Harry Söderman
Encyclopedia
Harry Söderman was a Swedish police officer and criminalist.
He was a pioneer of modern criminology in Scandinavia, and the first head of the National Laboratory of Forensic Science in Sweden between 1939 and 1953.
as the son of crown bailiff Pehr Söderman and hotel manager Karolina Olivia Sahlin. He was married twice, last time with veterinarian Ingrid Signe Elisabeth Beckman. He died in Tanger in 1956.
in 1920, studied chemistry in Altenburg
in Germany, and graduated as forestry engineer in 1924. In the mid 1920s he made a long journey on bicycle, first from Sweden to Istanbul
, and further to India, Burma and China. He had signed a contract with a police magazine, to which he delivered travelling letters, and during the journey he made detailed studies on how the local police solved their tasks. From 1926 he studied forensic science with Edmond Locard
, and graduated from the University of Lyon
in 1928 with a doctoral thesis on the identification of gun bullets. In 1930 he was appointed lecturer in forensic sciences at the Stockholms Högskola. From 1934 he contributed with the organization of the police laboratories in New York City
. In 1939 he was appointed the first head of the National Laboratory of Forensic Science in Sweden, and held this position until 1953.
During the last part of World War II
Söderman was in charge of the education of Danish and Norwegian police troops in exile in Sweden
. He became famous for his role in the liberation of political prisoners in Oslo 7 May 1945 (while assuming the role of self-appointed vice police chief in Oslo for a few hours), including the detainees at the Grini concentration camp and at the prisons Møllergata 19
and Victoria Terrasse
. Söderman happened to be in Oslo on 7 May, negotiating with Fehlis
, when the German capitulation was announced on radio. Fearing the consequence of a vacuum in Oslo, he asked Fehlis for a car and a Gestapo officer with permission to enter the prisons. He then drove to Grini, called commander Zeidler and ordered him to arrange an assembly, first for the 5,000 male prisoners, then the 500 female prisoners. From Grini he drove to Møllergata 19 and then to Victoria Terrasse. He gave the Nazi-loyal police chief Askvig
house arrest per telephone, and arranged for Milorg
personnel and the undercover police management to take over responsibility.
Söderman was the founder of the magazine Nordisk Kriminalteknisk Tidsskrift, and edited this magazine for several years. Later children's writer Astrid Lindgren
worked as a secretary for Söderman from 1940 to 1941, and Söderman is regarded as being the model for her literary character, the detective "Kalle Blomkvist
".
He was a pioneer of modern criminology in Scandinavia, and the first head of the National Laboratory of Forensic Science in Sweden between 1939 and 1953.
Personal life
Söderman was born in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
as the son of crown bailiff Pehr Söderman and hotel manager Karolina Olivia Sahlin. He was married twice, last time with veterinarian Ingrid Signe Elisabeth Beckman. He died in Tanger in 1956.
Career
Söderman graduated from the chemical college in MalmöMalmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
in 1920, studied chemistry in Altenburg
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
in Germany, and graduated as forestry engineer in 1924. In the mid 1920s he made a long journey on bicycle, first from Sweden to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and further to India, Burma and China. He had signed a contract with a police magazine, to which he delivered travelling letters, and during the journey he made detailed studies on how the local police solved their tasks. From 1926 he studied forensic science with Edmond Locard
Edmond Locard
Dr. Edmond Locard was a pioneer in forensic science who became known as the Sherlock Holmes of France. He formulated the basic principle of forensic science: "Every contact leaves a trace"...
, and graduated from the University of Lyon
University of Lyon
The University of Lyon , located in Lyon and Saint Etienne, France, is a center for higher education and research comprising 16 institutions of higher education...
in 1928 with a doctoral thesis on the identification of gun bullets. In 1930 he was appointed lecturer in forensic sciences at the Stockholms Högskola. From 1934 he contributed with the organization of the police laboratories in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1939 he was appointed the first head of the National Laboratory of Forensic Science in Sweden, and held this position until 1953.
During the last part of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Söderman was in charge of the education of Danish and Norwegian police troops in exile in Sweden
Norwegian police troops in Sweden during World War II
The Norwegian police troops in Sweden during World War II consisted of around 13,000 troops, recruited from Norwegian refugees and trained at a number of secret camps in Sweden.-Background:...
. He became famous for his role in the liberation of political prisoners in Oslo 7 May 1945 (while assuming the role of self-appointed vice police chief in Oslo for a few hours), including the detainees at the Grini concentration camp and at the prisons Møllergata 19
Møllergata 19
Møllergata 19 is an address in Oslo, Norway where the city's main police station and jail was located. The address gained notoriety during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945, when the Nazi security police kept its headquarters here...
and Victoria Terrasse
Victoria Terrasse
Victoria Terrasse is a building complex in central Oslo, Norway.Built in the 1880s, it was taken over the by Norwegian government in 1913 and put to use by the police and various political departments....
. Söderman happened to be in Oslo on 7 May, negotiating with Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis was an SS officer during World War II, most noted for his command of the Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst in Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany....
, when the German capitulation was announced on radio. Fearing the consequence of a vacuum in Oslo, he asked Fehlis for a car and a Gestapo officer with permission to enter the prisons. He then drove to Grini, called commander Zeidler and ordered him to arrange an assembly, first for the 5,000 male prisoners, then the 500 female prisoners. From Grini he drove to Møllergata 19 and then to Victoria Terrasse. He gave the Nazi-loyal police chief Askvig
Bernhard Askvig
Bernhard Askvig was a Norwegian police officer and Nazi collaborator during the German occupation of Norway from 1940 to 1945. He was chief of police in Aker at the time of Operation Weserübung and helped escort the invading Germans into Oslo. He was inserted as chief of police in Oslo later in...
house arrest per telephone, and arranged for Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
personnel and the undercover police management to take over responsibility.
Söderman was the founder of the magazine Nordisk Kriminalteknisk Tidsskrift, and edited this magazine for several years. Later children's writer Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
worked as a secretary for Söderman from 1940 to 1941, and Söderman is regarded as being the model for her literary character, the detective "Kalle Blomkvist
Bill Bergson
Bill Bergson is a fictional boy detective created by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.Lindgren's detective story is of Bill Bergson, a more-or-less ordinary Swedish boy with an extraordinary fascination for detective work...
".
Selected works
- Modern criminal investigation (1935) (co-written with John J. O'ConnellJohn J. O'ConnellJohn J. O'Connell was an American law enforcement officer and police inspector with the New York City Police Department...
) - Minnesbok för kriminalpolismän (1938)
- Skandinaviskt mellanspel. Norska och danska trupper i Sverige (1945)