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Sven Olov Lindholm | |
|---|---|
| Leader of theSwedish Socialist Union | |
| In office 1933–1950 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sven Olov Knutsson Lindholm (1903-02-08)8 February 1903 Jönköping, Sweden |
| Died | 26 April 1998(1998-04-26) (aged 95) Rönninge, Sweden |
| Political party | SSS |
| Other political affiliations | SFKO |
| Spouse | Vera Oredsson (1950–1962) |
| Parent |
|
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Sweden |
| Branch/service |  Swedish Army |
| Rank |  Colour Sergeant |
Sven Olov Knutsson Lindholm (8 February 1903 – 26 April 1998) was a SwedishNazi leader, active infar-right politics from the 1920s to the 1950s. This included leading the Nazi party namedSvensk socialistisk samling (SSS; literally "Swedish Socialist Union"); despite its name, this party was widely regarded as propagating afascist/Nazi ideology.
In later years, during the 1970s and 1980s, he renounced his formeranti-semitism, and stated he believed theHolocaust perpetrated byNazi Germany had happened and that it was a crime.[1][2] He quit the Nazi movement, and became a supporter of the politicalleft and thepeace movement.[3]
Born inJönköping Municipality, Lindholm joined theSwedish army at an early age, rising to the rank of Sergeant. Stationed inStockholm, he was initially drawn toElof Eriksson, a proto-fascist who emphasisedanti-communism andanti-Semitism. He soon joined Konrad Hallgren in setting up theSveriges Fascistiska Folkparti (Swedish Fascist People's Party) – which became known asSveriges Fascistiska Kamporganisation (Swedish Fascist Combat-Organization) – serving as organizer and then leader of the group.
Lindholm visitedNuremberg in 1929 and as a consequence abandonedItalian fascism in favour ofNazism and as a result he played a leading role in both theNational Socialist People's Party of Sweden and its successor theSwedish National Socialist Party. The 6% Lindholm captured inGothenburg in the 1932 election represented a high point for the Swedish Nazis. However, Lindholm grew tired of the leadership ofBirger Furugård as he had grown more attracted toStrasserism than Furugård's straight Nazism. As a result, in 1933 he formed theNationalsocialistiska Arbetarpartiet.
The new group, which adopted theswastika, took, for propaganda reasons, a moreanti-capitalist line and organized its own youth group, theNordisk Ungdom (Nordic Youth). By 1938 Lindholm had become more critical of the government of Germany, and attempted to reorganise the group as a more Swedish version of Nazism, reinventing them as theSvensk Socialistisk Samling (SSS, "Swedish Socialist Union").
Lindholm returned to the army in 1941 as aFanjunkare in the artillery. He maintained an ambiguous relationship with Germany during war-time, attackingOperation Weserübung, yet also helping to recruit men forAdolf Hitler. During the war, Lindholm and his party was planning for, and in secret hoped for, a German invasion of Sweden that could lead to the creation of a Swedishpuppet state under Lindholm and the party as "Swedish Quislings". Secret plans to deport Jews and others, and plans to construct concentration camps inside Sweden, were drawn up by the party. They gathered death lists of hundreds of Jews which were later (likely when Lindholm and the others realized Sweden would remain neutral and that Hitler was losing) hidden and some most likely destroyed. Such lists was discovered in the 1970s but no documents have been found showing Lindholm was ever questioned about these plans and lists.
Svensk Socialistisk Samling continued to be active until 1950, after which Lindholm went into semi-retirement, with only minor involvement in far-right youth groups maintaining his activity.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Lindholm stated in public to Swedish media that he no longer was an antisemite, saying that there were good and bad people in all races and that he didn't support his former ideology.[4][5][6]
He andVera Oredsson, his then-wife, separated because of Lindholm's growing criticism of Nazi ideology.[7] He quit the Nazi movement, and instead became active in the left-wing peace movement and peaceful environmental left-wing politics.[8]
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