Birger Furugård (8 December 1887 – 4 December 1961) was a Swedish politician and

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

. He hailed from Deje in

Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are '' ...

. During the 1920s Furugård became inspired by the advance of

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He made several trips to Germany, and met with

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

and

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

. In 1924 Furugård, together with his two brothers Gunnar and Sigurd, founded the Swedish National Socialist Freedom League. The following year the group was converted into the Swedish National Socialist Peasants and Workers Party. In 1930 Furugård's party merged with the

National Socialist People's Party of Sweden Fascist People's Party of Sweden (in Swedish: ''Sveriges Fascistiska Folkparti'') was a fascist and later Nazi political party in Sweden. History It was founded on 3 September 1926 by a circle around the fascist publication ''Nationen''. Its cadr ...

and formed the New Swedish National Socialist Party. Furugård became ''Riksledare'' (National Leader) of the party. Soon, the party changed its name to Swedish National Socialist Party (SNSP). In March 1931 Hitler and Joseph Goebbels were invited to speak at public meetings in Sweden, but the police chief in Stockholm refused to give permission.(6 May 2005)
Dagens läsning nr: Hitlers svenska soldater-5
Until 1933 Furugård was the main leader of the Swedish extreme right, and he was portrayed by his followers as future

Führer ( ; , spelled or ''Fuhrer'' when the umlaut is not available) is a German word meaning "leader" or " guide". As a political title, it is strongly associated with the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany cultivated the ("leader princip ...

of Sweden (

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

: ''riksledare'') in the event of a Nazi seizure of power. In 1933 the second-in-command

Sven Olov Lindholm Sven Olov Knutsson Lindholm (8 February 1903 – 26 April 1998) was a Swedish Nazi leader, active in far right politics from the 1920s to the 1950s. This included leading the Nazi party named Svensk socialistisk samling (SSS; literally "Swedis ...

formed the National Socialist Workers Party (NSAP), rapidly superseding Furugård as the most prominent Nazi leader in Sweden. In Swedish press and the public he was often called "Deje-Hitler". Furugård disbanded his party in 1936, following a meagre performance at the national election earlier that year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Furugard, Birger 1887 births 1961 deaths People from Årjäng Municipality Swedish politicians Swedish collaborators with Nazi Germany Swedish Nazis Swedish veterinarians Male veterinarians Swedish anti-communists Nazi politicians