The rescue of the danish jews occurred during nazi germany s occupation of denmark during world war ii. The tone of the german occupation changed in early 1943. Holocaust education is standard in schools, though no longer mandatory. List of picture books about the holocaust for elementary. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the nazi occupation. The decision to invade denmark was taken in berlin on 17 december 1939. I make a small commission from some of the links on this site. Number the stars, a holocaust novel for children published in 1989, focuses on annemarie, a 10 year old in denmark, whose family pretends her jewish best friend is actually her older sister who had earlier been killed for her work with the danish resistance. This magnificent book states its central argument in its title.
But one should not confuse partisan resistance to the german military effort and the german occupation of europe, on the one hand, with jewish resistance, on the other, even though the two sometimes overlapped, as in the case of sutin, who fled from certain death as. The most forceful form of resistance was the armed resistance groups organized in over 100 ghettos throughout russia and poland. Despite this declaration, germany invaded denmark and despite the still fresh memories and destruction of world war i, denmark immediately resisted the invasion as best as they could. One of the boldest choices and most salient features of the book is that it uses different animals to represent humans. American cartoonist spiegelman interviewed his father about his experiences as a holocaust survivor.
Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at wars end denmark had one of the highest jewish survival rates for any european country. Denmark did everything it could to protect jewish citizens. For another touching picture book about annes special tree, check out anne frank and the remembering tree. The anthology examines how european societies dealt with the knowledge of the nazi persecution of jews in very different ways before, during and after the holocaust. It is often asked why jews did not make greater attempts at resistance.
The danish response to the nazis illuminates a crucial fact about the holocaust. Access thousands of highquality, free k12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students. At the beginning of world war ii, the scandinavian countries of denmark, sweden and norway declared their neutrality. Allied victories convinced many danes that germany could be defeated. Picture books about the holocaust the holocaust is a difficult subject to tackle. The holocaust and the danish exception are so masterfully crafted they make us feel as if we ourselves are on the train tracks approaching treblinka, behind the barbed wire fence at majdanek, at the entrance of dachau under the sign arbeit macht frei, outside a gas chamber at auschwitz. Music, memory, and resistance during the holocaust learn how music helped to preserve dignity in the lives of jews under nazi rule. Before writing my book about youngsters involved in antinazi resistance during the second world war, i had a certain notion about the holocaust. This book was published in association with the october 1943 conference.
A new book of photos has just been published, to mark the 75th anniversary of one of the most daring rescues in world war two. On september 28, 1943, georg ferdinand duckwitz, a german diplomat, secretly informed the danish resistance that the nazis were planning to deport the danish jews. At the beginning of wwii, denmark, sweden, and norway declared that they were not taking sides in the conflict. Improve your students reading comprehension with readworks. Later, the story gained its popularity in leon uriss novel exodus and in its. There are many great picture books, many of them inspired by real children during that time, that are told poignantly and simply, without diving into the full horrors of the time period. Dec 15, 20 the surprising truth about denmark in the holocaust. Germans as cats, jews as mice, and nonjewish poles as pigs. The danish resistance movements were an underground insurgency to resist the german occupation of denmark during world war ii.
On october 1, 1943, nazi leader adolf hitler ordered danish jews to be arrested and deported. The untold story of how denmark s jews escaped the nazis, of the courage of their fellow danesand of the extraordinary role of the ss. What lidegaards story really demonstrates is that history and context are all. The holocaust is a difficult but necessary subject to learn and teach.
There are many terrific individual stories in the book many are told firsthand, among them the description of how, during the height of the war, a man in denmark was arrested and convicted of vandalizing a synagogue in copenhagen right under the noses of the nazis. Jewish resistance during the holocaust nazi persecution and mass murder of the jews gave rise to jewish resistance movements that acted against the third reich within the occupied areas of europe. With this book the department for holocaust and genocide studies publishes the third volume in the danish genocide studies series a series of publications written or edited by researchers affiliated with the department and its work on the holocaust and genocide in general, along with studies of more specifically danish aspects of the. The government and king, christian x, had made a formal. Research family history relating to the holocaust and explore the museums collections about individual survivors and victims of the holocaust and nazi persecution. The nazis wanted to move all danish jews to sweden.
Unlike many writers, she treats the extraordinary rescue of nearly the entire danish jewish population in october 1943, as only part of the story of the resistance, in fact positing that nazi persecution of the jews and the success of the rescue mission led to enormous popular support for the resistance. Nevertheless, without the danes widespread support for jews and active resistance to nazi policies, few if any jews would have survived the holocaust in denmark. Danish jews survived hitlers rule in world war ii, when other european jews did. Number the stars 1989 is a work of historical fiction by american author lois lowry, about the. Popular holocaust resistance books goodreads share book.
