Language:
German
Year of publication:
1994
Titel der Quelle:
Tel Aviver Jahrbuch für Deutsche Geschichte
Angaben zur Quelle:
23 (1994) 93-114
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
Analyzes the circumstances that made possible the rescue of most of Danish Jewry. Points out that the Germans granted the Danish government a large measure of autonomy in return for economic cooperation. The German plenipotentiaries in Denmark understood that measures against the Jews would lead to unrest and to the fall of the government, and urged that these be postponed. But when repeated acts of sabotage led to the imposition of a state of emergency and the government's resignation in August 1943, plenipotentiary Werner Best suggested that it was a convenient time to deport the Jews. The preparations, however, took a month; the Jews went into hiding, and most of them were ferried to safety in Sweden. Only 484 Jews were deported; the Danish government secured the release of some of them and the promise that the others would remain in Theresienstadt. Refutes claims that Best attempted to prevent the deportation of the Danish Jews. Argues that he leaked the date of the deportation to the Danes only when he realized that the action had no chance of success and would occupy German forces fruitlessly for weeks or months.
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