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Die Ausnahme
Historiker Bo Lidegaard nimmt - auch anhand von bewegenden Zeitzeugenberichten - die Tage im Oktober 1943 in den Blick, die in der Geschichte der Shoa eine bemerkenswerte Ausnahme darstellen. Die dramatischen Ereignisse dieser Tage und die besondere Haltung, mit der ein auf demokratische Grundwerte eingeschworenes Land diesen Ereignissen begegnete, machen nachvollziehbar, wie die große Mehrheit der Juden in Dänemark der Vernichtung entkam.
591 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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January 2, 2020
Countrymen covers an important story: the evacuation of Danish Jews during WWII.
After a swift Nazi invasion and quick Danish capitulation in early 1940, Denmark was largely left with limited Nazi oversight for the first three years. In fact there were only eighty Nazi and Wermacht administrators in Denmark as opposed to more than 20,000 in Vichy France.
By late 1943 Danish officials were already aware of the genocide being perpetrated against the Jews by the Nazis in Poland and elsewhere. The Danish constitution with its explicit support of equal rights for minorities was ingrained in most of the Danish populace and the officials and citizens were staunchly against any roundup In Copenhagen. Nazi officials, up to that point, had been very careful not to upset the Danish populace on the issue of anti-semitism.
However Himmler and Hitler had grown impatient with delays to their Final Solution and a roundup was planned for October 1, 1943. Ships were secured for captured Jews and their transportation to Germany and on to the concentration camps.
Werner Best and his assistant George Duckwitz were the senior Nazi officials in charge in Denmark. There is evidence that both men surreptitiously alerted Danish leaders in advance of the raid. Most of the Jewish community went into hiding hours before the raid and some were already being smuggled across the channel to Sweden in fishing boats. As a result only 200 Jews were captured and deported to concentration camps in Czechoslovakia. The story here is sad but most of the focus was on how the others escaped. While the motives behind the warning are not entirely clear it is thought in Best’s case he did so because it made his relationship more manageable with the Danes and could prevent an uprising. He had some latitude here in his report to Himmler by blaming the lack of success on the Wermarcht and he could explain to Danish officials that it was Hitler’s directive. In the case of Duckwitz, who was clearly anti-Semitic, he was concerned about potential retaliation against Nazi officials, like himself, after the war ended. There was also some apathy on the part of the Wermacht in Denmark although the reasons were not explored.
3.5 stars. I learned a lot about this intriguing period in October 1943 when almost all the 6,000 Jewish Danes and stateless Jews in Denmark were evacuated safely to Sweden. However the stories were much drier than they should have been — largely lacking a personal connection. The author might have benefited from more research to bring in more of a human element to the stories. I would have liked to know what happened to the families and subsequent generations after the war.
After a swift Nazi invasion and quick Danish capitulation in early 1940, Denmark was largely left with limited Nazi oversight for the first three years. In fact there were only eighty Nazi and Wermacht administrators in Denmark as opposed to more than 20,000 in Vichy France.
By late 1943 Danish officials were already aware of the genocide being perpetrated against the Jews by the Nazis in Poland and elsewhere. The Danish constitution with its explicit support of equal rights for minorities was ingrained in most of the Danish populace and the officials and citizens were staunchly against any roundup In Copenhagen. Nazi officials, up to that point, had been very careful not to upset the Danish populace on the issue of anti-semitism.
However Himmler and Hitler had grown impatient with delays to their Final Solution and a roundup was planned for October 1, 1943. Ships were secured for captured Jews and their transportation to Germany and on to the concentration camps.
Werner Best and his assistant George Duckwitz were the senior Nazi officials in charge in Denmark. There is evidence that both men surreptitiously alerted Danish leaders in advance of the raid. Most of the Jewish community went into hiding hours before the raid and some were already being smuggled across the channel to Sweden in fishing boats. As a result only 200 Jews were captured and deported to concentration camps in Czechoslovakia. The story here is sad but most of the focus was on how the others escaped. While the motives behind the warning are not entirely clear it is thought in Best’s case he did so because it made his relationship more manageable with the Danes and could prevent an uprising. He had some latitude here in his report to Himmler by blaming the lack of success on the Wermarcht and he could explain to Danish officials that it was Hitler’s directive. In the case of Duckwitz, who was clearly anti-Semitic, he was concerned about potential retaliation against Nazi officials, like himself, after the war ended. There was also some apathy on the part of the Wermacht in Denmark although the reasons were not explored.
3.5 stars. I learned a lot about this intriguing period in October 1943 when almost all the 6,000 Jewish Danes and stateless Jews in Denmark were evacuated safely to Sweden. However the stories were much drier than they should have been — largely lacking a personal connection. The author might have benefited from more research to bring in more of a human element to the stories. I would have liked to know what happened to the families and subsequent generations after the war.
July 14, 2017
A history of Denmark's responses to anti-Semitic sentiment and the German occupation, from the 1930s through the direct aftermath of the end of WWII. In 1940, Germany assaulted Denmark by land, sea and air, landing troops simultaneously in fifteen different locations, including the middle of Copenhagen. The German minister to Denmark then handed the Danish government the terms and conditions by which Denmark would surrender to occupation by Germany. In return for the products of Danish agriculture and industry, and being a model of how occupation by Germany was peaceful and preferable, Denmark would not be obliterated and instead be allowed a certain degree of sovereignty. This tense but largely peaceful situation was brought to a close in the summer of 1943, when a wave of strikes, sabotage and civil riots caused the Germans to issue an ultimatum: introduce martial law and the death penalty. The Danish government refused and all elected politicians submitted their resignation, meaning that there was no Dane with a mandate from the electorate to head a new government. The Germans imposed martial law in Denmark; in response the Danish navy scuttled the vast majority of their fleet, so it could not be used by the Germans. All this sounds stirring, but it had one hugely negative aspect: it meant the Danish had already played their hand, and no longer had anything to threaten Germany with in exchange for leaving the Danish Jews alone.
Reich plenipotentiary Werner Best issued a telegram to Hitler in September 8, 1943, saying he was going to implement "a resolution of the Jewish...issue in Denmark." Then he spent the next few weeks avoiding or lying to every Danish person he spoke to, assuring them that no anti-Jewish action was in the works. On October 1, 1943, German soldiers swept Denmark looking for people they thought were Jewish. Many had already escaped to Sweden (the two countries are very geographically close, and Sweden publicly announced they'd welcome them) or were hidden by their fellow countrymen. Even Danish police officers ran interference for the refugees, turning a blind eye, lying to German officers, and warning those in hiding of imminent raids. As a result, the majority (though sadly, not all) of identified Jewish people in Denmark escaped arrest.
The conclusion of this book summarizes what happened to various prominent figures after the war ended, like the Jewish Danes whose diaries provided substance for this book, or the German and Danish higher-ups. It seems like none of the German officers were punished with much more than a few years in jail at maximum, which is very upsetting. The Jewish refugees returned to Denmark to find that their homes and businesses had been largely left untouched, their valuables kept in safe-keeping for their return. One became the second secretary-general of the United Nations. Another bequeathed Marienberg to the Danish government, which has ever after served as the official residence of the Danish prim minister. And the resistance to the arrest of Jewish Danes helped the reputation of Denmark in the post-war world.
Lidegaard's basic thesis, which others have theorized as well, is that the national, full-throated, open rejection of the Nazi's claims that Jews were a separate race, not Danish, or any kind of problem, was the saving force for Jewish Danes. Resistance based on unwavering principle actually worked.
And as Lidegaard says, "By completely rejecting the ideas that excluded the Jews from the national 'us,' Denmark deprived the Nazis of the fig leaf they needed to justify discrimination and legitimize the deed."
All fascinating! But this was not a fascinating book. I don't know if it was a translation issue or what, but I found this very dry and difficult to maintain interest in. Although ostensibly organized by time, which each chapter constituting another day, in practice the narrative goes off on long tangents about this figure's political backstory or this person's business practices. The majority of the book is made up of Lidegaard explaining a diary entry of a Jewish refugee to us, then the diary entry itself, then his paraphrasing the diary entry. Over and over. And since almost all the diaries he draws on are from a single family, they all cover the same ground and the exact same events. It felt repetitive. This was particularly frustrating because apparently there were strikes, sabotages of Danish industry and the German occupying forces, resistance groups organized, etc, but we don't get get any details whatsoever about any of that. I wanted this to cover the actual Danish resistance, but it absolutely doesn't. So all of Lidegaard's high minded conclusions about the importance of the Danish people's responses to the German occupation and demands ring a little hollow, because nothing in the book related to that.
