"Stockholm syndrome" is a common term these days, used to describe the bond that victims of kidnappings or hostage situations sometimes develop with their captors. And it got its name 50 years ago this month, during a failed bank robbery in Sweden's capital.

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Here’s a look at how Stockholm syndrome got its name.

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What happened in Stockholm?

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On August 23, 1973, a thief Jan-Erik Olsson, 32, tried to rob a bank in Stockholm while on leave from prison. Police responded quickly, and a standoff began.

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Olsson, armed with a submachine gun, took four bank employees hostage and demanded money, a bulletproof vest and a getaway car. He also demanded that his former jail mate, Clark Olofsson, be released from prison and brought to the bank. Authorities agreed.

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The drama was shown live on television in Sweden as police tried to persuade Olsson and Olofsson to surrender. Even Prime Minister Olof Palme got involved in the negotiations.

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At one point, a hostage, Kristin Enmark, told Palme over the telephone that she was afraid of the police, not of the two criminals. She asked the authorities to meet their demands. Enmark later said she had developed a bond with Olofsson, whom she saw as protecting her.

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The standoff ended on August 28 when police, using tear gas, stormed the bank, arrested Olsson and Olofsson and freed the hostages.

 

The name

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Swedish psychiatrist Nils Bejerot had advised police during the standoff. Because some of the hostages had appeared to side with the hostage-takers and against the police, Bejerot called this reaction "Norrmalmstorg syndrome" — after the square where the bank robbery took place. However, internationally, it became known as Stockholm syndrome.

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What is Stockholm syndrome?

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Stockholm syndrome now refers to the bond that can develop between hostages and their captors in similar situations. Some experts question whether Stockholm syndrome is a psychological condition or just a survival strategy — rational choices made by people in extreme danger.

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However, it still features frequently in popular culture, including books, films and music, and has entered the English language as an informal term for people who develop unexpected bonds with others who treat them badly.