Carl Lundström

Carl Lundström was a Swedish archivist who became involved with David Irving in early 2022 to digitize Irving's historical archives, but the relationship ended in acrimony when Irving accused Lundström of exceeding his authority and improperly disposing of valuable property.

Background and Credentials

Professional Role

• Archivist specializing in historical document digitization
• Associated with what Irving termed "the David Irving Institute"
• Working with Swedish associates on historical preservation projects
• Contact through email: carl@lundstrom.com

Associates

• Fredrik Bermar: Primary contact and coordinator
• Klaus [surname unclear]: Technical associate
• Part of a small team focused on digitizing historical archives

Initial Agreement with Irving

Project Scope

The initial arrangement involved:

• Digitizing Irving's extensive historical archives
• Creating online access for researchers
• Temporary custody of materials for digitization
• What Irving understood to be an "inter-library loan" arrangement

Irving's Understanding

Irving believed the agreement involved:

• Limited digitization rights only
• Temporary custody of specified materials
• Return of all materials after digitization
• No authorization to dispose of any property

The Archive Controversy (May-June 2022)

Escalation Timeline

May 12, 2022: Lundström and associates visited Irving's Slough storage unit May 19, 2022: Returned to dispose of materials Lundström deemed worthless May 23, 2022: Lundström cancelled shipment to Sweden May 24, 2022: Irving terminated the relationship

Disputed Actions

Irving accused Lundström of:

Unauthorized Removal

• Taking far more materials than agreed
• Removing private family property and personal items
• Shipping materials to Sweden without proper documentation
• Exceeding any reasonable interpretation of his authority

Property Destruction

• Disposing of expensive office equipment without permission:

- Xerox DC550 copier (£12,000 value) - Canon microfilm reader

• Using unauthorized disposal company (Frontline Removals Ltd)
• Irving: "effectively stolen mine and destroyed them" (2022-05-24)

Private Property Seizure

• Over 100 private 16mm family films
• Irving's personal library (300+ books)
• Private photographs and family documents
• 50+ original microfilms
• Personal furniture and household items

Lundström's Responses

Initial Justifications

Lundström defended his actions by claiming:

• Irving had authorized the removal
• Equipment was old and expensive to store
• Better printers were available cheaply
• He was trying to save Irving money on storage costs

Communication Pattern

• Often unresponsive to Irving's specific questions
• Provided vague or evasive answers
• Eventually withdrew from direct communication
• Final message: "I have done what I can and will now concentrate my efforts elsewhere"

Alleged Inconsistencies

Irving noted suspicious elements:

• Misspelling of his own email address
• Lack of proper identification or credentials
• Vague responses about storage locations
• Quick abandonment when challenged

Business Relationships

Shipping Arrangements

Lundström organized international shipping through:

• Leman Transportation: UK-Sweden freight service
• Multiple pallets of materials prepared for Sweden shipment
• Complex customs documentation requirements
• Shipping costs and storage fees accumulating

Financial Implications

The controversy created various costs:

• £595 quoted for return shipping from Leman
• Disposal fees paid to Frontline Removals
• Lost property value (thousands of pounds)
• Storage reorganization costs for Irving

Irving's Assessment

Suspicions About Motivation

Irving began to suspect Lundström might be:

• Working for opposing interests
• Deliberately sabotaging Irving's archives
• Part of organized effort to damage Irving's work
• Not genuinely interested in historical preservation

Evidence of Problems

• Repeated insistence that he was not working for "the enemy"
• Fredrik Bermar's absence from previously planned Latvia tour
• Photographic surveillance of Irving during visits
• Quick disengagement when confronted with accusations

Irving's Final Assessment

"I suspect this Swedish 'gang' may in fact be 'the enemy'" (2022-05-24)

Professional Competence Questions

Archive Handling

• Apparent lack of understanding of historical document value
• Willingness to dispose of irreplaceable materials
• Poor communication about custody and ownership
• Inadequate documentation of materials handled

Business Practices

• Unauthorized property disposal
• Unresponsive customer service
• Abandonment of project when challenged
• Potential breach of implied contract terms

Communication Style

Email Patterns

Lundström's communications showed:

• Initially responsive and cooperative tone
• Increasing evasiveness when questioned
• Technical explanations that avoided core issues
• Final withdrawal from communication entirely

Language Issues

• Communications in English (Lundström's second language)
• Possible misunderstandings due to language barriers
• Technical terminology around shipping and customs
• Legal concepts around authorization and ownership

Resolution Attempts

Mediation Efforts

Fredrik Bermar attempted to mediate:

• Suggested continued collaboration with different personnel
• Offered face-to-face meetings to resolve disputes
• Maintained project was valuable for historical preservation
• Irving rejected further involvement

Property Recovery

• Leman shipping held materials pending payment
• Irving eventually decided against paying recovery costs
• Materials presumably remained in Sweden or were disposed of
• Irving wrote off losses rather than pursue legal action

Impact on Irving

Financial Losses

• Thousands of pounds in disposed equipment
• Lost archive materials accumulated over decades
• Recovery costs deemed too expensive relative to value
• Disruption to ongoing research and writing projects

Personal Impact

• Betrayal of trust in archive preservation project
• Worry and stress affecting sleep and health
• Distraction from primary work on Churchill Volume III
• Increased suspicion of potential collaborators

Professional Consequences

• Damaged materials included irreplaceable research resources
• Loss of digitization opportunity for historical archives
• Increased isolation from potential collaborative projects
• Reinforcement of independent, self-reliant approach

Legacy of the Relationship

Lessons for Irving

The Lundström affair reinforced Irving's:

• Preference for maintaining complete control over archives
• Suspicion of collaborative arrangements with unknown parties
• Importance of thorough vetting before trusting valuable materials
• Value of written agreements with explicit limitations

Broader Implications

The incident highlighted challenges facing independent historians:

• Vulnerability to exploitation by unscrupulous parties
• Difficulties in preserving and digitizing private archives
• Risks of international collaboration without legal frameworks
• Importance of professional credentials and references

Carl Lundström's involvement with David Irving represents a case study in how collaborative historical preservation projects can go wrong when expectations, authorizations, and professional standards are not clearly established and maintained. The controversy significantly impacted Irving's trust in collaborative arrangements and reinforced his preference for maintaining direct personal control over his historical materials and research operations.