The main reason I picked this book up was to discern why certain countries or societies reject Otherizing and creating scapegoats, and why others don't; and a hope that I could find certain strategies for helping my fellows who have already been Otherized. Nothing in here would help with that. This isn't Lidegaard's fault--he had a different story and message to tell--but it did mean this book was even less satisfying to me.
Reich plenipotentiary Werner Best issued a telegram to Hitler in September 8, 1943, saying he was going to implement "a resolution of the Jewish...issue in Denmark." Then he spent the next few weeks avoiding or lying to every Danish person he spoke to, assuring them that no anti-Jewish action was in the works. On October 1, 1943, German soldiers swept Denmark looking for people they thought were Jewish. Many had already escaped to Sweden (the two countries are very geographically close, and Sweden publicly announced they'd welcome them) or were hidden by their fellow countrymen. Even Danish police officers ran interference for the refugees, turning a blind eye, lying to German officers, and warning those in hiding of imminent raids. As a result, the majority (though sadly, not all) of identified Jewish people in Denmark escaped arrest.
The conclusion of this book summarizes what happened to various prominent figures after the war ended, like the Jewish Danes whose diaries provided substance for this book, or the German and Danish higher-ups. It seems like none of the German officers were punished with much more than a few years in jail at maximum, which is very upsetting. The Jewish refugees returned to Denmark to find that their homes and businesses had been largely left untouched, their valuables kept in safe-keeping for their return. One became the second secretary-general of the United Nations. Another bequeathed Marienberg to the Danish government, which has ever after served as the official residence of the Danish prim minister. And the resistance to the arrest of Jewish Danes helped the reputation of Denmark in the post-war world.
Lidegaard's basic thesis, which others have theorized as well, is that the national, full-throated, open rejection of the Nazi's claims that Jews were a separate race, not Danish, or any kind of problem, was the saving force for Jewish Danes. Resistance based on unwavering principle actually worked.
And as Lidegaard says, "By completely rejecting the ideas that excluded the Jews from the national 'us,' Denmark deprived the Nazis of the fig leaf they needed to justify discrimination and legitimize the deed."
All fascinating! But this was not a fascinating book. I don't know if it was a translation issue or what, but I found this very dry and difficult to maintain interest in. Although ostensibly organized by time, which each chapter constituting another day, in practice the narrative goes off on long tangents about this figure's political backstory or this person's business practices. The majority of the book is made up of Lidegaard explaining a diary entry of a Jewish refugee to us, then the diary entry itself, then his paraphrasing the diary entry. Over and over. And since almost all the diaries he draws on are from a single family, they all cover the same ground and the exact same events. It felt repetitive. This was particularly frustrating because apparently there were strikes, sabotages of Danish industry and the German occupying forces, resistance groups organized, etc, but we don't get get any details whatsoever about any of that. I wanted this to cover the actual Danish resistance, but it absolutely doesn't. So all of Lidegaard's high minded conclusions about the importance of the Danish people's responses to the German occupation and demands ring a little hollow, because nothing in the book related to that.
The main reason I picked this book up was to discern why certain countries or societies reject Otherizing and creating scapegoats, and why others don't; and a hope that I could find certain strategies for helping my fellows who have already been Otherized. Nothing in here would help with that. This isn't Lidegaard's fault--he had a different story and message to tell--but it did mean this book was even less satisfying to me.
May 14, 2017
Here, in time for the 70th anniversary of the rescue, in October 1943, of Denmark's Jewish residents from the Holocaust. It seems to be the first full Danish account of the event, using new research, notably the diaries by people who took part in the event. It's not the first work focused on this rescue: Leni Yahil's 1967 work "The Rescue of Danish Jewry: Test of a Democracy", which Mr. Lidegaard cites, came first. Nonetheless, Bo Lidegaard has given us a full account of the attempted German roundup, the extraordinary mobilization of the Danes to remove the Jews to Sweden, and the continuing Danish effort to find the few Jews who fell into the net.
The book has many revelations: the not-so-passive resistance by the Danish government and King, from the occupation in April 1940 onward; the studied indifference -- the blind eye -- by most Danish and German police as the refugees fled; the surprising diffidence by key SS figures, notably Werner Best, their chief in Denmark; the Danish mindset, which seems not to have been Samaritan kindness to strangers but more straightforward.
It is this mindset that is key to this story, and perhaps first told in this book in full. The Danish government and people, Mr. Lidegaard tells us, had made up its mind well before the war that Jewish Danes were Danish citizens, members of the community. Danes perceived a threat to them as a threat to the whole community, and it is striking how little central organizing the rescue needed. Safe houses in country farms, gathering points in seaside vacation villages, and fishing boats waiting to take the people to Sweden, all seemed to spring from this mindset. It's a greater lesson in the Holocaust that the Germans seemed perplexed, even hesitant, in the face of this national single-mindedness, rare in occupied Europe but seamless in this one little country. German attempts to stigmatize the Jews here as an "other", attempts to stigmatize them, failed to separate these people from their countrymen as it did elsewhere in Europe. The Danish mindset, we learn, seemed to intimidate even Eichmann.
We learn more about the role that Sweden played in the rescue and sheltering of the 6,000 or so Danes -- almost the whole Jewish population of Denmark. We learn of the continued demands by the Danish government and King regarding the few Jews taken by the SS, and how the controversy saved most of them, even in German hands.
It's a remarkable chapter in World War II history and is told here, in detail -- not just as to events but to the greater meanings, probably for the first time in full measure. Indispensable for students of WWII, of the Holocaust, of Denmark, of moral battlefields. Denmark, conquered in April 1940 in less than a day, seems to have won a noble victory, and it's well worth reading.
Highest recommendation.
Footnote: One of Mr. Lidegaard's original sources was the diary of a boy about Anne Frank's age, who went through safe houses and then a rough voyage in a fishing vessel to Sweden. The boy's diary peters out after his arrival: he settles safely with his hosts in Sweden and resumes middle school. After that, plenty to do, nothing remarkable to write about any further. It's a nice ending.
The book has many revelations: the not-so-passive resistance by the Danish government and King, from the occupation in April 1940 onward; the studied indifference -- the blind eye -- by most Danish and German police as the refugees fled; the surprising diffidence by key SS figures, notably Werner Best, their chief in Denmark; the Danish mindset, which seems not to have been Samaritan kindness to strangers but more straightforward.
It is this mindset that is key to this story, and perhaps first told in this book in full. The Danish government and people, Mr. Lidegaard tells us, had made up its mind well before the war that Jewish Danes were Danish citizens, members of the community. Danes perceived a threat to them as a threat to the whole community, and it is striking how little central organizing the rescue needed. Safe houses in country farms, gathering points in seaside vacation villages, and fishing boats waiting to take the people to Sweden, all seemed to spring from this mindset. It's a greater lesson in the Holocaust that the Germans seemed perplexed, even hesitant, in the face of this national single-mindedness, rare in occupied Europe but seamless in this one little country. German attempts to stigmatize the Jews here as an "other", attempts to stigmatize them, failed to separate these people from their countrymen as it did elsewhere in Europe. The Danish mindset, we learn, seemed to intimidate even Eichmann.
We learn more about the role that Sweden played in the rescue and sheltering of the 6,000 or so Danes -- almost the whole Jewish population of Denmark. We learn of the continued demands by the Danish government and King regarding the few Jews taken by the SS, and how the controversy saved most of them, even in German hands.
It's a remarkable chapter in World War II history and is told here, in detail -- not just as to events but to the greater meanings, probably for the first time in full measure. Indispensable for students of WWII, of the Holocaust, of Denmark, of moral battlefields. Denmark, conquered in April 1940 in less than a day, seems to have won a noble victory, and it's well worth reading.
Highest recommendation.
Footnote: One of Mr. Lidegaard's original sources was the diary of a boy about Anne Frank's age, who went through safe houses and then a rough voyage in a fishing vessel to Sweden. The boy's diary peters out after his arrival: he settles safely with his hosts in Sweden and resumes middle school. After that, plenty to do, nothing remarkable to write about any further. It's a nice ending.
