Haijby affair
Encyclopedia
The Haijby affair was a political affair
in Sweden
in the 1950s, involving the conviction and imprisonment of Kurt Haijby for blackmail of King Gustaf V
.
Haijby was born in 1897 as Kurt Johansson. In 1912 he and another boy scout were granted an audience with king Gustaf V. When Johansson grew older he lived a life in crime and was convicted several times for theft and fraud. While trying to escape prison he shot a police officer dead. After being released he changed his name and tried to open a restaurant. As he was a convicted criminal he could not get a licence to sell liquor. He then applied to the king and was granted a second audience in 1932 to put forward his case. The king, Gustav V, then allegedly seduced Haijby.
Haiby's wife, Anna Haijby, when learning about this, filed for divorce, citing her husband's sexual
relationship with the king as cause for divorce. Fearing that this would become known, court officials convinced the couple to settle for an amicable no-fault divorce. Haijby was encouraged to emigrate to the United States, where he was to receive 3,000 Swedish kronor from the royal court and start a new life. However, when he arrived in the USA, there was no money for him. He had to return to Sweden where he, unemployed and penniless, asked for support from the court.
During several years, money from the court financed a number of failed enterprises that Haijby tried. There is no evidence of outright blackmail on Haijby's part, but the court was obviously trying to buy his silence. In all, Haijby received 170,000 Swedish kronor from the court and perhaps much more from the king's private funds.
Haijby later claimed that he was the lover
of the king in the years between 1936 and 1947.
In 1938 Haijby was arrested for child sexual abuse
and put in custody at the asylum of Beckomberga. This was the result of political pressure from the governor of Stockholm, Torsten Nothin. The psychiatrist in charge of the asylum did not believe that Haijby was in need of psychiatric care and eventually released him. The child abuse case was never brought to court.
A new deal was arranged where Haijby in 1938 was forced to emigrate to Nazi Germany
. There, he was put in prison by Gestapo
, probably by request of the Swedish court. Unlike most Gestapo prisoners, Haijby was not tortured and, for most of the time, kept in decent conditions. Charges were then brought against him for sexual relations with a young boy. He was sentenced to prison and banished to Sweden after having served his sentence.
He was reunited with his ex-wife, who paid him a stipend using a police officer as a middleman. Haijby was to believe that the money came from the court.
In 1947 he published a roman à clef
. The entire first printing was then bought by the court and destroyed. It was actually Haijby's ex-wife who paid. But the coverup effort proved to be in vain. The novel was reprinted and distributed twice, in 1952 and 1979.
Haijby was again, because of political pressure, committed to an asylum.
In the meantime, another scandal, the Kejne affair
, had broken in the press where Vilhelm Moberg
was busy writing lengthy articles about homosexual conspiracies among the Swedish officials.
Haijby reported his forced detention in the asylum at Beckomberga to the Attorney General of Sweden. These papers were immediately classified, but were smuggled out of the Attorney General's office by Vilhelm Moberg, and the whole affair thus came to public attention. The actions of officials to suppress the claims caused acrimonious debate in parliament and the media. As a consequence, the court charged Haijby for acts of blackmail.
In 1952, after a parody of a fair trial, Haijby was sentenced to eight years hard labor for blackmail, which in 1953 was reduced to six years by a court of appeals. Haijby committed suicide
in 1965 .
Haijby had reported the treatment he had received to the Swedish Chancellor of Justice
. The results of the investigations, the bulk of which were classified
until 1981, effectively acquitted the monarchy. There is nothing to support the claim that Haijby was seduced by the king as a young boy, but most commentators believe that he had a sexual relationship with the king in the 1930s. It is well known that the king was homosexual, and in his old age he became rather uninhibited about it.
However, the fact that the Swedish court was prepared to pay Haijby such large sums to suppress his accusations has by some been taken as evidence that they were true.
(The News of the Day), Stockholm, April 9, 2008] http://www.expressen.se/kultur/1.1287207/lena-ebervall-och-per-samuelsson-ers-majestats-olycklige-kurtreview by Per Svensson of Lena Ebervall och Per Samuelsson's Ers Majestäts olycklige Kurt in Expressen
(The Express), Stockholm, September 3, 2008] http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur/bokrecensioner/article363905/Skandal-med-smak-av-damtidning.htmlreview by Lotta Lundberg of Lena Ebervall & Per E Samuelson's Ers majestäts olycklige Kurt in Sydsvenskan
(The South Swede), Malmö, September 2, 2008]
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in the 1950s, involving the conviction and imprisonment of Kurt Haijby for blackmail of King Gustaf V
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
.
