Figure 1.--This undated photograph shows Jews arriving at Theresienstadt. We notice it being used in websites about Danish Jews. It may show the some of the Jews that the Danes were unable to save and were caught up in the NAZI round up (October 1-2, 1943). We cannot yet confirm, however, that these were Danish Jews.

Theresienstadt was a concentration camp in NAZI-occupied Czechoslovakia near Prague. Many Jews died there because of the poor conditions, especially the starvation food rations. Bad as it was, however, conditions were better than most camps for Jews. Theresienstadt served as a transit camp for the death camps. Many Reich Jews were sent here first before being sent on to the death camps. We are not sure why the Danish Jews were sent to Theresienstadt in the first place, who issued the orders and why. A number of Jews during the Holocaust received special treatment, either because the Germans believed that they had some valur as bargaining chips or came from countries which the Germans saw as having valuable 'racial mterial' and were finding useful in their war effort. Transport to Theresienstadt required a long journey away from the death camps in Poland. And one there Danish officials persisted in inquiring about the Danish Jews. So NAZI officials were aware that they were being watched. People died at Theresienstadt, but it was not a death camp where people were murdered industrially. Somehow the Danes seem to have convinced Adolf Eichmann presumably through Reichsbevollmächtigter (Reich Plenipotentiary) Werner Best not to deport the Danish Jews in Theresienstadt on to the death camps in Poland. We are not sure just why this worked. Best was interested in a stabilizing the situation in Denmark. Perhaps he thought the murder of the Danish Jews would be disruptive. It is likely that Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop was involved. He was complicit in the Holocaust, involved in arrangements with foreign governments regarding Jews, primarily arraning for deportation. But he also intervened on occassions when neutral countries like Sweden and Turkey attempted to protect Jews, especially their nationals. Ribentrop was also involved attempts to maintain relations with neutral countries as the War turned against Germny. He even protected Argentine Jews for a while even though their country showed no interest in them. The Danish Government did. This is probably what happened with the Danish Jews, but we do not yet have details. Miraculosly nearly all the Danish Jews in Theresienstadt survived. Not only the Danish civil service, but church organizations constantly inquired about their whereabouts. The Danes collected over 700 packages of clothing, food and vitamins for the Jews in the camp. The Danes even arranged for an inspecion of Theresienstadt by the Danish Red Cross. Denmark of course was occupied by the Germans. But unlike several occupied countries was valuable to the Germans providing shipments of food and a wide range of war supplies like ammunition. Thus keeping the country quiet and preventing disruptions was in Germnany's interest. Since such a small number of Jews were involved, it was not a major concession. And there is little doubt that the Germans believed that after they won the war such small compromises could be rectified. The Danish Jews were rescued by the 'White Buses' operation. This was a rescue operation organized by the Swedish Red Cross and the Danish government (spring 1945). The purose was to rescue NAZI concentration camp inmates and transport them to safety in neutral Sweden. The objective was initially to save Scandinavian citizens, but as it developed countries, it rapidly expanded to include citizens of other countries. Most of the concentration camps were the camps in northern Germany. The furthest the Whire Busses reached was Theresienstadt all the way south in Czechoslovakian (April 15). There they collected 423 surviving Scandinavian Jews--mostly Danes.

Round Up (October 1943)

The NAZIs carefully planned the deportation order to be executef on the Jewish New Year (the night of October 1–2). The NAZIs planned that all Jews would be gathered at home to celebrate the holiday. The roundup was organized by the SS who deployed two police battalions and about 50 Danish volunteer members of the Waffen SS. The Danes were included becuse of their familiarity with Copenhagen and northern Zealand whre most of the Danish Jews were lovated. The SS organized five-man teams, each having a Dane, a vehicle, and a list of addresses where Jews were believed to be located. Most of these teams to their great surprise found no one at home. When they did find Jews, those arrested were allowed to bring two blankets, food for 3-4 days, and a small suitcase. They were delivered to the Copengagen harbour, Langelinie, where ships for several thousand Danish Jews awaited them. The destination was Danzig where they would board transport trains to an unknown destination. The NAZIs in the end despite their carefully planned sweep of Danish Jews managed to capture only a handful of Jews -- 481 Danish Jews. They were quickly deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, a transit camp for many Reich Jews. We do not know who made the decesion to transport them to Theresienstadt, but it saved most of their lives. It is likely that Reich Reichsbevollmächtigter (Plenipotentiary) Werner Best was involved. They could have been sent directly to a death camp.