June 12, 2015
Among many leftist Americans, there is an understandable reluctance to think that citizenship is a useful way to think about our identity, because even since the passage of the 14th Amendment, citizenship hasn’t done much for many citizens. And if the rights of citizens don’t mean anything, what good is the idea? There is a version of this argument in academic circles essentially to the effect that all anyone in power ever wants is to extend that power, so, e.g., the Bill of Rights itself is suspect (the First Amendment, for instance, could only ever allow those who already enjoy privilege to disseminate their message, etc. etc.) Aside from being reductive, this is naïve, as it posits the existence of political actors (read: human beings) who operate with unmixed motives.
Aside from the naivete of the model, it is counterproductive. A national identity that is bound up in commitment to democratic ideals, even when those ideals are more aspirational than real, is worthy even if we’ve failed time and again. Lidegaard’s book shows this to be true.
The comparison is inapt in that at the beginning WWII, the Danes did not have a modern history of oppression and internecine strife. Indeed, Lidegaard paints a portrait of Denmark (whose modern history was essentially unknown to me when I started reading) that reminded me of the line from The Third Man about Switzerland: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love--they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” But in Denmark, a few centuries of reform and stability produced something finer than the Sistine Chapel: a moral conviction that Danish identity meant a commitment to democracy and law.
This commitment was, according the Lidegaard, what made it possible for Danish Jews flee to Sweden when, on October 1, 1943, Hitler ordered the arrest and deportation of the Jewish population of Nazi-occupied Denmark. Lidegaard follows a few families, related to one another, in their frightening journey to, and across, the sea to Sweden. Lidegaard explains the terror and the minor inconveniences of the journey in a vivid manner—even someone fleeing for her life is allowed to be put off when seasick children are vomiting all over, or she is hungry. I appreciated the way the banal is interwoven into the larger narrative. This is a story rife with heroes.
One could object that what happened in Denmark required not an ideal of citizenship so much as basic human decency. I agree that human decency would dictate the same thing, but I think that Lidegaard shows that the commitment to an idea of what Danish citizenship meant made concerted effort possible, not least because it made shirking duty to one another unthinkable.
Whether you subscribe to Lidegaard’s the thesis or not, the story is gripping. It also made me think differently about what collaboration meant in Denmark, where the uneasy accommodation of the Third Reich almost certainly saved thousands of lives.
Aside from the naivete of the model, it is counterproductive. A national identity that is bound up in commitment to democratic ideals, even when those ideals are more aspirational than real, is worthy even if we’ve failed time and again. Lidegaard’s book shows this to be true.
The comparison is inapt in that at the beginning WWII, the Danes did not have a modern history of oppression and internecine strife. Indeed, Lidegaard paints a portrait of Denmark (whose modern history was essentially unknown to me when I started reading) that reminded me of the line from The Third Man about Switzerland: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love--they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” But in Denmark, a few centuries of reform and stability produced something finer than the Sistine Chapel: a moral conviction that Danish identity meant a commitment to democracy and law.
This commitment was, according the Lidegaard, what made it possible for Danish Jews flee to Sweden when, on October 1, 1943, Hitler ordered the arrest and deportation of the Jewish population of Nazi-occupied Denmark. Lidegaard follows a few families, related to one another, in their frightening journey to, and across, the sea to Sweden. Lidegaard explains the terror and the minor inconveniences of the journey in a vivid manner—even someone fleeing for her life is allowed to be put off when seasick children are vomiting all over, or she is hungry. I appreciated the way the banal is interwoven into the larger narrative. This is a story rife with heroes.
One could object that what happened in Denmark required not an ideal of citizenship so much as basic human decency. I agree that human decency would dictate the same thing, but I think that Lidegaard shows that the commitment to an idea of what Danish citizenship meant made concerted effort possible, not least because it made shirking duty to one another unthinkable.
Whether you subscribe to Lidegaard’s the thesis or not, the story is gripping. It also made me think differently about what collaboration meant in Denmark, where the uneasy accommodation of the Third Reich almost certainly saved thousands of lives.
August 22, 2015
There are not too many books about the Holocaust that help restore the reader's faith in humanity, but this falls within that category. Quite apart from that, this is an excellent read, both as a history and as a dramatic story.
Denmark had a more or less unique relationship with Nazi Germany during WW2. The King, and the Government, decided not to resist the German invasion in 1940, in exchange for guarantees that Denmark would continue to manage its internal affairs, maintain its democracy, and remain neutral in the war. Effectively the Danes chose to accept occupation and a limited level of cooperation with the Nazis, as opposed to a heroic but futile defence that would have cost many lives and resulted in full blown Nazi rule. It was an understandable decision, but one that that led to the charge of "collaboration" being levelled against the Danes. The choice became more difficult to justify year by year as the Nazis gradually increased the pressure and encroached more and more on the 1940 agreement.
The above context is important as the Danish government had decided early on in the occupation that the status of Danish Jews was a "deal breaker" in terms of continued cooperation with the Nazis, and that they could not accept Danish citizens being subject to arbitrary arrest and deportation simply because of their ancestry. On a point of principle the Danes refused to comply with Nazi demands to compile lists of Danish Jews, and the author highlights how this refusal to even start down the road of categorising Jews as something "other" was vital in determining how the population reacted when the Nazis began their "action."
The Nazis decided to arrest and deport the Danish Jews in the autumn of 1943. Sadly more than 400 were arrested and deported, mainly to Theresienstadt, but more than 7000 escaped to Sweden, with the assistance of large numbers of ordinary Danes. A variety of factors played a part. Danish officials were tipped off about the raids by high ranking Nazi officials; for the most part the Germans made only half hearted attempts to capture fleeing Jews; the Jewish population of Denmark was small; neutral Sweden was only a few miles across the Øresund and the Swedes opened their borders to the refugees; but the most important factor was that the vast majority of the Danish population who encountered Jews trying to escape saw it as their moral duty to provide assistance. The author provides a thoughtful discussion on the reasons for all of the above, as well as a balanced assessment of the merits of the policy of cooperation.
The book also contains vivid first hand testimony from some of those involved, conveying some of their fear and discomfort, as well as the total confusion of law abiding citizens who had no idea of how to get themselves smuggled across a border. Some of those who escaped were so law abiding they made arrangements to pay their rent and bills before they left, even their taxes!
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Holocaust. The author discusses why it was that, across Europe, the extermination of Jews was more complete in some countries than in others. I would certainly say that anyone who is Danish or Swedish will feel better about their countries after reading this!
Denmark had a more or less unique relationship with Nazi Germany during WW2. The King, and the Government, decided not to resist the German invasion in 1940, in exchange for guarantees that Denmark would continue to manage its internal affairs, maintain its democracy, and remain neutral in the war. Effectively the Danes chose to accept occupation and a limited level of cooperation with the Nazis, as opposed to a heroic but futile defence that would have cost many lives and resulted in full blown Nazi rule. It was an understandable decision, but one that that led to the charge of "collaboration" being levelled against the Danes. The choice became more difficult to justify year by year as the Nazis gradually increased the pressure and encroached more and more on the 1940 agreement.
The above context is important as the Danish government had decided early on in the occupation that the status of Danish Jews was a "deal breaker" in terms of continued cooperation with the Nazis, and that they could not accept Danish citizens being subject to arbitrary arrest and deportation simply because of their ancestry. On a point of principle the Danes refused to comply with Nazi demands to compile lists of Danish Jews, and the author highlights how this refusal to even start down the road of categorising Jews as something "other" was vital in determining how the population reacted when the Nazis began their "action."
The Nazis decided to arrest and deport the Danish Jews in the autumn of 1943. Sadly more than 400 were arrested and deported, mainly to Theresienstadt, but more than 7000 escaped to Sweden, with the assistance of large numbers of ordinary Danes. A variety of factors played a part. Danish officials were tipped off about the raids by high ranking Nazi officials; for the most part the Germans made only half hearted attempts to capture fleeing Jews; the Jewish population of Denmark was small; neutral Sweden was only a few miles across the Øresund and the Swedes opened their borders to the refugees; but the most important factor was that the vast majority of the Danish population who encountered Jews trying to escape saw it as their moral duty to provide assistance. The author provides a thoughtful discussion on the reasons for all of the above, as well as a balanced assessment of the merits of the policy of cooperation.
The book also contains vivid first hand testimony from some of those involved, conveying some of their fear and discomfort, as well as the total confusion of law abiding citizens who had no idea of how to get themselves smuggled across a border. Some of those who escaped were so law abiding they made arrangements to pay their rent and bills before they left, even their taxes!
