Today in History, August 23, 1973:
During a hostage situation resulting from a bank robbery of “Kreditbanken” in Normalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden, the hostages become sympathetic to the robbery/hostage suspects, even defending them once they were taken into custody. Criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Berjerot termed it “Norrmalmstorgssyndromet”, which would be translated as Stockholm Syndrome. The syndrome is related not only to hostage situations, but also domestic violence situations. Freud explained it as a victim relating to the aggressor as a means to protect the ego, bonding with the aggressor to cease feeling like a victim.
Mark Loves History! 