A Conspiracy Of Decency: The Rescue Of The Danish Jews During World War II

by Emmy E. Werner

The people of Denmark managed to save almost their country's entire Jewish population from extinction in a spontaneous act of humanity -- one of the most compelling stories of moral courage in the history of World War II. Drawing on many personal accounts, Emmy Werner tells the story of the rescue of the Danish Jews from the vantage-point of living eyewitnesses- the last survivors of an extraordinary conspiracy of decency that triumphed in the midst of the horrors of the Holocaust. A Conspiracy of Decency chronicles the acts of people of good will from several nationalities. Among them were the German Georg F. Duckwitz, who warned the Jews of their impending deportation, the Danes who hid them and ferried them across the Oresund, and the Swedes who gave them asylum. Regardless of their social class, education, and religious and political persuasion, the rescuers all shared one important they defined their humanity by their ability to act with great compassion. These people never considered themselves heroes -- they simply felt that they were doing the right thing.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holocaust, World War II, War, European History, Denmark

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Resilience researcher

Reviews

[Lady ♥ Belleza · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Germany occupied Denmark during WWII, the king told his people to “behave like good Danes”. A 17-year-old schoolboy asked himself, “How does a good Dane behave in a situation like this, when his country is occupied?” He came up with these ‘Ten Commandments’

“Ten Commandments for the Danes”

You must not take work in Germany or Norway.
You must do worthless work for the Germans.
You must work slowly for the Germans.
You must destroy important machines and gear.
You must destroy everything useful to the Germans.
You must delay all transports.
You must boycott German and Italian newspapers and films.
You must not trade with Nazis.
You must deal with traitors as they deserve.
You must defend everyone persecuted by the Germans.
JOIN IN THE FIGHT FOR DENMARK’S FREEDOM

The Danes resisted the occupation. Some of the resistance was passive, Danes would leave a store if German soldiers came in. They would leave a streetcar if the Germans sat down in one. The Germans were disconcerted by this. They ridiculed the soldiers, making jokes at their expense. Children were instructed to say “I don’t understand” and nothing else to the soldiers.

There was also active resistance and acts of sabotage. Underground newspapers were printed. Through all this the Danish government protected the Danish Jews. This all ended in September 1943 when martial law was proclaimed by the Germans after taking over the government and neutralizing the army and navy. Hitler ordered all Danish Jews be deported.

What happened next is nothing short of amazing, word was gotten to the Jewish people to go into hiding, arrangements were made for them to live in Sweden, and the Danish people cooperated in getting them there under the noses of the Germans. The Danish people when asked simply said, “It was the right thing to do.”

This is a fascinating account. The book is not big but Ms. Werner manages to include all the important details. There was enough historical information about the people involved to understand what happened but not so much that the book was dragged down. She also included a brief lesson about the issue of “Swiss neutrality”, which was something I had often heard about, but never had it explained so clearly.

For the reasons explained above I recommend this book.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of how the Danish saved most of their Jewish population during WWII. My favorite quote from a girl of sixteen aboard a boat fleeing to neutral Sweden: "If Hitler's evil system had not dominated more than half of Europe, there would have never been an opportunity to find out, how decent and selfless people can be." I think this illustrates the truth that a person's true self is revealed during hardships. I enjoyed the accounts that showed how the Danes maintained their sense of humor during their occupation. The Danish often stood their ground and wouldn't be intimidated. A young Dane pondered, " How could an unarmed, orderly, polite people win against an army by just saying no?" Not only were the majority of their Jewish population saved, most of them returned after the war with warm welcomes. "Our homes, our businesses, our property, and money had been taken care of and returned to us..." The last chapter goes over several key factors that converged in order for Denmark's rescue efforts to be so successful when other's throughout Europe failed.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book and this story are amazing.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend when I said I was feeling disheartened by the current support for hate toward the 'other' in our country. Pros: Relatively short, lots of first-hand accounts, interesting topic, writing not too dense for casual reading. Cons: The organization structure didn't mesh with how my brain would've organized the telling of these events and life histories, so I found it a little disjointed; I would've loved a bigger, more detailed map to refer to (there is one small map in one of the chapters that I kept flipping back to reference); the author deemphasizes histories and facts that are not in direct support of the heroic story alluded to in the title. She does acknowledge that Denmark did not act against the Nazis until they sensed a shift in the war in favor of the Allies, but I can't help but wonder about the stories of those who were not represented in the book because their narrative didn't fit the title, and about the quickly mentioned "brief period of anti-Semitic backlash" that happened after the war ended. The last chapter is the payoff -- it's where the author describes studies about what made people "rescuers" during WWII, compiles the factors that contribute to people saving their minorities from persecution (basically, you know them. They are integrated into your neighborhood; you're friends, you're relatives, you're neighbors), and there are compelling quotes from survivors about compassion toward refugees.

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written account of the evacuation of the Danish Jewish population of German occupied Denmark to Sweden in October of 1943 just as they were about to be rounded up and deported to Germany. The story of the evacuation is told from the point of view from first person accounts of survivors of the evacuation who were children and teenagers at the time as well as from other sources. What is clearly stated is that this rescue effort would not have been successful without the support of the Danish people; cooperation from the Swedish government in offering refuge to the evacuees; and the willingness of some elements of the German Navy and Army who looked: "the other way" and did nothing to assist the Gestapo and SS sometimes thwarting them in their efforts. It details the life that the evacuees lived while in Sweden; tells what happened to those that didn't escape and were sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where 90% survived to eventually return to Denmark; and details the return of evacuees from Sweden to Denmark after the liberation at the end of World War II. The book ends with a chapter on the rescuers in Denmark exploring their motivations; and briefly describes 2 other rescue efforts that occurred during the Holocaust in Bulgaria and in the village of Le Chambon in France.