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Holocaust. The author discusses why it was that, across Europe, the extermination of Jews was more complete in some countries than in others. I would certainly say that anyone who is Danish or Swedish will feel better about their countries after reading this!
February 14, 2019
«Tali eccezioni rappresentano importanti promemoria circa il fatto che la storia non si dipana secondo uno schema ineluttabile, e la Danimarca è un esempio calzante. Qui, tutti i gruppi citati da Friedlànder (e molti altri) espressero il loro sostegno agli ebrei e, dopo la loro fuga o la loro deportazione, i cittadini si impegnarono per proteggere le proprietà e gli interessi di quanti non c'erano più. Questa contropartita non è priva d'importanza nel quadro complessivo, anche se riguarda solo poche delle innumerevoli vittime dei nazisti. Sta a dimostrare che il coinvolgimento pubblico nelle atrocità non fu scontato, ma dipese da molti fattori, tra cui le politiche perseguite nei singoli paesi. L'eccezione danese mostra come non sia solo una possibilità teorica quella di mobilitare l'umanesimo della società civile e l'impegno alla protezione. Si può fare. Lo sappiamo, perché è già stato fatto.»
Viene in mente, di riflesso, Primo Levi nei I sommersi e i salvati
«È avvenuto, quindi può accadere di nuovo: questo è il nocciolo di quanto abbiamo da dire»
Viene in mente, di riflesso, Primo Levi nei I sommersi e i salvati
«È avvenuto, quindi può accadere di nuovo: questo è il nocciolo di quanto abbiamo da dire»
January 2, 2014
“. . . an amazing story of how Denmark saved its Jews from Nazi Germany.”
Among all of the nations of Europe that were conquered by Nazi Germany in World War II, Denmark stands alone in protecting its Jewish population.
In 1943, when the king, his ministers, and the parliament of Denmark understood that Nazi Germany was coming to ensnare their Jewish population and send them to concentration and death camps, they simply said, “No.”
While the government used its limited powers to confound and confuse its enemy in Berlin, the warning went out to Jews that a catastrophe was at hand. This warning enabled most Danish Jews to find a place to hide or to escape to neutral or Allied nations.
At the same time, the Danish government made it clear to Nazi Germany that no one would aid them in capturing innocent Jews. Over 14 days, Danish citizens found ways to hide and protect Jews destined to be exterminated.
Out of a population of about 7,000 Danish Jews, a shocking 6,500 managed to escape, primarily to Sweden via a clandestine flotilla of fishing boats and naval crafts of all kinds. This exodus has been known for decades. But this is the first time that all facets of the miraculous escape have been systematically collected and made public.
Based on the family diaries of several Danish Jewish families, these amazing accounts of heroism have finally been made available. This volume proffers the heart-stopping escapes of many Jewish families fleeing local police, the Wehrmacht, and the Gestapo.
These stories of moral fortitude and astonishing courage bring to light the magnitude of tolerance in Denmark and their willingness to risk their own lives in fighting Nazi Germany.
From September 26 until October 9, 1943, Nazi Germany initiated a capture of all Danish Jews. After a slow start, during which there was some confusion about who was a “full Jew, half-Jew, one-quarter Jew” and so on, the Gestapo soon engaged in a widespread collection of every Jew and potential Jew in Denmark.
Germany enlisted the assistance of Danish police, which soon turned into a farce as Danes refused. Sweden, next door to Denmark, remained neutral in World War II. As overland escape routes from Denmark into Sweden were virtually nonexistent, the bulk of Jewish refugees had to escape via the ocean.
Thousands of boats—from large cargo ships to fishing trawlers to rowboats, anything that floated—served as vehicles for escape. The captains, owners, and crew of these ships risked their own lives to aid Danish Jews.
Helpless in the face of capture and probable death, Jewish Danes gradually accepted their fate and made plans to leave, their only means of escape boats and ships controlled by gentile Danes. Leaving their homes, property, businesses, schools, and friends behind, Jews sought escape in every city, town, and village with a harbor or boats. They hid in freezing forests, barns, attics, and tunnels along the way. Some, like the family of Anne Frank, decided to remain in hiding in cities. Most of them were found, incarcerated in concentration camps, and eventually died from starvation and disease, were gassed in death camps, or were shot by the Gestapo on the spot.
The Danish resistance was unprepared to organize a massive relief operation quickly enough to save their Jewish neighbors. There was no organization, ready to help move Jews to safety in Sweden. Instead, Jews were saved as a result of spontaneous ingenuity and bravery.
Danes stood by their Jewish friends and co-patriots—even at the risk of their own lives. Those who aided Jews came from all walks of life and all professions. Hospitals became collection centers for Jews. Underground newspapers gave people hope and provided clandestine escape instructions. Students contributed all levels of assistance as did doctors.
Escape routes were swiftly created, manned, and executed. Danish Jews were bound together like slaves of a different time, processed onto ships and boats and sent off to freedom. Almost all of them slipped away from Nazi hands.
The heart of this story lies in the diaries of Jewish refugees who recorded every aspect of their escape. In heart-throbbing anecdotes, we flee from the Gestapo with them, step by step. We shudder with them in dark, rain-soaked forests and in the freezing ocean when they had to abandon boats; and we tremble with them when they are just a few feet away from capture.
Thousands of Jewish families slipped into the night with aged grandparents and crying infants. This included the infirm. Most would not have escaped without help. The author includes many detailed historical narratives. These provide the backbone for our understanding of the Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.”
There are also many detailed chapters that provide for the political underpinning of wartime Denmark. And while such detail is at times necessary, it also slows the story to a crawl in some instances.
Clearly, the exciting and rewarding moments occur when we read the diaries of Jews who escaped. Equally exciting are passages that reveal the fear and risk that Danes accepted. Less narrative (where possible) and more anecdotal passages might also have reduced the book from 430 pages down to a more manageable 300.
Bo Lidegaard is a talented and evocative writer. This book has consistent flow and maintains interest, even with the extensive narrative. His use of dialogue and dialect is appropriate and accurate.
Mr.Lidegaard is equally adroit explaining the angst of Danes who risked their lives to help Jews. We sense their anxiety, but also their pride and courage. Moreover, it is clear throughout that citizens risked their lives not only to save Jews, but also to protect the Danish concepts of equality, tolerance, and social justice—truly an amazing story of how Denmark saved its Jews from Nazi Germany.
- See more at: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-....
Charles S. Weinblatt was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1952. He is a retired university administrator. Mr. Weinblatt is the author of published fiction and nonfiction. His biography appears in the Marquis Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, and Wikipedia.
- See more at: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-...
Among all of the nations of Europe that were conquered by Nazi Germany in World War II, Denmark stands alone in protecting its Jewish population.
In 1943, when the king, his ministers, and the parliament of Denmark understood that Nazi Germany was coming to ensnare their Jewish population and send them to concentration and death camps, they simply said, “No.”
While the government used its limited powers to confound and confuse its enemy in Berlin, the warning went out to Jews that a catastrophe was at hand. This warning enabled most Danish Jews to find a place to hide or to escape to neutral or Allied nations.
At the same time, the Danish government made it clear to Nazi Germany that no one would aid them in capturing innocent Jews. Over 14 days, Danish citizens found ways to hide and protect Jews destined to be exterminated.
Out of a population of about 7,000 Danish Jews, a shocking 6,500 managed to escape, primarily to Sweden via a clandestine flotilla of fishing boats and naval crafts of all kinds. This exodus has been known for decades. But this is the first time that all facets of the miraculous escape have been systematically collected and made public.
Based on the family diaries of several Danish Jewish families, these amazing accounts of heroism have finally been made available. This volume proffers the heart-stopping escapes of many Jewish families fleeing local police, the Wehrmacht, and the Gestapo.
These stories of moral fortitude and astonishing courage bring to light the magnitude of tolerance in Denmark and their willingness to risk their own lives in fighting Nazi Germany.
From September 26 until October 9, 1943, Nazi Germany initiated a capture of all Danish Jews. After a slow start, during which there was some confusion about who was a “full Jew, half-Jew, one-quarter Jew” and so on, the Gestapo soon engaged in a widespread collection of every Jew and potential Jew in Denmark.
