"An immensely valuable ocntribution. As the last generation of witnesses to the Holocaust testify to its horrors, tehy must also testify to its heroes - those who risked all to safe lives. These movingly told stories restore our faith in the human spirit." —William Shirer "The mystery of the rescue phenomenon will probably always elude us. As the rescuers' narratives in this remarkable volume show, the acts of saving Jews seemed spontaneous and natural, and thus the mystery of the rescue act begins to unravel radiantly. The insights which this interdisciplinary collection of essays subtly pieces together s how in unique fashion the preconditions, or the possibilities, of individual and collective courage." —Dennis B. Klein, author of Jewish Origins of the Psychoanalytic Movement A distinguished group of internationally known individuals, Jews and non-Jews, rescuers and rescued, offer their enriching first-person accounts and reflections that explore the question: Why did the Danes risk their lives to rescue the Jewish population?
The rescue of the Danish Jews from Nazi persecution in October 1943 is a unique exception to the tragic history of the Holocaust. Over fourteen harrowing days, as they were helped, hidden and protected by ordinary people who spontaneously rushed to save their fellow citizens, an incredible 7,742 out of 8,200 Jewish refugees were smuggled out all along the coast - on ships, schooners, fishing boats, anything that floated - to Sweden. Now, for the first time, Bo Lidegaard brings together decades of research and new evidence, including unpublished diaries and documents of families forced to run for safety and of those who courageously came to their aid, to tell this story of ordinary glory, of simple courage and moral fortitude that shines out in the midst of the terrible history of the twentieth century and demonstrates how it was possible for a small and fragile democracy to stand against the Third Reich.
In October 1943, Adolph Hitler ordered the mass arrest of Jews in Denmark. While many Danish Jews were rounded up and deported to concentration camps, thousands fled to Sweden in one of the most successful--and famous--rescue operations of Jews in wartime Europe. Based on more than one hundred interviews, Nothing to Speak Of sheds new light on this rescue operation, telling the story of what happened to these survivors after October 1943. This richly illustrated volume is the first to deal with the long-term consequences of escape, exile, and deportation during this harrowing time for Danish citizens, uncovering deep and painful memories that still haunt many survivors today.
“German troops entered [Denmark, a] country of four and a half million persons on April 9, 1940, and three years passed before the purge against Danish Jews was begun. On the night of October 1, 1943, the Nazi boot kicked open doors in rooms largely empty. Only a fraction of the Danish Jews — 472 — were caught and sent to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp (where 53 of them died). The remaining 7,500 escaped — thanks to one German and several thousands of their countrymen. How? That was the question that puzzled the American journalist and television-writer, Harold Flender... He returned to Denmark for intensive research among rescuers and rescued and in archives. This book is the result... Flender brings out the risks and agonies, the drama and the heroism, in straight, professional reporting... [a] well-done work.” — Poul Lassen, The New York Times “One of the most exciting books about the frustration of the Nazis that has come out in a long time... a fabulous story.” — Wilmington News “A marvelous story...” — Chicago Tribune “As thrilling as it is uplifting.” — The Christian Science Monitor “Heartwarming story told in thrilling detail... should he read by everyone...” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “Inspiring and little-known story...” — Columbus Dispatch “Remarkable account of human courage and decency.” — The Denver Post “Powerful, heart-warming... one of the best and most starring stories out of the Nazi terror...” — Grand Junction Daily Sentinel “A graphic story of one of history’s greatest rescues.” — Hartford Times “Suspenseful... lifts the spirit... a rewarding book.” — Honolulu Star Bulletin & Advertiser “Simple, dramatic and moving... One of the most exciting and heartening [stories] to come out of the war.” — The London Observer “Impossible to stop reading... Everybody should read it.” — The London Spectator “An inspiring story of courage and good will...” — Library Journal “Remarkable... Effectively and comprehensively told...” — Los Angeles Times “A book that exceeds in fascination, as well as strangeness and truth, any current work of fiction.” — National Jewish Post & Opinion “Is stranger than fiction.” — Norfolk Virginian Pilot “Definitely should be read...” — Philadelphia Bulletin “Very moving and exciting...” — Publishers’ Weekly “Dramatic... well written account...” — Roanoke Times “Exciting and well documented...” — Sacramento Bee “Moving... true story of adventure and devotion...” — St. Petersburg Times “Easy to read and as exciting as any work of fiction...” — Yorkshire Evening Press (UK)
In October of 1943, the Danish resistance rescued almost all of the Jews in Copenhagen from roundups by the occupying Nazis. In the years since, Jews have become deeply engaged in a Danish culture that presents very few barriers of antisemitism or prejudice. This book explores the questions that such inclusion raises for the Danish Jews, and what their answers can tell us about the meaning of religion, ethnicity and community in modern society. Social scientists have long argued that modernity poses challenges for traditional ethnic communities, by breaking down the networks of locality, kinship, religion and occupation that have held such communities together. For the Danish Jews, inclusion into the larger society has led to increasing fragmentation, as the community has split into a bewildering array of religious, social, and political factions. Yet it remains one of Scandinavia's most vital religious organizations, and Jewishness remains central to self-understanding for thousands of its members. How this has happened - how the Jewish world has maintained its significance while losing any sense of coherence or unity - suggests a new understanding of the meaning of ethnic community in contemporary society.