Background
Haiby's wife, Anna Haijby, when learning about this, filed for divorce, citing her husband's sexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
relationship with the king as cause for divorce. Fearing that this would become known, court officials convinced the couple to settle for an amicable no-fault divorce. Haijby was encouraged to emigrate to the United States, where he was to receive 3,000 Swedish kronor from the royal court and start a new life. However, when he arrived in the USA, there was no money for him. He had to return to Sweden where he, unemployed and penniless, asked for support from the court.
During several years, money from the court financed a number of failed enterprises that Haijby tried. There is no evidence of outright blackmail on Haijby's part, but the court was obviously trying to buy his silence. In all, Haijby received 170,000 Swedish kronor from the court and perhaps much more from the king's private funds.
Haijby later claimed that he was the lover
Sexual partner
Sexual partners are people who engage in sexual activity together. The sexual partners can be of any gender or sexual orientation. The sexual partners may be in a committed relationship, either on an exclusive basis or not, or engage in the sexual activity on a casual basis...
of the king in the years between 1936 and 1947.
In 1938 Haijby was arrested for child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
and put in custody at the asylum of Beckomberga. This was the result of political pressure from the governor of Stockholm, Torsten Nothin. The psychiatrist in charge of the asylum did not believe that Haijby was in need of psychiatric care and eventually released him. The child abuse case was never brought to court.
A new deal was arranged where Haijby in 1938 was forced to emigrate to Nazi Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. There, he was put in prison by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, probably by request of the Swedish court. Unlike most Gestapo prisoners, Haijby was not tortured and, for most of the time, kept in decent conditions. Charges were then brought against him for sexual relations with a young boy. He was sentenced to prison and banished to Sweden after having served his sentence.
He was reunited with his ex-wife, who paid him a stipend using a police officer as a middleman. Haijby was to believe that the money came from the court.
In 1947 he published a roman à clef
Roman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
. The entire first printing was then bought by the court and destroyed. It was actually Haijby's ex-wife who paid. But the coverup effort proved to be in vain. The novel was reprinted and distributed twice, in 1952 and 1979.
Haijby was again, because of political pressure, committed to an asylum.
In the meantime, another scandal, the Kejne affair
Kejne affair
The Kejne affair was a political affair in Sweden in the 1950s.In 1948, Karl-Erik Kejne , a pastor of the town mission, publicly accused groups of gay men of threatening him and making attempts on his life...
, had broken in the press where Vilhelm Moberg
Vilhelm Moberg
Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish author and historian, most commonly associated with his four novels known as The Emigrants Series.-Early life:...
was busy writing lengthy articles about homosexual conspiracies among the Swedish officials.
The affair
In 1952, after a parody of a fair trial, Haijby was sentenced to eight years hard labor for blackmail, which in 1953 was reduced to six years by a court of appeals. Haijby committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1965 .
Haijby had reported the treatment he had received to the Swedish Chancellor of Justice
Chancellor of Justice
In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the lawfulness of government actions. The Chancellor does not have the power to strike down laws In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the...
. The results of the investigations, the bulk of which were classified
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
until 1981, effectively acquitted the monarchy. There is nothing to support the claim that Haijby was seduced by the king as a young boy, but most commentators believe that he had a sexual relationship with the king in the 1930s. It is well known that the king was homosexual, and in his old age he became rather uninhibited about it.
However, the fact that the Swedish court was prepared to pay Haijby such large sums to suppress his accusations has by some been taken as evidence that they were true.
External links
Gustav V, King of Sweden (1858-1950) GLBTQ En vargunge och hans majblommor Ett par rader om en fingerad skilsmässa, ett skumt rättsfall, en nervös hovkamarilla och en överskattad myndighetskritiker, Mats Parner, Folket i Bild, Kulturfront, 2007-12-15 http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1353&a=824150&rss=2356review by Lars Linder of Lena Ebervall and Per E. Samuelson's Ers majestäts olycklige Kurt (Your Majesty's Unhappy Kurt) in Dagens NyheterDagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
(The News of the Day), Stockholm, April 9, 2008] http://www.expressen.se/kultur/1.1287207/lena-ebervall-och-per-samuelsson-ers-majestats-olycklige-kurtreview by Per Svensson of Lena Ebervall och Per Samuelsson's Ers Majestäts olycklige Kurt in Expressen
Expressen
Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side....
(The Express), Stockholm, September 3, 2008] http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur/bokrecensioner/article363905/Skandal-med-smak-av-damtidning.htmlreview by Lotta Lundberg of Lena Ebervall & Per E Samuelson's Ers majestäts olycklige Kurt in Sydsvenskan
Sydsvenskan
-External links:*...
(The South Swede), Malmö, September 2, 2008]