I had the opportunity to meet, interview, and photograph danish resistance leaders, rescuers and jewish survivors. The king of denmark did not get along with the german army. How denmark saved its jews from the nazis abc news. German troops carrying a danish flag, giving the nazi. Were the danes more courageous in opposing nazi plans.
Jewish medical resistance in the holocaust berghahn books. Why 90 percent of danish jews survived the holocaust history. The museums jack, joseph and morton mandel center for advanced holocaust studies has sponsored a number of programs devoted to the holocaust in ukraine and, more broadly, in the former soviet union and granted fellowships to scholars researching this subject, including contributors to. After being tipped off about imminent roundups by prominent nazis, resisters evacuated the countrys 7,000 jews to sweden by boat. Jewish resistance during the holocaust questia online library. Jews during the holocaust were resisting, among other things. The churchill club was one of the earliest resistance group to be formed in denmark. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the nazi occupation authority allowed the democratic government to stay in power, the resistance movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale than in some. This picture book, illustrated by caldecott honor artist peter mccarty, uses the chestnut tree outside the secret annex as a powerful yet accessible approach to talking about anne frank and holocaust history with children.
May 18, 2015 the danish resistance movement during world war two was in a curious position. Drawing from interviews with survivors and from meticulous research, a stirring chronicle of the bravery and dedication of the danish resistance during world war ii discusses how many of denmark s jews were saved from the holocaust. Book examines how jews of denmark were saved from the. Did anyone come to assist the jews or other victims of the nazis. Bibliography of books about the danish resistance during world. The holocaust encyclopedia provides an overview of the holocaust using text, photographs, maps, artifacts, and personal histories. Why 90 percent of danish jews survived the holocaust. Glickman lauders work is the subject of two traveling exhibitions, holocaust. Denmarks holocaust education covers both the international events, as well as focusing on the danish role. Resistance to nazi germany germany invaded and occupied many countries during world war ii. The rescue of the danish jews occurred during nazi germanys occupation of denmark during world war ii. Lidegaard makes the argument, in his conclusion, that had resistance been as strong elsewhere in europe as it was in denmark, the nazis might never have been able to drive the final solution to its conclusion. Cultural and spiritual resistance the term resistance when related to jews and the holocaust takes on a different meaning than the way most of us understand the term. The unimaginable horror of the holocaust is hard for adults to fathom, so how do we talk to our children about it.
The events discussed in this informational text take place in the middle of world war ii, after the scandinavian countries of denmark, sweden and norway declared that they would not take sides in the war. The only country in world war ii to defy hitlers order to deport its. There, the possibilities for rescue were far smaller and the risks far greater. During this time, germany was led by adolf hitler and the nazi party, which planned and executed the mass killing of over 11 million people, including more than 6 million jews. Women even played an important role in the french and frenchjewish resistance. Denmark was the only occupied country that actively resisted the nazi regimes attempts to deport its jewish citizens. Music, memory, and resistance during the holocaust facing. A history of jews in denmark, beginning with the 1622 invitation by king christian iv and ending with.
As soon as hed heard the newsthat all of denmark s jews would be deported by the nazis the next day. One european country worked as a whole to keep the nazis from removing its jewish people. Churchillklubben was a group of eight teenage schoolboys from aalborg cathedral school in the north of jutland who performed acts of sabotage against the germans during the occupation of denmark in the second world war. The danish resistance and rescue of the jews during world war ii. In other countries, notable individuals or communities created resistance during the holocaust which helped the jews escape some concentration camps.
The danish resistance and the rescue of the jews is the story of the people of denmark and their stand against nazi occupiers during world war ii. Resistance to nazi germany, fifth grade reading passage. Some women survived the holocaust to tell remarkable stories of heroism, determination, and courage. Both the danish king and the danish government decided that their best hope of maintaining denmarks sovereignty lay in cooperating but not. Commonlit danish resistance during the holocaust free. In theory, denmark was not officially at war with nazi germany though clearly denmark had been illegally occupied by the germans in 1940 as the government had not declared war on germany. That means they would not take sides in the conflict. Lois lowry traveled to copenhagen to conduct research and interviews for the book. Explore with your students the lives of jews before world war ii and examine music as a form of resistance. Although their nonviolent methods of resistance had not ended the occupation, through this resistance the danes had achieved several goals. In 20, humanity in action denmark held a conference in copenhagen to mark the 70th anniversary of the flight and rescue of danish jewry.