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE RESCUE OF THE DANISH JEWS The rescue of the Danish Jews from German persecution during World War II remains a small yet very significant chapter in world history, as well as one of the proudest moments in Danish history. 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the remarkable event where so many Danes spontaneously mobilized to help defy the persecution of the Jews. In this new book, The Elsinore Sewing Club, interesting new perspectives are given on the event. The book tells the inspiring story of the Danish resistance group the Elsinore Sewing Club. During the winter of 1943-44 they played a crucial role in maintaining the connection between occupied Denmark and the free Sweden by daily illegal transports over the narrow strait, the Sound. The bookbinder Erling Ki�r defied his seasickness and sailed back and forth, day and night, through the tightly patrolled, ice-cold and mined waters. Illegally transporting refugees, resistance fighters, spies, courier post, weapons and other compromising material.Ki�r and the Sewing Club are especially well-known for their efforts in the rescue of the Danish Jews. It is estimated that they transported around 700 Jews to Sweden. For this action alone, the Sewing Club has gained an honorable place in world history - in the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, you will find one of the three boats they used, exhibited as a symbol of light in this otherwise dark chapter in mankind's history. Though much has already been written about the rescue of the Danish Jews, the book stands out in two ways. Firstly, it is the first study to closely examine the local infrastructure behind this impressive spontaneous humanitarian action. In the book you get to know the main characters (many of the stories in the book are rendered directly in the voices of the protagonists), get an insight into the group's work and wide-ranging organization. Secondly, it is a book that also clearly illustrates the high price that many of the helpers had to pay for their efforts - several of them even paid the ultimate price, killed either in action or in concentration camps. In the literature on the rescue of the Danish Jews it is often stated that the Germans were not that vigilant, giving the impression that the rescue operation was without much peril. The story of the Sewing Club gives a more nuanced picture. Though thoroughly researched - with many firsthand interviews and access to many previously unpublished sources - the book is written in a style for all to read. Authors: S�ren Gulmann & Karina S�by MadsenPublisher: Forlaget fantastiske fort�llinger (www.fantastiskefortaellinger.dk)150 pages, 62 illustrations, 2 mapsRetailprice: 25$Released on 4 January 2018
Henny and Her Boat provides a fresh perspective on the Danes' defense of their Jewish countrymen during years of Nazi occupation and, ultimately, their heroic rescue of the Danish Jews on a fleet of fishing boats and other small craft. Leo Goldberger, a leading expert on the Danish rescue, hails the book as an "educational gem," which describes the rescue in "riveting detail" by following one participant's rise from youthful bystander to rescuer to armed resister. Henny Sinding, daughter of a Danish navy officer, teamed with a fledgling resistance group to save three hundred Jews on a lighthouse supply boat named Gerda III. Each night for a month Henny bravely escorted Jews from secret rendezvous points to a dockside warehouse and then slipped them past Nazi sentries into Gerda III's cargo hold. Gerda III's crew completed the escape-motoring daily past German warships and mines to unoccupied Sweden. After the rescue Henny's team became one of Denmark's leading sabotage groups, while Gerda III continued to save persons hunted by the Nazis. The story of Gerda III and the people associated with it-Henny; Mix, the dashing young resistance fighter who she loved; and many giants of the Danish resistance-epitomizes the story of a nation that rose from a humbling surrender to battle the Nazis and hand the Gestapo its most glaring defeat.
