Nils Holmberg
Encyclopedia
Nils Gösta Holmberg was a communist leader in Sweden
. Holmberg was born on December 23, 1902 in Stockholm
. Holmberg was a member of the Young Communist League of Sweden (SKU). From 1926 to 1929 he was a member of the executive committee of SKU. Later on, the became a leading member of the mother party, the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP). In 1933 he was inducted into the Central Committee of the party, a position he held until 1956.
From 1933 to 1958 he was a member of the board of the Communist Arbetarkommun
of Göteborg and a member of the municipal council of the city from 1935 to 1944. He was also the editor of the daily newspaper of the party in Göteborg, Arbetarbladet. During the Second World War the government imposed a ban on transporting the publication. The newspaper was confiscated 34 times by the police, and thrice did the confiscations lead to charges against it. Twice did the court sentence the responsible publisher to imprisonment. However, Holmberg was not jailed as the newspaper had officially registered an individual party member as the publisher of the newspaper.http://www.jmg.gu.se/fsmk/papers/oden.html
During the war Holmberg publicly criticized, in his function as a municipal councilor, the government policy of putting communists into camps (officially these camps were military units to which the communists were drafted, but practice they were prison camps). Holmberg called them 'concentration camps', and highlighted the fact that the government simultaneously had several Nazis as military officers.http://vasterbottensinitiativet.skelleftea.org/document/2005/04/29_1.html
In 1944 Holmberg was elected to the Riksdag
(the Swedish parliament). In 1946, following the municipal elections in which SKP had won 11.2% of the nationwide vote, Holmberg left the Riksdag to return to municipal politics in Göteborg. With the SKP strengthened Holmberg became the vice chairman of the municipal council. He would represent the party in the council up to 1958.
During the period after the Second World War, the party shifted its policy and started favouring more alliances with the Social Democrats
. Holmberg, together with fellow Göteborg party cadre Knut Senander, now formed part of the leftist minority opposed to this development. The opposition to the party leadership was led by Set Persson
from Stockholm
. However, at the time of the 1953 party congress, Holmberg and Senander were back in the party fold and fiercely denounced Persson as an egoist and saboteur.
At the time of the Sino-Soviet split
, Holmberg became a leading figure of the small pro-Chinese
wing, here the group around him in Göteborg formed a vital part. In some ways the grouping around Holmberg found common ground with the reformist anti-Soviet elements in the party, albeit only on a superficial level.
In 1967 Holmberg took part in a split away from SKP. His group and a somewhat larger faction (in relative terms) of young party members and sympathizers launched a new organization, the Communist League Marxist-Leninists
(KFML). Holmberg became a member of the Central Committee of KFML. He was appoint Secretary of Studies in the Central Committee. Holmberg had an important role in the organization, being the only member with roots in the traditional communist leadership. He held his position in the Central Committee until 1973.
Holmberg worked extensively as a translator, translating the 'Great Polemic', 'Mein Kampf
' and texts of Mao Zedong
into Swedish. Holmberg also published various literary and political works, like Per Stigmans äventyr, Till kamp för Sveriges kommunistiska parti, Fredlig kontrarevolution, Hur ungdomen arbetar samt varför den bör ansluta sig till Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomsförbund and Mot rådande vind: kommunistiska texter (edited by Robert Aschberg
).
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....
. Holmberg was born on December 23, 1902 in Stockholm
Stockholm
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...
. Holmberg was a member of the Young Communist League of Sweden (SKU). From 1926 to 1929 he was a member of the executive committee of SKU. Later on, the became a leading member of the mother party, the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP). In 1933 he was inducted into the Central Committee of the party, a position he held until 1956.
From 1933 to 1958 he was a member of the board of the Communist Arbetarkommun
Arbetarkommun
Arbetarkommun alt. Arbetarekommun is the municipal unit of Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Arbetareparti . An arbetarkommun consists of several base level party units, workplace units, etc....
of Göteborg and a member of the municipal council of the city from 1935 to 1944. He was also the editor of the daily newspaper of the party in Göteborg, Arbetarbladet. During the Second World War the government imposed a ban on transporting the publication. The newspaper was confiscated 34 times by the police, and thrice did the confiscations lead to charges against it. Twice did the court sentence the responsible publisher to imprisonment. However, Holmberg was not jailed as the newspaper had officially registered an individual party member as the publisher of the newspaper.http://www.jmg.gu.se/fsmk/papers/oden.html
During the war Holmberg publicly criticized, in his function as a municipal councilor, the government policy of putting communists into camps (officially these camps were military units to which the communists were drafted, but practice they were prison camps). Holmberg called them 'concentration camps', and highlighted the fact that the government simultaneously had several Nazis as military officers.http://vasterbottensinitiativet.skelleftea.org/document/2005/04/29_1.html
In 1944 Holmberg was elected to the Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
(the Swedish parliament). In 1946, following the municipal elections in which SKP had won 11.2% of the nationwide vote, Holmberg left the Riksdag to return to municipal politics in Göteborg. With the SKP strengthened Holmberg became the vice chairman of the municipal council. He would represent the party in the council up to 1958.
During the period after the Second World War, the party shifted its policy and started favouring more alliances with the Social Democrats
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
. Holmberg, together with fellow Göteborg party cadre Knut Senander, now formed part of the leftist minority opposed to this development. The opposition to the party leadership was led by Set Persson
Set Persson
Set Persson was a Swedish communist leader.Persson was born on March 5, 1897 in Stockholm, but as an orphan he was raised by relatives in Hälsingland. He was a good student in school, but left his studies at the age of 14 to start to work in the railroads. Soon he joined the Social Democratic...
from Stockholm
Stockholm
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...
. However, at the time of the 1953 party congress, Holmberg and Senander were back in the party fold and fiercely denounced Persson as an egoist and saboteur.
At the time of the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
, Holmberg became a leading figure of the small pro-Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
wing, here the group around him in Göteborg formed a vital part. In some ways the grouping around Holmberg found common ground with the reformist anti-Soviet elements in the party, albeit only on a superficial level.
In 1967 Holmberg took part in a split away from SKP. His group and a somewhat larger faction (in relative terms) of young party members and sympathizers launched a new organization, the Communist League Marxist-Leninists
Communist Party of Sweden (1967)
Kommunistiska Förbundet Marxist-Leninisterna was formed at the 1967 party congress of VPK, when a pro-Chinese group left the party.-1967–1980:...
(KFML). Holmberg became a member of the Central Committee of KFML. He was appoint Secretary of Studies in the Central Committee. Holmberg had an important role in the organization, being the only member with roots in the traditional communist leadership. He held his position in the Central Committee until 1973.
Holmberg worked extensively as a translator, translating the 'Great Polemic', 'Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
' and texts of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
into Swedish. Holmberg also published various literary and political works, like Per Stigmans äventyr, Till kamp för Sveriges kommunistiska parti, Fredlig kontrarevolution, Hur ungdomen arbetar samt varför den bör ansluta sig till Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomsförbund and Mot rådande vind: kommunistiska texter (edited by Robert Aschberg
Robert Aschberg
Robert Aschberg is a Swedish journalist and TV personality on TV3. Robert is the grandson of Olof Aschberg.-External links:...
).