A danish ambulance driver huddled over a copenhagen phone book, circling jewish names. Judy glickman lauders photographs in beyond the shadows. In may 1942, czech agents assassinated reinhard heydrich, the architect of the plan for the final solution of the jewish question. In three cases, entire countries citation needed resisted the deportation of their jewish population during the holocaust. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Jewish danes were in greater danger than elsewhere. Bibliography of books about the danish resistance during. May 24, 2014 what lidegaards story really demonstrates is that history and context are all. Resistance activities in denmark united states holocaust. Organized armed resistance was the most forceful form of jewish opposition to nazi policies in germanoccupied europe. Suzanne weiss, an ijv member and holocaust survivor, will be speaking at events sponsored by independent jewish voices in 11 cities during the coming months. A history of the danish resistance in world war ii david lampe, birger riisjorgensen on.
Through a collection of individual and combined acts of courage and resistance, levine highlights the danes and the fight to save danish jews during hitlers. Today the holocaust is viewed as the emblematic manifestation of absolute evil. The danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 jews to safety in nearby neutral sweden. As soon as hed heard the newsthat all of denmarks jews would be. The rescue of the danish jews during world war ii ebook. Principally, they had no access to arms and were surrounded by native antisemitic populations who might collaborate with the nazis or, even if they were opposed to german occupation, may have been willing to condone the elimination of the jews and were reticent to put their own. Denmark was the only european country to save almost all of its jewish residents from the holocaust. The holocausts paradox of good and evil, in photographs. Gunnar dyrberg recalls in his book how he had seen danes engage in friendly conversation with the germans immediately after the invasion and cites this as one. Resistance during the holocaust antidefamation league. The remarkable story of collective and individual acts of bravery and altruism. Lise had been killed by the nazi military as a result of her work with the danish resistance, though her former fiance peter, based in part.
Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the nazi occupation authority allowed the democratic government to stay in power, the resistance movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale than in some other. Denmark in world war 2 the danish resistance documentary. Soon after, the danish resistance learned that denmarks jews were to be. The dutch resistance to the nazi occupation of the netherlands during world war ii can be mainly characterized by its prominent nonviolence, submitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly by some 1 million people, including german. They were hoping to avoid repeating the horrors of world war i, although this did not prevent the german government from invading the territories and taking away the rights of citizens of these countries. The danish resistance movement, with the assistance of many danish.
The story of the danish jews is sui generis, and the behavior of the danish people unique among all the countries of europe occupied, allied with the axis, or neutral. Oct 08, 2017 during most of world war 2, denmark was first a protectorate, then an occupied territory under germany. The danish resistance and the rescue of the jews, written by ellen levine, is a book about a collection of acts of bravery and stories by people residing in denmark during germanys control. In september 1943, the danes learned of nazi plans to capture the countrys jews and ship them to concentration. The surprising truth about denmark in the holocaust. Jens hansen is the teenage protagonist of this historical fiction, which relates the events in denmark from the german invasion april 9, 1940 until their surrender.
Several important books and films have been produced on this topic. Danish resistance during the holocaust guest publication hans holmskov schluter copenhagen. While there had been minimal resistance to the germans during the first years of the occupation, labor strikes and acts of sabotage now strained relations with germany. Online exhibition united states holocaust memorial museum. Every year, jews around the world observe holocaust remembrance day, known as yom hashoah in hebrew, to ensure that the six million jews murdered by the nazis are never forgotten. To the extent that the term, holocaust, has gained any credence in danish language usage it is generally understood to refer to. Jewish civilians offered armed resistance in over 100 ghettos in occupied poland and the soviet union in aprilmay 1943, jews in the warsaw ghetto rose in armed revolt after rumors that the germans would deport the remaining ghetto inhabitants to the treblinka killing center. Suzanne is author of the acclaimed book, holocaust to resistance.
Resistance united states holocaust memorial museum. Starting with a demonstration of the unique aspects of the danish case, goodman focuses on an analysis of the specific historical conditions that led to this unique mass rescue. Denmark s response to the holocaust, which have been shown at more than 150 institutions around the world. Holocaust literature is also common in schools, including the popular book number the stars, which is partially set in denmark. Holocaust, the systematic statesponsored killing of six million jewish men, women, and children and millions of others by nazi germany and its collaborators during world war ii. The danes responded quickly, organizing a nationwide effort to. After being tipped off about imminent roundups by prominent nazis, resisters evacuated the. The presence of the past and resistance and rescue. A few of those images appear in beyond the shadows yet the book also offers something redemptive and hopeful.
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