Arne Helleryd

Arne Helleryd
Born
Bror Arne Lennart Helleryd

(1920-01-29)29 January 1920
Örebro, Sweden
Died1 November 2009(2009-11-01) (aged 89)
Allerum, Sweden
Alma materGothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law
OccupationDiplomat
Years active1946–1985
Spouse
Ida Vizenzinovich
​
​
(m. 1947; died 1996)​
Children1

Bror Arne Lennart Helleryd (29 January 1920 – 1 November 2009) was a Swedish diplomat whose career in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs began in 1946. Early on, he was posted to Shanghai, where during the Chinese Civil War (1949–1951) he served as Sweden's only representative in China.

He subsequently held diplomatic positions in Copenhagen, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, and New York City. From 1976 to 1978, he served as ambassador to several Central American countries, where he became involved in high-profile consular matters, including a kidnapping case in El Salvador. He was then appointed ambassador to Addis Ababa (1978–1982), with concurrent accreditation to several neighboring countries, and later served as envoy in Pretoria (1982–1985).

Early life

Helleryd was born on 29 January 1920 in Örebro, Sweden, the son of managing director Edvin Helleryd and Elsa (née Gustafson).[1] He had two brothers and one sister.[2]

He passed his upper secondary school examination in 1940 and obtained a Master of Science in Business and Economics degree from the Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law in 1945.[3][1] He was a member of the Swedish Association of Economists (Svenska civilekonomföreningen).[3]

Career

Helleryd's first appointment was with the National Swedish Price Control Board (Statens priskontrollnämnd) in 1946.[2] That same year, he became a secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tasked with investigating financial irregularities at Sweden's Consulate General in Shanghai.[2] Because of the Chinese Civil War, Helleryd was, between 1949 and 1951, the ministry's only posted official in China, representing Sweden—including during hours-long victory parades for Mao Zedong.[2]

He was appointed attaché at the ministry in 1951, posted to the embassy in Copenhagen in 1952, and became embassy secretary in Rio de Janeiro in 1955. He returned to the ministry as first secretary in 1959 and was promoted to senior administrative officer (byrådirektör) in 1963. In 1964 he was appointed counsellor at the embassy in Mexico City, and in 1969 he became consul in New York City. From 1976 to 1978, he served as ambassador to Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Managua, and San José.[1] During his time in Latin America, he was involved in the case of the kidnapped Swedish LM Ericsson executive Kjell Björk in San Salvador in August 1978.[4]

He then served as ambassador in Addis Ababa from 1978 to 1982, with concurrent accreditation to Aden (1978–1981), Antananarivo (1978–1981), and Port Louis (1978–1981).[5][6] In August 1979, Helleryd was also accredited to Djibouti City, where Sweden had not previously had an ambassador.[7]

In Ethiopia, he was involved in the case of the adult education teacher Göran Göransson, who was arrested at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in April 1981 for unclear reasons. Helleryd participated in security interrogations of Göransson and contacted various ministries in Addis Ababa in efforts to secure his release.[8] The following year, in March 1982, Helleryd was involved in the case of aid expert Sture Bäcklund, who had been imprisoned in Addis Ababa. Despite his diplomatic immunity, Bäcklund was accused of "associating with separatist bandits," referring to the resistance movement in Eritrea Province.[9]

He subsequently served as envoy in Pretoria from 1982 to 1985.[1]

Personal life

In 1947, Helleryd married Ida Amy Maud Vizenzinovich (31 August 1909 in Shanghai, China – 6 November 1996 in Somerset West, South Africa).[3][10][11] They had one daughter, Cristina (born 1956).[3]

After retiring in September 1985, Helleryd remained in South Africa and settled in Franschhoek.[1] His decision to stay was criticized by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Pierre Schori. The move drew significant attention and resulted in a full-page article in the South African newspaper Sunday Times on 27 January 1986, which described Helleryd as "the strangest of all defectors" and noted that his residence in South Africa was considered a scandal in Sweden.[12]

He then lived in Southern France from 2000 to 2002 before returning to Sweden, where he settled in Hittarp in Helsingborg Municipality.[2]

Death

Hellryd died on 1 November 2009 in Allerum. He was interred on 29 January 2010 in his parents grave Northern Cemetery in his hometown of Örebro.[10]

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 478. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Arne Helleryd till minne" [In memory of Arne Helleryd]. Helsingborgs Dagblad (in Swedish). 13 November 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1962). Vem är vem? [Who's Who?] (in Swedish). Vol. 1, Stor–Stockholm (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem bokförlag. p. 541. SELIBR 53509.
  4. ^ Magnergård, Omar (16 August 1978). "El Salvador: Svensk LM-chef bortrövad. Krisstab inväntar lösenkrav" [El Salvador: Swedish LM manager kidnapped. Crisis staff awaits ransom demand]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 4. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  5. ^ Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1981). Sveriges statskalender 1981 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Liber. pp. 347–348, 355–356. ISBN 91-38-06008-6. SELIBR 3682762.
  6. ^ Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1982). Sveriges statskalender 1982 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Liber/Allmänna. pp. 359–360. ISBN 9138067307. SELIBR 3682763.
  7. ^ Westtorp, Hans, ed. (17 August 1979). "namn i dag: Arne Helleryd" [names of today: Arne Helleryd]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 13. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  8. ^ Berndt, Roland (22 April 1981). "Svensk i etiopisk arrest: Vållande oro på hög nivå" [Swede in Ethiopian arrest: Causing concern at a high level]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 7. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  9. ^ Porne, Lars (26 March 1982). "UD kallade upp diplomat" [Foreign Ministry summons diplomat]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 9. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Helleryd, Bror Arne Lennart". svenskagravar.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Döda" [Deaths]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 9 November 1996. p. 23. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Svensk "avhoppare" omtalad i Sydafrika" [Swedish "defector" talked about in South Africa]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 28 January 1986. p. 4. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Klockor för lång redlighet på UD" [Watches for long integrity at the Foreign Ministry]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 28 August 1976. p. 8. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Två storskors i höstens ordensregn" [Two grand crosses in the autumn rain of orders]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2 December 1973. p. 8. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
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