Germany enlisted the assistance of Danish police, which soon turned into a farce as Danes refused. Sweden, next door to Denmark, remained neutral in World War II. As overland escape routes from Denmark into Sweden were virtually nonexistent, the bulk of Jewish refugees had to escape via the ocean.
Thousands of boats—from large cargo ships to fishing trawlers to rowboats, anything that floated—served as vehicles for escape. The captains, owners, and crew of these ships risked their own lives to aid Danish Jews.
Helpless in the face of capture and probable death, Jewish Danes gradually accepted their fate and made plans to leave, their only means of escape boats and ships controlled by gentile Danes. Leaving their homes, property, businesses, schools, and friends behind, Jews sought escape in every city, town, and village with a harbor or boats. They hid in freezing forests, barns, attics, and tunnels along the way. Some, like the family of Anne Frank, decided to remain in hiding in cities. Most of them were found, incarcerated in concentration camps, and eventually died from starvation and disease, were gassed in death camps, or were shot by the Gestapo on the spot.
The Danish resistance was unprepared to organize a massive relief operation quickly enough to save their Jewish neighbors. There was no organization, ready to help move Jews to safety in Sweden. Instead, Jews were saved as a result of spontaneous ingenuity and bravery.
Danes stood by their Jewish friends and co-patriots—even at the risk of their own lives. Those who aided Jews came from all walks of life and all professions. Hospitals became collection centers for Jews. Underground newspapers gave people hope and provided clandestine escape instructions. Students contributed all levels of assistance as did doctors.
Escape routes were swiftly created, manned, and executed. Danish Jews were bound together like slaves of a different time, processed onto ships and boats and sent off to freedom. Almost all of them slipped away from Nazi hands.
The heart of this story lies in the diaries of Jewish refugees who recorded every aspect of their escape. In heart-throbbing anecdotes, we flee from the Gestapo with them, step by step. We shudder with them in dark, rain-soaked forests and in the freezing ocean when they had to abandon boats; and we tremble with them when they are just a few feet away from capture.
Thousands of Jewish families slipped into the night with aged grandparents and crying infants. This included the infirm. Most would not have escaped without help. The author includes many detailed historical narratives. These provide the backbone for our understanding of the Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.”
There are also many detailed chapters that provide for the political underpinning of wartime Denmark. And while such detail is at times necessary, it also slows the story to a crawl in some instances.
Clearly, the exciting and rewarding moments occur when we read the diaries of Jews who escaped. Equally exciting are passages that reveal the fear and risk that Danes accepted. Less narrative (where possible) and more anecdotal passages might also have reduced the book from 430 pages down to a more manageable 300.
Bo Lidegaard is a talented and evocative writer. This book has consistent flow and maintains interest, even with the extensive narrative. His use of dialogue and dialect is appropriate and accurate.
Mr.Lidegaard is equally adroit explaining the angst of Danes who risked their lives to help Jews. We sense their anxiety, but also their pride and courage. Moreover, it is clear throughout that citizens risked their lives not only to save Jews, but also to protect the Danish concepts of equality, tolerance, and social justice—truly an amazing story of how Denmark saved its Jews from Nazi Germany.
- See more at: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-....
Charles S. Weinblatt was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1952. He is a retired university administrator. Mr. Weinblatt is the author of published fiction and nonfiction. His biography appears in the Marquis Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, and Wikipedia.
- See more at: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-...
September 5, 2014
Thoroughly researched and detailed, but tedious and repetitive.
It was worth reading because it told of a remarkable people whose social values and unity made it difficult for the Nazis to persecute the Danish Jews. Even when it became inevitable, and all the Jews were to be rounded up in a one-night raid, most of them were warned and were hidden in the homes of their non-Jewish friends and neighbors. They were moved at great risk to ports to escape to Sweden which welcomed them. Even those who were caught and sent to a concentration camp in Scandinavia were treated much better than in other camps and most of them survived the war.
Why couldn't the Nazis mistreat the Jews? Because they realized that they needed public support. In other nations, anti-Semitism led to co-operation by the citizens. Denmark, perhaps because it is such a small nation and has more of a sense of community than perhaps the US or Canada, did not differentiate people by race or belief. The Danes realized that what could be done to Danish Jews could be done to any of them.
When Danish Jews fled by boat in the 10-day period in October, the government took over protection of their assets until the Jews returned, a lesson that could have been learned by the US during the internment of Japanese Americans. Returning Jews found their businesses functioning or easily resumed, their homes unharmed and maintained, and a generous payment by the Danish government for their losses.
Sweden was remarkable in its treatment of them, accepting all Danish Jews until the end of the war, and paying their expenses. Denmark owed them millions for the care of their citizens; Sweden would not accept payment. At the same time, Canadian and US governments were refusing entry even to Jewish children unaccompanied by their parents.
The book, however does show how little the Danish Jews suffered during their escape, a maximum of 10 days, with food and protection from strangers not the "cattle car" transportation to concentration camps without food, water, warmth, medical care or sleep, then being well looked after in Sweden, not in detention centers or refugee camps, but in pleasant accommodation with their needs met. It is the one part of the book that was depressing... yes, they left their homes suddenly and unexpectedly, they had up to 10 days of difficult circumstances, for some a horrible but short sea voyage, and then 2 years in a foreign country, but they did not suffer like so many others under Nazi rule. Of course, it is easy to see this now; when they were going through these experiences, few people had any idea of the horror that awaited most Jews.
But we need to keep in mind that, if the Danish government and Danish people had not protected their social values so steadfastly, then the Danish Jews would have been through the same horrors as Jews elsewhere.
The book is worth reading as a study of the subtle political and cultural influences that can undermine or build up a nation. We can learn much from their experience.
It was worth reading because it told of a remarkable people whose social values and unity made it difficult for the Nazis to persecute the Danish Jews. Even when it became inevitable, and all the Jews were to be rounded up in a one-night raid, most of them were warned and were hidden in the homes of their non-Jewish friends and neighbors. They were moved at great risk to ports to escape to Sweden which welcomed them. Even those who were caught and sent to a concentration camp in Scandinavia were treated much better than in other camps and most of them survived the war.
Why couldn't the Nazis mistreat the Jews? Because they realized that they needed public support. In other nations, anti-Semitism led to co-operation by the citizens. Denmark, perhaps because it is such a small nation and has more of a sense of community than perhaps the US or Canada, did not differentiate people by race or belief. The Danes realized that what could be done to Danish Jews could be done to any of them.
When Danish Jews fled by boat in the 10-day period in October, the government took over protection of their assets until the Jews returned, a lesson that could have been learned by the US during the internment of Japanese Americans. Returning Jews found their businesses functioning or easily resumed, their homes unharmed and maintained, and a generous payment by the Danish government for their losses.
Sweden was remarkable in its treatment of them, accepting all Danish Jews until the end of the war, and paying their expenses. Denmark owed them millions for the care of their citizens; Sweden would not accept payment. At the same time, Canadian and US governments were refusing entry even to Jewish children unaccompanied by their parents.
The book, however does show how little the Danish Jews suffered during their escape, a maximum of 10 days, with food and protection from strangers not the "cattle car" transportation to concentration camps without food, water, warmth, medical care or sleep, then being well looked after in Sweden, not in detention centers or refugee camps, but in pleasant accommodation with their needs met. It is the one part of the book that was depressing... yes, they left their homes suddenly and unexpectedly, they had up to 10 days of difficult circumstances, for some a horrible but short sea voyage, and then 2 years in a foreign country, but they did not suffer like so many others under Nazi rule. Of course, it is easy to see this now; when they were going through these experiences, few people had any idea of the horror that awaited most Jews.
But we need to keep in mind that, if the Danish government and Danish people had not protected their social values so steadfastly, then the Danish Jews would have been through the same horrors as Jews elsewhere.
The book is worth reading as a study of the subtle political and cultural influences that can undermine or build up a nation. We can learn much from their experience.
October 29, 2013
I had long heard the myth about King Christian not bowing to the Germans regarding identifying the Danish Jews. Little did I know the real truth. This is an amazing story of ordinary people stepping up to the plate, and no matter the consequence to themselves, doing the right thing. That a nation of people would respond with such dignity, respect and humanity, without a real organized base, is amazing. That Sweden would also respond with openness and humanity made it possible.
Some of philosophical comments at the end require pondering. Would this have been possible in a different country? We just don't know.
The other question I always ask myself is "What would I do in this situation?" I frequently find myself realizing my character would have been wanting.
