The day’s topic was the myths and realities of the rescue of the Danish Jewish society under German occupation during the Second World War.As Danes, we were surprised to hear historian Torben Jørgensen and researcher Silvia Fracapane present a lot of information that is often left out of the curriculum in Danish primary and high school regarding the rescue of the Jewish people in Denmark. This included what happened to the Jews who were not rescued as well as the context that made their rescue possible. It was very affecting to hear the personal story told by Dr. Jørgen Kieler, the former resistance fighter, especially regarding his progression from a student making illegal newspapers, to engaging in sabotage, to the unbearable conditions in the concentration camp.
Ambassador Bo Lidegaard presented his analysis of how the Danish Government made decisions during the war and stayed out of the conflicts between Nazis and Communists, as well as his reflections on democracy in Denmark and how it has evolved. Kieler and Lidegaard posed two very different views on the Danish collaboration/cooperation policy and the resistance movement, illustrating the complexity and sensitivity of the Danish role in the Second World War.
We find ourselves caught in between the various viewpoints. We see the difficulty in balancing, on the one hand, the acknowledgment of the unique situation and strategic policy that made the consequences of the occupation of Denmark seem fairly mild compared to our neighboring countries. On the other hand, we recognize the role of the Danish co-operation with the Nazis, e.g. as a food provider, and the question of whether Denmark took part in prolonging the war.
-Rasmus Holm and Sofie Birk
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