
The Jewish Danielsson, whose mother survived Auschwitz, struck the skinhead during a march in the Swedish town of Växjö, 1985.
The photograph titled A Woman Hitting a Neo-Nazi with Her Handbag, captured by Hans Runesson on April 13, 1985, in Växjö, Sweden, has become an iconic image. I
t portrays a 38-year-old woman striking a Nazi skinhead with her handbag during a demonstration organized by supporters of the Nordic Reich Party.
Although the woman was relatively young, the angle of the shot, combined with her clothing, posture, and intense expression, lends her the appearance of someone much older. This visual contrast adds to the photograph’s striking impact.
Scholar Samuel Merrill highlights three key reasons for the image’s enduring appeal. First, it embodies what photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson described as the “decisive moment,” capturing the exact second of emotional and physical action.
Second, the photo suggests violence without explicitly showing it, allowing viewers to anticipate and interpret the confrontation.
Finally, it juxtaposes the perceived vulnerability of an older woman with the aggressive symbolism of a young Neo-Nazi, creating a powerful narrative of defiance and resistance.
The rally was scheduled to follow a public speech by Lars Werner, leader of the Left Party-Communists, in central Växjö.
However, tensions escalated even before the far-right demonstration began, as skirmishes broke out between left-wing supporters and Neo-Nazis.
Hans Runesson’s now-famous photograph was prominently featured on the front page of the Swedish national newspaper Dagens Nyheter the very next day.
By April 15, it had also appeared in British newspapers, including The Times and The Daily Express.
Another striking image captured by Runesson during the event depicts the dramatic aftermath: a group of 10 Neo-Nazis being chased and attacked by hundreds of people, including attendees of the left-wing rally and local Växjö residents.
The Neo-Nazis were met with a hail of eggs and physical confrontations, one of them was kicked unconscious on the ground, then saved by one of the protestors who reportedly took pity on him.
Ultimately, the far-right activists sought refuge in the city’s train station toilets, where they remained hidden for hours until police arrived to escort them away.
The woman featured in the photograph, Danuta Danielsson (née Seń), was born in March 1947 in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. She was Jewish and had three siblings.
Her mother was a Holocaust survivor who endured the horrors of a German concentration camp, reportedly either Auschwitz or Majdanek.
In 1981, Danuta met Björn “Beson” Danielsson at a jazz festival in Poland, and the two married later that year. The couple moved to Sweden in October 1982.
Following the iconic incident, Danielsson chose to remain anonymous, reportedly out of fear of legal consequences and potential retaliation from Neo-Nazis.
Early press coverage of her life was riddled with inaccuracies, leading to the formation of myths and misconceptions as her identity remained hidden from the public for nearly 30 years.
Despite being just 38 years old at the time of the photograph, she became emblematic of the tant—a figure in Swedish culture symbolizing quiet wisdom, moral courage, and civil resistance.
Tragically, Danielsson struggled with mental health issues. In 1988, three years after the event that brought her fleeting fame, she died by suicide, jumping from Växjö’s water tower.
The neo-Nazi’s name was Seppo Seluska who was a militant Nazi from the Nordic Reich Party, later convicted for murder. He tortured and murdered a Jewish homosexual later the same year.
In 2014 the Swedish sculptor Susanna Arwin made a miniature statue of Danielsson based on the photograph.
There was an initiative to erect a life-size bronze version of Arwin’s statue in the city of Växjö, but the project was blocked by local politicians of the Centre Party believing that such a statue might promote violence.
Also, the artist who was going to make the statue hadn’t asked the original photographer for permission. The photographer opposes the statue since he thinks the context of the image is too important to be removed.
In September 2015, Swedish hotel entrepreneur Lasse Diding announced he had bought the statue and intended to donate it to Varberg municipality.
The statue was later unveiled at Varberg Fortress, but the Varberg board of culture voted in April 2016 not to accept the donation.
Runesson’s photograph was selected as the Swedish Picture of the Year (Årets bild) 1985 and later as the Picture of the Century by the magazine Vi and the Photographic Historical Society of Sweden.
(Photo credit: Hans Runesson).