I thank Bo Lidegaard, and the families who shared their memoirs, for sharing this story with the world.
Some of philosophical comments at the end require pondering. Would this have been possible in a different country? We just don't know.
The other question I always ask myself is "What would I do in this situation?" I frequently find myself realizing my character would have been wanting.
I thank Bo Lidegaard, and the families who shared their memoirs, for sharing this story with the world.
did-not-finish
July 28, 2016In the history of Nazi Germany's persecution of the Jews there aren't many happy stories. Usually the best we can manage is a family hidden in the attic or an individual who slipped away. But the case of Denmark, where 7,000 Danes were Jewish, stands out even if it doesn't start very promisingly.
When Germany attacked in April 1940, Denmark's leaders didn't believe the country was strong enough to resist. Instead of putting up a fight, Denmark became an occupied country that still retained some semblance of self-government - a situation most Danes found humiliating. And given Germany's record of persecution against Jews, Danish leaders did everything they thought possible to avert a roundup of their citizens. Yet when it finally came on October 1, 1943, the people themselves managed to help nearly all the Jews to escape to Sweden. Out of those 7,000, only a few hundred were captured by the Germans.
Given that I am one quarter Danish (my grandmother and her parents emigrated around 1900) I really looked forward to this history. And it's an inspiring story of how the Danish people helped their "countrymen" escape what everyone knew was a death-sentence. The risks people took were very real and dangerous, and neighbors even cared for the property of the refugees (instead of the opportunistic looting that generally happened in other places). The book focuses mostly on the Hannover and Marcus families - two sisters - as well as their father, but other sources and stories are included as well. I found it especially interesting how people knew what the Germans were doing to the Jews (not always in vague or general terms!) and yet they still found it hard to believe it would happen in Denmark, instead trusting in the "honor" of the occupation forces. And yet, if it hadn't been for some information leaks, the number who escaped might have been small.
Unfortunately, it's also a very ponderous book that can easily overwhelm an otherwise eager reader at a snail's pace. Frequently accounts of the same event are quoted at length from multiple sources, giving a more complete view of the events but also dragging on for pages with little gained. As such, it may be a scholarly work, but made it hard for me to engage as an ordinary reader. I found the book interesting while I was reading it, but it was difficult to find much enthusiasm to pick it up again in between readings. Nonetheless, this is an important story, and one I am glad to know but it's not an easy read and I was unable to finish. (Oh, and that story about King Christian and the people all wearing Jewish stars in a show of solidarity? It's just a story.)
When Germany attacked in April 1940, Denmark's leaders didn't believe the country was strong enough to resist. Instead of putting up a fight, Denmark became an occupied country that still retained some semblance of self-government - a situation most Danes found humiliating. And given Germany's record of persecution against Jews, Danish leaders did everything they thought possible to avert a roundup of their citizens. Yet when it finally came on October 1, 1943, the people themselves managed to help nearly all the Jews to escape to Sweden. Out of those 7,000, only a few hundred were captured by the Germans.
Given that I am one quarter Danish (my grandmother and her parents emigrated around 1900) I really looked forward to this history. And it's an inspiring story of how the Danish people helped their "countrymen" escape what everyone knew was a death-sentence. The risks people took were very real and dangerous, and neighbors even cared for the property of the refugees (instead of the opportunistic looting that generally happened in other places). The book focuses mostly on the Hannover and Marcus families - two sisters - as well as their father, but other sources and stories are included as well. I found it especially interesting how people knew what the Germans were doing to the Jews (not always in vague or general terms!) and yet they still found it hard to believe it would happen in Denmark, instead trusting in the "honor" of the occupation forces. And yet, if it hadn't been for some information leaks, the number who escaped might have been small.
Unfortunately, it's also a very ponderous book that can easily overwhelm an otherwise eager reader at a snail's pace. Frequently accounts of the same event are quoted at length from multiple sources, giving a more complete view of the events but also dragging on for pages with little gained. As such, it may be a scholarly work, but made it hard for me to engage as an ordinary reader. I found the book interesting while I was reading it, but it was difficult to find much enthusiasm to pick it up again in between readings. Nonetheless, this is an important story, and one I am glad to know but it's not an easy read and I was unable to finish. (Oh, and that story about King Christian and the people all wearing Jewish stars in a show of solidarity? It's just a story.)
October 8, 2014
There is nothing more inspiring to me than reading about true-to-life heroes. When I heard of the story of virtually all the citizens of Denmark rallying to help almost all of the Jewish people escape as Nazis invaded their country, I was astonished. You see, the Danish considered all citizens of their lands countrymen. They did not have artificial distinctions based on heritage. This was a country of "we the people," truly.
Neighbors helped their Jewish neighbors as well as strangers, politicians (including the Danish King) manipulated the German mandates so as to not comply, and fishermen risked their own lives ferrying people to nearby Sweden and out of the clutches of the Gestapo. Anti-Semitism did exist among some, but even with many of them a higher duty to country prevailed.
Writer Bo Lidegaard obviously researched this story in great depth. There are accounts from diary entries, letters, and political records that he used to put this account together. The pragmatic aspects of what one does when one has to leave one's job, home, property, and bank accounts is something most of us never even consider. Lidegaard goes into these kinds of actions in great detail as well. Interesting and surprising was that some Germans were also helpful in ensuring that some of the Danish Jews were able to escape.
"Countrymen" is a bit dry in places, and sometimes the stories of escapes provide a bit more than necessary detail to convey the overall story. Nevertheless, this is an amazing book that should be read by all who want to understand (or already do) that the way people responded to the Nazis can not be painted with a broad brush.
While many of us know about those who fought and died in the Resistance Movements in different countries during the Nazi incursions, I'm not sure a lot of us know the story of how an entire country was able to resist the Final Solution and save so many of its own citizens. "Countrymen" is one way to learn about the bravery and integrity of the ordinary citizens during these brutal times.
Neighbors helped their Jewish neighbors as well as strangers, politicians (including the Danish King) manipulated the German mandates so as to not comply, and fishermen risked their own lives ferrying people to nearby Sweden and out of the clutches of the Gestapo. Anti-Semitism did exist among some, but even with many of them a higher duty to country prevailed.
Writer Bo Lidegaard obviously researched this story in great depth. There are accounts from diary entries, letters, and political records that he used to put this account together. The pragmatic aspects of what one does when one has to leave one's job, home, property, and bank accounts is something most of us never even consider. Lidegaard goes into these kinds of actions in great detail as well. Interesting and surprising was that some Germans were also helpful in ensuring that some of the Danish Jews were able to escape.
"Countrymen" is a bit dry in places, and sometimes the stories of escapes provide a bit more than necessary detail to convey the overall story. Nevertheless, this is an amazing book that should be read by all who want to understand (or already do) that the way people responded to the Nazis can not be painted with a broad brush.
While many of us know about those who fought and died in the Resistance Movements in different countries during the Nazi incursions, I'm not sure a lot of us know the story of how an entire country was able to resist the Final Solution and save so many of its own citizens. "Countrymen" is one way to learn about the bravery and integrity of the ordinary citizens during these brutal times.
March 22, 2016
“A Matter of National Morality and Honor”
Excellent, comprehensive source for the story of the spontaneous rescue of Danish Jews during the turbulent weeks of October 1943. In 14 chapters author Lidegaard conveys the march of political and racial brutality which affected All residents of Denmark—regardless of their ethnic origins or religious practices. Each chapter examines one day during the Nazi ACTION—revealing the painful soul-searching among all Danes and temporary aliens, as Berlin’s final solution was dreaded, then suddenly realized. How to react? Jews gradually faced the inevitable and sought to flee; law-abiding citizens who had not demonstrated active resistance in any way were suddenly forced to choose—to be humane and reject abominable Nazi ideology. Who would have expected little Denmark, the “model protectorate,” to unite in helping their fellow Danes escape, insisting that “We have no Jewish problem.”
The multi-threaded narrative combines historical overview, diaries and notes from private individuals, ministers and journalists, who recognized that one day the world would seek to know the truth. In particular the brave residents of little Gilleleje realized that one day the honor and reputation of their fishing village would be scrutinized.
