29 Facts About Stig Synnergren

General Stig Gustaf Eugen Synnergren was a senior Swedish Army officer.

Stig Synnergren played a pivotal role during World War II, serving in the Ski Battalion and conducting intelligence operations in Northern Norway after the German occupation of Narvik.

Stig Synnergren held teaching positions and became a major while heading the Tactics Department.

Stig Synnergren led reorganization efforts and cutbacks in the Army and Navy.

Stig Synnergren was widely associated with military intelligence, particularly during the exposure of the secret intelligence agency IB.

Beyond his military career, Stig Synnergren held various positions of trust in organizations such as the Swedish Tourist Association, Swedish Ski Association, and corporate boards.

Stig Synnergren served on the board of the East Economic Office, a unique agency within Swedish military intelligence.

Stig Synnergren was famous for advancing from the rank of captain to becoming the "youngest general in the modern times" in just five years.

Stig Synnergren was born on 25 February 1915 in Overlulea Parish, Boden Municipality, Sweden, the son of Gosta Stig Synnergren, an engine driver, and his wife Sara.

Stig Synnergren's father was a Social Democratic city councilman in Boden and his mother was a Social Democratic member of the child welfare committee.

Stig Synnergren passed studentexamen in Lulea in 1936 with the grades A in physics and a in mathematics and chemistry.

Stig Synnergren was then admitted to the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Stig Synnergren had at this time no thought of becoming an officer.

The turning point of his life happened during a fall day in 1936 during the Berlin Olympics in which Stig Synnergren participated as a member of the Swedish gymnastics squad.

Stig Synnergren withdrew his application to the Royal Institute of Technology and decided to become an officer.

Stig Synnergren was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant in 1939 and served in the Ski Battalion in Kiruna during World War II and guarded the Norwegian border when Germany occupied Narvik.

Stig Synnergren graduated from the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1948 and became a cadet of the General Staff and then captain of the General Staff.

Stig Synnergren conducted studies in the Norwegian Army in 1950 and 1953, the British Army in 1951 and 1953 and the United States Army in 1951 and 1959.

Stig Synnergren was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1953 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1958.

Stig Synnergren was promoted to major in 1957 and was head of the Tactics Department at the Army Staff from 1958 to 1960.

Stig Synnergren studied at the Swedish National Defence College in 1960 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Svea Life Guards in 1961.

Stig Synnergren was in the media most closely associated with military intelligence as the secret intelligence agency IB was exposed during his time as Supreme Commander.

Stig Synnergren had during and after his military career a series of positions of trust.

Stig Synnergren was chief of His Majesty's Military Staff from 1978 to 1986, chairman of the Swedish Tourist Association from 1976 to 1987 and chairman of the Swedish Ski Association from 1973 to 1975.

Stig Synnergren was chairman of Stora AB from 1980 to 1986, Bergvik och Ala AB from 1981 and board member of Saab-Scania from 1981 to 1990, LKAB from 1982 to 1986, Saab Combitech from 1982 to 1990 and the International Ski Federation from 1976 to 1988.

Stig Synnergren was a board member of the East Economic Office, an agency which occupied a special position among the agencies engaged in the Swedish military intelligence.

In 1941, Stig Synnergren married junior school teacher Margit Lindgren, the daughter of the first office clerk at SJ, Anton Lindgren and his wife Anna Richardsson.

Stig Synnergren died on 28 April 2004 in Hedvig Eleonora Parish, Stockholm.

Stig Synnergren spent the last time of his life in Saltsjobaden Hospital.