Online exhibition united states holocaust memorial museum. It is one of the great untold stories of world war ii. The autumn of 20 marked the 70th anniversary of the rescue of the jews of denmark. A danish ambulance driver huddled over a copenhagen phone book, circling jewish names. Rabbi lau and the rescue of danish jews the jerusalem post. As the rescuers narratives in this remarkable volume show, the acts of saving jews seemed spontaneous and natural, and thus the mystery of the rescue act begins to unravel radiantly. At present, the jewish community of denmark constitutes a small minority of about 6,000 persons within danish society. The danish resistance movement, with the assistance of many danish citizens, managed to evacuate 7,220 of denmarks 7,800 jews, plus 686 nonjewish spouses, by sea to nearby neutral. Throughout the holocaust, millions of people silently stood by while they saw jews, roma gypsies, and other enemies of the reich being rounded up and deported. With the help of the danish people, they found hiding places in homes, hospitals, and churches. The rescue of the danish jews in the latter half of 1943. Bibliography of books about the danish resistance during. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. How this brave young woman saved danish jews from nazis duration.
Book examines how jews of denmark were saved from the. The danish rescue effort was unique because it was nationwide. On october 1, 1943, nazi leader adolf hitler ordered danish jews to be arrested and deported. Historians describe those weeks as the rescue of the danish jews. Nazi germany wanted to encourage the cooperation of denmark and knew that singling out the danish jews and persecuting them would result in wide opposition.
The jewish publication society of america, philadelphia, 1969. A conspiracy of decency is about the rescue of danish jews during wwii. Danish jews reached safety its one of the great untold stories of world war ii. Sixtyfive hundred were danish jews, and 1,500 were refugees from germany, austria and czechoslovakia. Within a few weeks, fishermen helped ferry some 7,200 danish jews and 680 nonjewish family members to safety across the narrow body of water separating denmark from sweden. Why did jews in some countries in particular denmark fare better than in. This book presents insight into the rescue of danish jews, and the very unusual circumstances that allowed this to happencircumstances not even imagined in brutally germanoccupied poland. On september 28, 1943, georg ferdinand duckwitz, a german diplomat, secretly informed the danish resistance that the nazis were planning to deport the. The danish resistance movement with the assistance of. Scandinavian countries to the rescue of concentration camp prisoners. The amazing story of the rescue of 97% of the danish jews during ww2 and life today with a jewish guide on this tour i will tell you my personal story of the rescue of my own family and the miraculous rescue of the rest of the 7, 000 danish jews during the second world war. Why did jews in some countries in particular denmark fare better than in others. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. As the rescuers narratives in this remarkable volume.
Since denmarks population then was about 4 million, it means that, at its height at the end of the war, less than 1% of the danish population consisted of freedom fighters. The rescue operation expanded to include participation by the danish resistance, the police, and the government. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. The history of the jews in denmark goes back to the 1600s. Rescue of the danish jews moral courage under stress pdf. A nation takes action facing history and ourselves. Danish jewrescue deconstructed polishjewish relations. In 1943, in germanoccupied denmark, the danish people find out that all 7,500 danish jews are about to be rounded up and deported to german concentration camps. A new book published by the danish jewish museum uncovers the human consequences of the world famous rescue of the danish jews from nazi persecution. William shirer the mystery of the rescue phenomenon will probably always elude us. In 1943, goldberger and his family lived in copenhagen, quite close to the gestapo headquarters. A danish ambulance driver huddled over a copenhagen phone book, circling. The rescue of the danish jews occurred during nazi germany s occupation of denmark during world war ii. The book focus on a family that was active in the rescue and evacuation process.
An essay by a leading danish historian and an analysis by the great church historian jaroslav pelikan are supplemented by personal, often quite gripping, recollections. In an early scene, a few seaside residents discuss what they will charge the jews hoping to escape. As the rescuers narratives in this remarkable volume show, the acts of saving jews seemed spontaneous and natural, and thus the mystery of the rescue act. Nor did they do anything to help jews and other victims of nazi policies. The danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 jews to safety in nearby neutral sweden. The rescue of the danish jews in october 1943 is a unique story. It was the only nazioccupied country to rescue almost all of its jewish. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The rescue of danish jews map jewish virtual library. World war, 19391945, jews, rescue, joden, ethnic relations, judenverfolgung, hulpverlening, world war 19391945 fast ocolcfst01180924. He is also a survivor of what has come to be known as the miracle rescue of the danish jews. Examines the rescue of the danish jews during world war ii, incl.