[Valerie]

I think this is the source I read.

Some people argued that the Danish Royal family set the stage for this achievement, because unlike in other Western European countries, the Danish Royal family stayed put, and didn't flee to places like England. Maybe. But part of the reason the Danes were given such freedom was that the Nazi belief system argued that the Danes (as 'Nordics') represented the epitome of humanity--so Denmark wasn't so fiercely repressed as places in Eastern Europe.

Whatever the reason, the achievement of the Danes was exemplary, and should be remembered as an example for future behavior by the Danes themselves, as well as everybody else.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Conspiracy of Decency is about the rescue of Danish Jews during WWII. As the German occupiers made plans to round up the Jews, their Gentile neighbors managed to transport thousands to safety in Sweden. Approximately 90% of the Danish Jewish population was saved in this manner.

The story itself is amazing and I appreciated all the accounts of individual experiences. But I found the writing style to be a bit awkward and the disorganization of the book to be distracting. Having said that, I got from the book what I wanted... a working knowledge of what was truly a laudable effort by an entire nation.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and good book if you are interested in: WWII, Denmark, the impressive feats of the Danes who removed a great majority of their Jewish population to Sweden during the war, the many Germans (who in their heart of hearts disagreed with Hitler and were able to let this happen without getting caught) who turned a blind eye in every sense to the latter feat, and the endless stories of fisherman. The writing is not superb (hence the 3 stars) but this is an important collection of factual stories, thoughts, and events.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book about an entire country pulling together to help save the Jewish people during World War II. This book buoyed my spirit as it reminded me that humanity can do great good even during a time as awful as the Holocaust. I applaud the Danish people and all those that made it possible to save so many. I must add to my comments by saying... at times the book read a bit slow but the story was so compelling I had a hard time putting it down.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of really neat stories in here from people's lives. I still don't completely understand why the Germans in Denmark just let the Jews escape, but I'm glad that they did. I read it a little at a time and didn't read the whole thing because I had to return it to the library, so maybe that's why I didn't get the big picture :)

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find the writing especially engaging, but the story is otherwise uplifting. The Danes worked to save nearly 8000 lives by "smuggling" their Jewish population (a few hundred of those people are non-Jewish family members) to Sweden rather than turning them over to the German occupying forces.

[Pallavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really loved this book. I don’t remember quite how I came to know of this book, but I am glad of it. Such a heart warming testimony to wonderful human beings who did what they could in spite of odds and risks to save their fellow countrymen - and also so many Germans who did the same. I didn’t know this of Denmark before I read the book and I am glad that I now know.

[Katrina Watters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A professor of mine from UC Davis wrote this. I found it really interesting since I lived in Denmark for a semester and had visited the Freedom Museum about the Danish resistance. What an amazing group of people it was!!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating for this book mainly applies to the subject matter. The writing itself is nothing special, and, despite the incredibly dramatic story, seems very flat at points. The story itself is one of those things that remind you that occasionally, people do the right thing.

[Dan Cowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books which deals with the Holocaust and leaves the reader with a positive feeling about humanity. This was the highpoint of my college class about the Holocaust, and gave me yet another reason to admire the way the Danish conducted themselves during WWII.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impressive story I didn't know much about. Makes me proud of my Danish heritage.

It was a bit of work to get through as it was a bit dry. Making more of a narrative of some of the heavily quoted participates would have gone a long way to better engage readers.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It shows how the Danes protected their Jewish neighbors and friends from Hitler. It is an important lesson for us all. An easy read, as is written at about a Middle School level.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story. Denmark was the only occupied country that saved virtually all of its Jews. It did this by courage and coordination, and proved that sometimes it was possible to resist the Nazis just by refusing to go along with evil.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A startling and heartening story that renders even more complex the horror that was WW2.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most important stories of WWII, a reminder that people *can* sometimes do the right thing, but the writing itself needed a better editor.

[Katra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so proud to be Danish!

[Brent Woo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, straightforward read of materials about the personal experience of the "Whipped Cream Front".

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really should be required reading in high school. I can't believe that I'd never heard of any of this until I happened to read a fictional book set in the period. (Leeway Cottage).

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of how the Danish citizens tricked the Nazis during WWII to save almost the entire Danish Jewish population. It was also a glimpse into Denmark during the German occupation. This book is non-fiction and details the accounts of some of the conspirators and Jewish families. It can be a bit detailed at times but very readable. It is a piece of WWII I knew nothing about. You mostly hear about the war from a English/French perspective, so understanding the role of the Nordic countries proved very interesting.

[Jennifer Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ for the story. The book reads in a very journalist fashion and there are a lot of individuals involved, it's a little hard to keep them all straight. I love the way the Danish population didn't need to waste time deciding if they should help, they just acted on their moral assessment of right and wrong. With so many on the side of good, the weight of the duty doesn't feel so heavy or so lonely.

[Sharon Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In spite of all of my reading on the subjects of WWII and the Holocaust, the facts of this book were new to me. The people of Denmark saved 90% of their Jewish population by hiding them and ferrying them to Sweden.
99% of the Jews of Denmark survived WWII.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very shallow overview of an extraordinary event.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent use of primary accounts!

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very inspiring account of the rescue of most the Danish Jews by their fellow non Jewish Danes when Hitler decided to round them up and send them to camps.

[Carl Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping read of how the Danes collectively banded together to save the Danish Jews from the Holocaust by their secret, en masse evacuation to Sweden. A fascinating story of basic decency in the worst of times.