I confess I don’t know much about the country of Denmark. It’s a Scandinavian country with neighbors Sweden and Norway, and its capital is Copenhagen. I think Denmark is a seafaring kind of place, filled with Vikings. Additionally, those Vikings eat delicious Danish pastries for breakfast every day, live in windmills, and wear wooden shoes. You might (correctly) guess that these last impressions of Denmark are from my happy visits to the “Danish Capital of America”- Solvang, CA.
So despite my little knowledge about Denmark, my curiosity was piqued when I recently discovered an interesting fact. Denmark was one of the few European countries that actively resisted the Nazi deportation of its Jewish citizens for their “Final Solution.” Unlike many other countries, 90 percent of Danish Jews survived the Holocaust. Some 7,220 Danish Jews, along with 686 non-Jewish family members, were ferried to nearby neutral Sweden. Of the 464 Jews who did not escape and were deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto, only 51 did not survive. Many Jews returning to Denmark after the war found that their neighbors had maintained their homes and belongings in their absence.
[There was] “a living wall raised by the Danish people in the course of one night.”
Historian Leni Wahl in “Why 90 Percent of Danish Jews Survived the Holocaust” (https://www.history.com/news/wwii-danish-jews-survival-holocaust
The spontaneous Danish resistance by ordinary citizens had some background reasons. Anti-semitism apparently had not taken deep root in Denmark- most Danes just considered Jewish Danes fellow citizens. The Danish government and King Christian X continuously actively resisted Nazi orders to single out or persecute their Jewish population. Such defiance set an important example for the rest of the country. The Nazis found it politically difficult to carry out their plans in the face of government resistance and public outcry.
Denmark was put under Nazi control in 1940, with minimal Nazi management, since Hitler did not view small Denmark as much of a threat. By 1943, as tensions increased, the Nazis finally dissolved the Danish government. But it was too little too late. There were already sympathetic German officials like civilian administrator Werner Best and diplomat Geor Duckwitz in place. They helped tip off key people about the Nazi plan to arrest Jews at their Jewish New Year holy day, and undermined efforts to prevent Jews from escaping.
Also, when news of the impending Nazi roundup of Jews was leaked, the non-political State Church of Denmark took a very unusual stand. They issued a letter on Oct 3, 1943, read in all Lutheran churches throughout Denmark. They unambiguously declared allegiance to the doctrine that bid them to obey God more than man. Then the letter urged people to rally in support of their Jewish neighbors. They declared that any affront to the freedom of their Jewish brothers and sisters was an affront to everyone’s freedom.
Finally nearby neutral Sweden agreed to admit Jewish refugees from Denmark. This meant that asylum was only a short 3-6 mile sea voyage away. With such relatively uncomplicated escape routes, the sea-faring Danes with boats responded quickly. Resistance groups swiftly negotiated fees for Jewish passengers, and recruited volunteers to raise money for the expensive passage costs. Though some captains exploited this situation for monetary gain, most acted without regard to personal gain and despite possible Nazi punishment.
“It was the natural thing to do. I would have helped any group of Danes being persecuted. The Germans’ picking on the Jews made as much sense to me as picking on redheads.”
Dr. Karl Henry Koster from Rescue in the Holocaust (https://www.holocaustrescue.org/danish-rescue-quotes)
So why did the majority of everyday Danes resist the Nazi regime and help Jewish Danes escape, even at great risk to themselves and their families? Some think that it was Denmark’s particular brand of non-aggressive nationalism. Denmark was a small country with little military power. This likely led to their unique brand of nationalism based on smallness, close-knit community and traditions.
Danes were also influenced by a Danish spiritual leader N.F.S. Grundtvig, who encouraged them to identify with the plight of the Jews. Some credit the full integration of Denmark’s Jews into society- some Jewish Danes had risen to great prominence. This made Danish citizens see any Nazi actions against Denmark’s Jews as an affront to all Danes. To their credit, in the face of tyranny, the Danes chose a collective morality of empathy and compassion.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Quote attributed to human rights activist Desmond Tutu
Most Danes later refused to take credit for their resistance work. They simply considered their actions as their civic duty toward fellow citizens. Some Danish rescuers are individually recognized by Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel)- as Righteous Among the Nations. (Rescue in the Holocaust- https://www.holocaustrescue.org/danish-recognized-by-yad-vashem). There is also a Plaque and tree in honor of the Danish Underground in the Avenue of the Righteous.
So as far as I am concerned, ordinary Danes coming together to rescue 90% of their Jewish population from the Nazis during WWII was a spectacular feat. Whatever their motivations were, I’m glad I learned that so many did the right thing at great risk. Denmark’s actions then are still a bright light shining in a horrifically dark part of human history.
But it does make me think: In similar circumstances, would Americans today do the same as the Danes did back then? I have great hope that we would.