Augmenting the grim unfolding of mass brutality are historic photos and biographical inserts of prominent Nazis. After the last regular chapter the Epilogue ties up all the loose ends, providing data on the fate of many people: the ordinary diary keepers, politicians, German leaders plus King Christian, who served as a role model of dignified, passive resistance. Post-war Danes blushed to admit that they participated in a grudging Cooperation during German Occupation, but they could hold their heads high after their almost unanimous, heroic response to Nazi blood lust in the autumn of 1943. I salute the Danish people and their cherished love of democracy!
March 21, 2016
Excellent, comprehensive source for the story of the spontaneous rescue of Danish Jews during the turbulent weeks of October 1943. In 14 chapters author Lidegaard conveys the march of political and racial brutality which affected All residents of Denmark—regardless of their ethnic origins or religious practices. Each chapter examines one day during the Nazi ACTION—revealing the painful soul-searching among all Danes and temporary aliens, as Berlin’s final solution was dreaded, then suddenly realized. How to react? Jews gradually faced the inevitable and sought to flee; law-abiding citizens who had not demonstrated active resistance in any way were suddenly forced to choose—to be humane and reject abominable Nazi ideology. Who would have expected little Denmark, the “model protectorate,” to unite in helping their fellow Danes escape, insisting that “We have no Jewish problem.”
The multi-threaded narrative combines historical overview, diaries and notes from private individuals, ministers and journalists, who recognized that one day the world would seek to know the truth. In particular the brave residents of little Gilleleje realized that one day the honor and reputation of their fishing village would be scrutinized.
Augmenting the grim unfolding of mass brutality are historic photos and biographical inserts of prominent Nazis. After the last regular chapter the Epilogue ties up all the loose ends, providing data on the fate of many people: the ordinary diary keepers, politicians, German leaders plus King Christian, who served as a role model of dignified, passive resistance. Post-war Danes blushed to admit that they participated in a grudging Cooperation during German Occupation, but they could hold their heads high after their almost unanimous, heroic response to Nazi blood lust in the autumn of 1943. I salute the Danish people and their cherished love of democracy!
March 21, 2016
December 8, 2015
It took me awhile to make it through, but there is so much information to digest. I have long been interested in stories from World War Two and confess that all I knew of Denmark's chapter was from a book I read as a child (and now want to read again). This is a fascinating, in-depth investigation into what made Denmark's situation so unique in Nazi-controlled Europe.
As I have already said, there is a lot of information presented. However, the author breaks down the action according to the day it was happening over the two key weeks or so of the main action, with important contextual information being included along the way. I really like learning about historical events in their context and I think he did it brilliantly!
If you are interested in foreign diplomacy and affairs, read this. I would not have believed that the Nazi regime could be affected by diplomacy- least of all by one of the countries they were occupying. Also, I was somewhat surprised to learn about how neutral Sweden affected events and went on to advocate for Jewish detainees from throughout Scandinavia throughout the war.
If you are interested in the Holocaust in a Jewish studies sense, this would be worth your read. When just two countries (Denmark and Bulgaria) of all of the countries occupied by the Nazis actually managed to save the overwhelming majority of their Jews- even those who had already been deported- it's worth reading about, right?
If you are interested in sociology or anthropology, there is plenty of material included investigating the Danish society and mindset as a whole compared to other countries which were more willing to be manipulated by xenophobic propaganda. The Germans were, however, never able to create a divide in Danish society.
A great find and a great read!
As I have already said, there is a lot of information presented. However, the author breaks down the action according to the day it was happening over the two key weeks or so of the main action, with important contextual information being included along the way. I really like learning about historical events in their context and I think he did it brilliantly!
If you are interested in foreign diplomacy and affairs, read this. I would not have believed that the Nazi regime could be affected by diplomacy- least of all by one of the countries they were occupying. Also, I was somewhat surprised to learn about how neutral Sweden affected events and went on to advocate for Jewish detainees from throughout Scandinavia throughout the war.
If you are interested in the Holocaust in a Jewish studies sense, this would be worth your read. When just two countries (Denmark and Bulgaria) of all of the countries occupied by the Nazis actually managed to save the overwhelming majority of their Jews- even those who had already been deported- it's worth reading about, right?
If you are interested in sociology or anthropology, there is plenty of material included investigating the Danish society and mindset as a whole compared to other countries which were more willing to be manipulated by xenophobic propaganda. The Germans were, however, never able to create a divide in Danish society.
A great find and a great read!
March 1, 2017
Two countries successfully resisted Nazi efforts to exterminate Jews — Bulgaria and Denmark. This book recounts how about 7,000 Danish Jews escaped a sudden crackdown in late 1943 and made their way to Sweden. Several hundred more were caught in raids and taken to concentration camps but nearly all of those survived, thanks in part to continual Danish political pressure.
Lidegaard tells a deeply researched story that spans a spectrum stretching from high-level bureaucracy to intimate personal tales. At times it reads like diplomatic history and at times it reads like a thriller, but it always works. There's also some psychological exploration of the German leaders in Denmark; the political chief in particular seemed to have a personality disorder that fit him well for playing double games. Some readers may find a few pages unnecessarily detailed but I liked being able to read the full record.
Denmark enjoyed unusual circumstances, including a German presence not enthusiastically committed to persecution and willing to turn a blind eye to most escapes. But Lidegaard makes a strong case that it was the country's political leadership and social values that provided strong protection for a minority that was far more exposed in other occupied countries. He is quite aware the the episode has lessons for the present and spells them out.
As uplifting as the story is, it's somewhat disappointing to see how relatively easy the postwar treatment was of a few of the more heinous figures on the Nazi side. At least there was no soft landing for Heinrich Himmler, whose comments in a secret speech to scores of his SS staff (secret, but recorded and later transcribed and included in the book) constitute some of the most insanely repulsive statements in history.
Lidegaard tells a deeply researched story that spans a spectrum stretching from high-level bureaucracy to intimate personal tales. At times it reads like diplomatic history and at times it reads like a thriller, but it always works. There's also some psychological exploration of the German leaders in Denmark; the political chief in particular seemed to have a personality disorder that fit him well for playing double games. Some readers may find a few pages unnecessarily detailed but I liked being able to read the full record.
Denmark enjoyed unusual circumstances, including a German presence not enthusiastically committed to persecution and willing to turn a blind eye to most escapes. But Lidegaard makes a strong case that it was the country's political leadership and social values that provided strong protection for a minority that was far more exposed in other occupied countries. He is quite aware the the episode has lessons for the present and spells them out.
As uplifting as the story is, it's somewhat disappointing to see how relatively easy the postwar treatment was of a few of the more heinous figures on the Nazi side. At least there was no soft landing for Heinrich Himmler, whose comments in a secret speech to scores of his SS staff (secret, but recorded and later transcribed and included in the book) constitute some of the most insanely repulsive statements in history.
March 14, 2017
Impeccable mix of primary sources woven in a mix of narrative and factual retelling. The differences of how countries reacted in the face of Nazism - especially those who RESISTED - is sadly untold in popular narrative. Particularly today, examining how an occupied country held strongly to its belief in equality under democracy and the rule of law to resist fascism and racism is (sadly) more pertinent than ever...I think this should be assigned Holocaust reading in every high school.
October 23, 2015
Inspiring stuff. When free people stand together, all kinds of things are possible...there was a fair amount of luck involved too. This is a good account though a bit repetitive sometimes, and the author explains and debunks some of the myths about the remarkable escape to Sweden of over 80% of Denmark's Jews in October 1943.
June 23, 2014
Timely and moving. Brilliant account of how the Danes helped 95% of ‘their’ Jews escape to freedom.
August 23, 2024
There is no doubt this story is valuable and important and worth being told, as an illustration of citizens defending their countrymen, not viewing their Jewishness as distinctive from their Danishness, and the facts of the tale certainly are remarkable as most of them, though sadly not all, were smuggled out to Sweden in 1943. It is particularly interesting given Denmark's own context of being in a cooperative occupation with Germany. There was no armed resistance, but a pragmatic acceptance of being overwhelmed by force. Thus, from the Danish perspective more lives were saved by negotiating a form of collaboration, but retaining some sense of democratic control, albeit one that contributed to feeding the German war machine.
Frustratingly however is the way the story is told, the author is or was a diplomat and a bureacrats reserve colours this tale, ever so keen to pre-empt possible criticisms by acknowledging complexities. Which is fine in itself, but stylistically the writing is clunky, and gets in the way of clear throughlines with each chapter. At times he seems to contradict himself. How dangerous was it - were the Germans actually turning a blind eye or not? So many questions are raised, and a possible answer is about to be suggested before he seems to withdraw from any clear declarative statement on the matter, leaving you feeling muddled and confused as to what the actual reality was like.
