In 1973, Sweden was gripped by a sensational heist that saw four bank workers taken hostage by a criminal named Jan-Erik Olsson and an accomplice. Over the course of the six-day standoff between Olsson and the police, one of the captives—Kristin Enmark—developed a rapport with the jailers and displayed fear of the Swedish authorities attempting to free her. Following Enmark’s release, this reaction was pathologized by the psychiatrist who led the police’s efforts, and the term “Stockholm syndrome” was born. In the years since, Stockholm syndrome has been expanded to describe any psychological condition in which a victim of abuse forms an emotional attachment to their abuser. It has been immortalized in film, from the abducted heroine who falls in love with her captor in Buffalo ’66, to an adaptation of 3, 096 Days, a memoir written by an Austrian schoolgirl who spent eight years imprisoned in a cellar—and wept when she learned that her tormentor had died. Media This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Seven Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Like Clockwork In this new column about time, we learn how slipping off our watches makes us feel like deadline-damning renegades. Arts & Culture Music Issue 19 On a Grander Scale Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna now may live on the opposite side of the globe, but she’s determined to evolve while staying true to her roots. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Neighborhood: Fire Stations The firefighting profession has evolved over time from Ancient Rome’s rudimentary bucket brigades to today’s sleek life-saving departments.
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