Denmark
In October 1943, Denmark’s citizens united to save nearly all of it’s Jewish population from certain death at the hands of the Nazis. The country’s citizens, in a remarkable feat of determination and courage, hid its Jewish population in homes, hospitals, and churches. In the ensuing days, almost all of the country’s Jewish population was brought to the coast and smuggled in small boats to safety in neutral Sweden.
Denmark in Wartime
In April 1940, the Third Reich invaded the Danish kingdom and occupied it.
Until 1943, the occupation policy was rather moderate, and Danish Jews were left untouched. However, in the fourth year of German control, the atmosphere grew more tense, leading to strikes and uprisings among the Danish people in August. The Nazi administration responded with severe restrictions, many of which affected the Jewish community.
The deportation of Danish Jews to concentration camps was to remain a secret and was ordered to begin on October 1, 1943, the start of the Rosh Hashanah holiday. Thanks to the early warning of Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, a German diplomat, the plan was leaked to the Jews, and word spread quickly throughout the community. Spontaneous actions followed among the Danish resistance and the larger population: Jews were hidden in hospitals, churches, and Danish homes. The escape from Denmark was under way.
Through the vigorous efforts of Danes from all walks of life, over 7,000 Jews managed to escape to Sweden.
Not all members of the Jewish community were saved by these efforts. Several hundred, mostly the old and infirm, could not escape arrest. These individuals were sent to the concentration camp Theresienstadt. But the deprotees had better conditions in the camp due to constnat pressure from the Danish administration and Red Cross on the German camp administrators.
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