Sven Olov Lindholm

Sven Olov Lindholm (February 8 1903 – 1998) was a Swedish Nazi leader, active in different Swedish fascist organizations from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Born in Jönköping Municipality, Lindholm joined the Swedish army at an early age, rising to the rank of Sergeant. Stationed in Stockholm, he was initially drawn to Elof Eriksson, a proto-fascist who emphasised anti-communism and anti-Semitism. He soon joined Konrad Hallgren in setting up the "Sveriges Fascistika Volksparti" (Swedish Fascist People's Party) - which became known as "Sveriges Fascistika Kamp Organisation" (Swedish Fascist Cause Organization) - serving as organizer and then leader of the group.

Lindholm visited Nuremberg in 1929 and as a consequence abandoned Italian fascism in favour of Nazism and as a result he played a leading role in both the National Socialist People's Party of Sweden and its successor the Swedish National Socialist Party. The 6% Lindholm captured in Gothenburg in the 1932 election represented a high point for the Swedish Nazis. However Lindholm had grown tired of the leadership of Birger Furugård as he had grown more attracted to Strasserism than Furugård's straight Nazism. In 1933 he formed the Nationalsocialistiska Arbetarpartiet to this end.

The new group, which adopted the swastika, took an anti-capitalist line and organized its own youth group, the "Nordisk 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 the "Svensk Socialistisk Samling" (Swedish Socialist Union).

He returned to the army in 1941 as a "Styckjunkare" in the artillery. He maintained an ambiguous relationship with Germany during war-time, attacking Operation Weserübung, yet also helping to recruit men for the Adolf Hitler. "Svensk Socialistisk Samling" continued to be active until 1950, after which Lindholm went in to semi-retirement, with only minor involvement in far right youth groups maintaining his activity.

References

*Philip Rees, "Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890", pp. 233-234