and the public's imagination ran wild with suggestions on how to resolve the standoff. People flooded police headquarters with ideas that ranged from bizarre, like sending in an angry swarm of bees, to more hopeful, like a concert by a Salvation Army band playing religious tunes. This was the first criminal event in Sweden to be covered by live television.

Stockholm Syndrome

The captors decided they wouldn’t leave the bank peacefully unless the hostages could come with them… and oddly, the hostages wanted to. A strange dynamic grew between the hostages and the very men that held them hostage. One of the hostages begged police to allow them to go with Jan-Erik, and Clark, and expressed extreme fear of police intervention. The hostages thought their captors would keep them safe, and the police would harm them.

Psychologists would later call this phenomenon the Norrmalmstorg Syndrome, which later became Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm Syndrome, invented by Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, is a complex psychological response which arises from power imbalances found in situations like hostage-taking, kidnapping, and abusive relationships. The legitimacy of the condition is disputed disputed, and Stockholm syndrome has not been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) due to a lack of consistent academic research. According to FBI data, around 8% of hostage victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.

Four key components characterize Stockholm Syndrome: positive feelings towards the captor, no previous relationship with the captor, refusal to cooperate with authorities, and perceiving the captor as non-threatening when sharing similar values.

The four bank employees held hostage by Jan-Erik and Clark, found themselves in a terrifying situation. Yet, as the days passed, they began to experience a confusing mix of fear and sympathy, eventually forming a bond with their captors.