Obviously reality is rarely clear cut, and evidence will be limited in places, but, compared to many other historians I have read on similar stories from WW2, this is too often a rather tedious reading experience. The better parts and most fascinating elements draw on the personal diaries of the Danish Jews escaping, giving a sense of the personal anxieties, thoroughly understandable. This is where the book is at it's strength giving life to these personal thoughts during this dramatic time, but even here I think the author struggles to incorporate these viewpoints efficiently and effectively.
Nevertheless, of course, the story is worthy and if you can get past the writing style, the sheer dramatic facts involved are always going to pull you through.
Frustratingly however is the way the story is told, the author is or was a diplomat and a bureacrats reserve colours this tale, ever so keen to pre-empt possible criticisms by acknowledging complexities. Which is fine in itself, but stylistically the writing is clunky, and gets in the way of clear throughlines with each chapter. At times he seems to contradict himself. How dangerous was it - were the Germans actually turning a blind eye or not? So many questions are raised, and a possible answer is about to be suggested before he seems to withdraw from any clear declarative statement on the matter, leaving you feeling muddled and confused as to what the actual reality was like.
Obviously reality is rarely clear cut, and evidence will be limited in places, but, compared to many other historians I have read on similar stories from WW2, this is too often a rather tedious reading experience. The better parts and most fascinating elements draw on the personal diaries of the Danish Jews escaping, giving a sense of the personal anxieties, thoroughly understandable. This is where the book is at it's strength giving life to these personal thoughts during this dramatic time, but even here I think the author struggles to incorporate these viewpoints efficiently and effectively.
Nevertheless, of course, the story is worthy and if you can get past the writing style, the sheer dramatic facts involved are always going to pull you through.
February 10, 2024
All European countries occupied by Nazi Germany have their own stories about the fate of the local Jews. In most cases Nazi authorities could count on the collaboration of the local police and the Gentile inhabitants of the country, who did not consider their Jewish neighbours part of the social body and were willing to help the Nazis in their task of wiping out Jews from Europe. That was not the case in Denmark.
For starters, the country was not invaded technically, but rather occupied in a peculiar way which allowed local authorities to maintain their functions and work with the Nazis on a semi-equal position. Therefore, the local police followed Danish orders and did not collaborate with the persecution of local Jews. Apart from that, from the early 1930s the authorities had developed a discourse which equated patriotism with democracy in a move to reject totalitarianism. This discourse considered both Fascism and Communism as alien to the Danish democracy, something which helped save the Danish Jews (considered part of the nation, not persecuted by the local police and helped by local communities to escape to Sweden when Nazis started targeting them) but implied that Danish Communists were handed to the German authorities and sent to concentration camps.
The book, based on archival research, explains the reaction of the authorities to Communist and Jewish persecution by Nazi officials, mostly German but also Danish, and documents the escape of the Jews to Sweden by quoting from several diaries written at the time by Danish Jews. Sometimes it delves too much on minute details, but in general it is a good overview of the fate of Jewish Danes. While it dispels some myths (such as the king of Denmark wearing the star of David, something which never happened because nobody actually had to wear it), it presents a case study which makes one wonder what would have happened if local authorities and populations in other countries had not accepted antisemitic propaganda and had protected their fellow Jewish citizens.
For starters, the country was not invaded technically, but rather occupied in a peculiar way which allowed local authorities to maintain their functions and work with the Nazis on a semi-equal position. Therefore, the local police followed Danish orders and did not collaborate with the persecution of local Jews. Apart from that, from the early 1930s the authorities had developed a discourse which equated patriotism with democracy in a move to reject totalitarianism. This discourse considered both Fascism and Communism as alien to the Danish democracy, something which helped save the Danish Jews (considered part of the nation, not persecuted by the local police and helped by local communities to escape to Sweden when Nazis started targeting them) but implied that Danish Communists were handed to the German authorities and sent to concentration camps.
The book, based on archival research, explains the reaction of the authorities to Communist and Jewish persecution by Nazi officials, mostly German but also Danish, and documents the escape of the Jews to Sweden by quoting from several diaries written at the time by Danish Jews. Sometimes it delves too much on minute details, but in general it is a good overview of the fate of Jewish Danes. While it dispels some myths (such as the king of Denmark wearing the star of David, something which never happened because nobody actually had to wear it), it presents a case study which makes one wonder what would have happened if local authorities and populations in other countries had not accepted antisemitic propaganda and had protected their fellow Jewish citizens.
September 8, 2023
Overall, a really good book. Very informative. I had no idea that Denmark played such a courageous role in defying the Nazis. Their resilience and persistence in not surrendering to the nazis, and also having favorable circumstances to do that, is something we should know more about. An important lesson on the danger of neutrality.
The beginning and end of the book are great. I found it a bit hard to follow the stories but that might have been my flaw not the author. The book inspired me and I hope to visit the Museum of Danish Resistance / Frihedsmusseet in Copenhagen/ København soon. Isn't it a beautiful thing to have a book also inspire you to see more of the world?
The beginning and end of the book are great. I found it a bit hard to follow the stories but that might have been my flaw not the author. The book inspired me and I hope to visit the Museum of Danish Resistance / Frihedsmusseet in Copenhagen/ København soon. Isn't it a beautiful thing to have a book also inspire you to see more of the world?
January 31, 2018
This is an historical account of the escape of Denmark's Jewish population from the attempted roundup by the German occupation force that began on October 1st, 1943 and the eventual escape of over 7,000 to neighboring Sweden. Through personal diaries the escapes of several families and individuals are portrayed as well as the more general exodus. This book thoroughly explores the conditions that occurred that allowed Denmark to save its Jewish citizens while other occupied countries with the exception of Bulgaria could not.
November 3, 2021
I thought I knew about how the Danes saved their 8000 Jews. All I really knew was that they did but no details. The details are fascinating. As long as Denmark was moderately conciliatory, no German troops were needed there; manpower in the war was far less than what was needed. Here's the part I especially loved: for Danes to wear a yellow star, to submit Jewish names to the Germans, to make life in any way difficult for the Danish Jews - this was "unDanish."
August 20, 2021
"...Are human beings fundamentally good but weak? Or are we brutal by nature, checked and controlled only by civilization?"
Lidegaard shares the ordeal of Danish Jews fleeing the Nazis in Denmark with personal diaries as his sources. At the same time he documents the efforts of Danish and Swedish governments, institutions and citizens to thwart the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.
Lidegaard shares the ordeal of Danish Jews fleeing the Nazis in Denmark with personal diaries as his sources. At the same time he documents the efforts of Danish and Swedish governments, institutions and citizens to thwart the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.
April 9, 2023
History of the unique experience of Jews during WWII in Denmark underNazi occupation. Chronologically presented with rich descriptions from the diaries of the refugees. A thoughtful exploration of the actions and motivations that facilitated the saving almost the entire community from the fate of so many millions of other Jews in the Holocaust.
January 14, 2024
3.5 stars, but I'll round up because it's nonfiction and took a lot of research. This book is thorough, well written, and level-headed. It's also too long, partly because the author repeats himself on several themes, such as the fervour of Commandant-Juhl, etc. It feels like he does not trust the reader to learn these things the first time.
March 1, 2017
This is journalistic expression of the occupation in Denmark. What was incredible was the Danish support of Th. Stauning, given his stance and departure from the opposition. Very well researched topic on a small portion of a huge story that effected so many Ashkenazim.
April 29, 2018
Ondanks het interessante materie is het toch een worsteling geweest voor mij. Vaak getwijfeld om hem weg te leggen door de nogal droge schrijfstijl, maar het onderwerp was boeiend genoeg om toch door te zetten. Ik kwam er alleen slechts heel langzaam in vooruit
July 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I knew of the Danish resistance to the nazi occupiers but only basic facts. This book, while densely packed with information, was well written and enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this book.
August 9, 2021
Very detailed and interesting account of the Danish people's experience during WWII. Many Jews were able to escape, practically overnight, due to the Danes willingness to help. My grandfather was Danish, so that led me to choose this book.
April 22, 2024
I’ve been recommending this book to everyone I meet. I wasn’t able to follow all of the politics and found it hard to keep track of who all the players were. But the overall picture is fascinating, and gave me a lot to think about.
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