Number the StarsHistorical Background

Denmark

European Map Number of Jewish People

Historical BackgroundWorld War II• Germany attacked Denmark on April 9, 1940.• Denmark surrendered to Germany almost immediately following the attack. The

Danish government decided that active resistance against the Nazi invasion would be useless because Denmark was a small country with an equally small military. A battle against Germany would have lead to the deaths of many Danes.

• Upon surrender, Denmark was given certain concessions not allowed in other Nazi-attacked countries. The Danish government and monarchy would remain intact. Germany also allowed Denmark to maintain its military because the Nazis did not consider the Danish army or navy a major threat to German forces.

• Hitler regarded Danes as noble members of the Aryan (a non-Jewish caucasian of Nordic descent) race, and he considered it improper to violently attack fellow Aryans. Equally important, however, was Denmark's ability to furnish Nazi Germany with supplies such as food and vital transportation assistance via railway routes into Scandinavia.

• In surrounding Nazi-controlled European countries, Germany horribly persecuted Jews and other German "enemies." Jews were forced to wear the Yellow Star. Eventually, the Jews of Holland, Belgium, Germany, Poland and other occupied countries were deported to concentration camps and death camps. But Germany needed Denmark's help.

• This unique relationship benefited Denmark: non-Jewish and Jewish citizens alike were protected from Nazi persecution. No Danish Jew was ever forced to wear the yellow star.

Historical Background cont.• Following Germany's attack on Denmark in 1940, the Danish

government remained intact and life continued much as it had before Germany's invasion. However, as months passed, the Danes quickly tired of the Nazi's presence. Dissatisfaction rose throughout 1942 and an organized resistance movement formed in the spring of 1943, which culminated in the mass rescue of Danish Jews in October 1943.

• In response, Germany captured many resistance members and deported them to concentration camps. The Nazis considered members of the Danish police to be responsible for the steady growth in resistance; in 1944, Germany sent almost the entire police force to camps.

• Danes fought the Nazis in non-violent, sometimes secretive ways that did not bring Danish into direct contact with Nazi soldiers. They used newspapers, both legal and illegal, and radio programs to bring news from England and the Allies. They imported or printed books banned by the Nazis.They smuggled weapons into the country for the possibility of active battle. They relayed information about Nazi activities and positions to Allied contacts via radio and bicycle and detonated explosives at major Nazi resource sites in Denmark.

Historical Background cont.

• One of the most popular and widespread forms of Danish resistance was the "cold shoulder." Everyone, including King Christian, tolerated Germany's presence; Denmark's citizens did not, however, extend their efforts beyond this minimal recognition. The Nazis received only "aloof cooperation," from the Danes, and the collective Danish stubbornness kept Germany at a distance.

• The situation in Denmark worsened throughout the spring of 1943. Of the eight thousand Jews living in Denmark in October 1943, approximately 7500 managed to escape to Sweden with help of fellow Danes. The remaining 450 were unable or unwilling to escape and were sent to Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp.

Historical Background cont.

• As Jews hid throughout Denmark, individuals and resistance groups organized the rescue operation. Some Danes bought boats and managed to smuggle hundreds of Jews to Sweden. The larger groups negotiated with trustworthy Danish fisherman who agreed to take the Jews to freedom. Plans were made for the Jews to be smuggled to the docks and, once there, for them to be concealed on the Danish fishing boats, out of sight of German soldiers.

All but 51 of these deportees survived the camp. The majority of the Theresienstadt prisoners returned to Denmark in 1945; most of the refugees living in Sweden also returned to Denmark at the end of the war.

Historical Background cont. • On May 5, the Nazis finally surrendered to the Allies. Danes hung

welcome signs and thank-you posters in preparation for the arrival of British troops; white candles glowed in the windows of most Danish homes, symbolizing solidarity and hopefulness. After more than five years of German occupation, Danes would once again rule Denmark.

• World War II took its toll on populations across Europe. Denmark lost a fair share of citizens, but its numbers were not nearly as high as in neighboring countries. Overall Danish figures show that from a total of 5, 975 Danes imprisoned in [German camps], there were 562 deaths. This number includes "fifty-eight deaths from among 474 Danish Jews." The numbers would have undoubtedly been higher had Denmark not worked to protect its citizens from harm.

Christian X, King of Denmark• Was the king of Denmark from

1912 to 1947.• One of the most popular

Danish monarchs.• He remained in his capital

throughout the occupation of Denmark, being to the Danish people a visible symbol of the national cause. Though his official speeches were often little more than an echoing of the government's official policy of cooperation with the occupying forces, this did not prevent him from being seen as a man of "mental resistance".

Christian X

• King Christian used to ride through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied while the people stood and waved to him. One apocryphal story relates that one day, a German soldier remarked to a young boy that he found it odd that the king would ride with no bodyguard. The boy reportedly replied, "All of Denmark is his bodyguard."

Planes over Denmark

German tanks in Denmark

Occupation of Denmark

Occupation of Denmark

References

• Source: The Bitter Years: The Invasion and Occupation of Denmark and Norway April 1940-May 1945 by Richard Petrow and "Denmark during the final years," Royal Danish Embassy, Washington, D.C. http://www.denmarkemb.org

• Google images- occupation of Denmark