Why 90 percent of danish jews survived the holocaust history. On our jewish tours through copenhagen, we will introduce you to the amazing story of danish jewry. Knud dybys involvement in the rescue of the danish jews and the danish resistance. D4 b94 2011 examines the rescue of the danish jews during world war ii, including background on denmark and the holocaust, firsthand accounts from the many people involved, and how thousands of jews were saved from the nazis. Rescue in denmark most individuals in occupied europe did not actively collaborate in the nazi genocide. The miraculousseeming rescue of over 90 percent of danish jews. Danish citizens spontaneously make their own decision. Danish jewrescue iconoclasm polishjewish relations. Brave fishermen, farmers, bishops, nurses and even the danish king helpe. Spared from the holocaust by his countrymen, a jewish.
The danish resistance movement, with the assistance of many danish citizens, managed to evacuate 7,220 of denmark s 7,800 jews, plus 686 non jewish spouses, by sea to nearby neutral sweden. Five personal narratives of desperate flight plans and imprisonment are recounted by jews of various ages. The rescue of the danish jews also a commonly used term for this particular episode of history, and i think it is hard to think of a title for the article that would be more descriptive or more easily recognised. The communitys population peaked prior to the holocaust at which time the danish resistance movement with the assistance of many ordinary danish citizens took part in a collective effort to evacuate about 8,000. Word spread like wildfire, and the nation from king christian x, civil servants, and church leaders to ordinary people rallied to save danish jews from nazi persecution. All the way back from when the first jews were invited by king christian 4th in 1622, up to the present time. Copenhagendenmark tour jewish museum and rescue route. The rescue of the danish jews during world war ii werner, emmy e. Introduction to danish rescue in the holocaust before the war, approximately 8,000 jews lived in denmark. In little more than three weeks, the danes ferried more than 7,000 jews and close to 700 of their nonjewish relatives to sweden, which accepted the danish refugees. The mystery of the rescue phenomenon will probably always elude us. Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at wars end denmark had one of the highest jewish survival rates for.
A history of jews in denmark, beginning with the 1622 invitation by king christian iv and ending with. In 1943, in the german occupied denmark, the danes find out that all 7,500 danish jews are about to be rounded up and deported to german death camps. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Across the waters inspired by danish rescue of jews. Detailed account of the rescue of the danish jewry, discussing the dramatic clash between antisemitic nazism and danish democracy which convulsed denmark in the first days of october, 1943. Jewish copenhagen tours with the best local jewish. This book is a work of fiction but based on true accounts of how the nonjewish danes facilitated the escape of danish jews and their evacuation to sweden. Despite invading denmark in april 1940, the germans let denmark function as a semisovereign state. Some simply contacted friends and asked them to go through telephone books and warn those with jewishsounding names to go into hiding. The boat pictured below and several others like it were used by one of the earliest rescue operations organized by a group of danes codenamed the helsingor sewing club. When hitler ordered that danish jews be arrested and deported on 12 october 1943, many danes took part in a collective effort to evacuate the roughly 8,000 jew s. These movingly told stories restore our faith in the human spirit. After the rescue jewish identity and community in contemporary.
As soon as hed heard the newsthat all of denmarks jews would be. This book explores the questions that such inclusion raises for the danish jews, and what their answers can tell us about the meaning of religion, ethnicity and. Why 90 percent of danish jews survived the holocaust. How denmark saved its jews from the nazis abc news. Our book servers hosts in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. In the first years of german occupation no antijewish legislation was enacted and the situation of the danish jews did not change much. Rescue of the danish jews wikimili, the best wikipedia. As soon as hed heard the newsthat all of denmark s jews would be deported by the nazis the next day. Rabbi lau and the rescue of danish jews in a demonstration of both defiance and solidarity the people of denmark helped their jewish countrymen escape by boat to neutral sweden. One must also remember that the height of the danish underground 1% of the danish population occurred well over a year after the famed rescue of the danish jews. The rescue of the danish jews goodreads share book. In rescue in denmark, published in the united states in 1963, harold flender described the rescue of the danish jews according to dozens of eyewitness accounts that are filled with praise.
362 620 321 535 1180 26 1434 16 9 260 241 720 171 1456 968 83 341 854 609 1409 666 613 767 256 1133 81 6 1217 499 1399 308 891 1110 1470 264 999 1081