Transport

Transport to Theresienstadt required a long journey away from the death camps in Poland. It is notable that the Danish Jews arrested were delivered to the harbor at Langelinie rather than put on transport trains which would have been the fastest way of deporting them. Langelinie is best known as the location of the iconic Little Mermaid. But we have never seen an explanation of why the NAZIs did not put them on trains. We suspct that the NAZIs did not want trains full of Jews moving through the Danish countryside. The operation could have been done with more security by shipping the Jews out of Copengagen by sea. Then theu could be put on rail transport in away from prying Danish eyes. Some 200 Jews from Langelinie were put on the ship Wartheland. A young married couple convinced the Germans that they were not Jewish and were released. The remainder included mothers with infants and small children as well as the sick and elderly. Chief rabbi Max Friediger and the other Jews selected as hostages cobducted to the Danish internment camp, Horserød (August 28–29). The internees had to leave their luggage on the deck. They were then driven below deck by screeming guards while being kicked and beaten. The Germans searched the luggage for nything of value. The ship sailed for nearby Swinemunde a German Baltic port. Their treatment there was even more brutal. They were driven into two cattle cars, about one hundred jews per car. A mother lost her child that night. A Jewish Communist reports that he had had been packed into one of these cars with about 50 people and suffer from heat, thirst and lack of fresh air. [Nielsen, pp. 26–36.] The Jews were even more tightly packed.

Theresienstadt KZ

Theresienstadt was a concentration camp in NAZI-occupied Czechoslovakia near Prague. Many Jews died there because of the poor conditions, especially the starvation food rations. Bad as it was, however, conditions were better than most NAZI camps for Jews. And unlike many cmps, children were tolerated to some extent. Theresienstadt served as a transit camp for the death camps. Many Reich Jews were sent here first before being sent on to the death camps. People died at Theresienstadt, but it was not a death camp where people were murdered industrially.

NAZI Choice of Theresienstadt

We are not sure why the Danish Jews were sent to Theresienstadt in the first place, who issued the orders and why. A number of Jews during the Holocaust received special treatment, either because the Germans believed that they had some valur as bargaining chips or came from countries which the Germans saw as having valuable 'racial mterial' and were finding useful in their war effort.

Danish Government Persistance

Denmark unlike most other NAZI-occupied countries had a function govrnment with unlike Vichy in France was not complicit in the Holocaust. The Danish Government during the war in many ways cooperated wiyth the Germans. Denmark was a small country, but made a useful contribution to the NAZI war effort. Important shipments of food flowed to the Reich as well as valuable war material, especially ammunition. The Danes had little choice of course, but there was little resistance. The Holocaust was an exception. The Danish Government demanded reports about the Jews arrested. And they persisted in making these inquiries.

NAZI Calculation

So NAZI officials were aware that they were being watched. Somehow the Danes seem to have convinced Adolf Eichmann presumably through Reichsbevollmächtigter (Reich Plenipotentiary) Werner Best not to deport the Danish Jews in Theresienstadt on to the death camps in Poland. We are not sure just why this worked. Best was interested in a stabilizing the situation in Denmark. Perhaps he thought the murder of the Danish Jews would be disruptive. It is likely that Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop was involved. He was complicit in the Holocaust, involved in arrangements with foreign governments regarding Jews, primarily arraning for deportation. But he also intervened on occassions when neutral countries like Sweden and Turkey attempted to protect Jews, especially their nationals. Ribentrop was also involved attempts to maintain relations with neutral countries as the War turned against Germny. He even protected Argentine Jews for a while even though their country showed no interest in them. The Danish Government did. This is probably what happened with the Danish Jews, but we do not yet have details. Denmark of course was occupied by the Germans. But unlike several occupied countries was valuable to the Germans providing shipments of food and a wide range of war supplies like ammunition. Thus keeping the country quiet and preventing disruptions was in Germnany's interest. Since such a small number of Jews were involved, it was not a major concession. And there is little doubt that the Germans believed that after they won the War such minimal compromises could be rectified.

Danish Efforts

Not only the Danish civil service, but church organizations constantly inquired about their whereabouts. The Danes collected over 700 packages of clothing, food, medicine, and vitamins for the Jews in the camp. Danish civil servants persuaded the Germans to accept and deliver the packages. One source suggests that Danish civil servants persuaded the Germans not to deport the Danish Jews to extermination camps. Just how much detail the Danes had about the camps we do not know. Nor do we know who was incolved in such disussions. The Danes used their Red Cross in the effort to monitor conditions in the camp. The Danes arranged for an inspecion of Theresienstadt by the Danish Red Cross. One source says there were frequent such inspections. This we can not substantiate this yet.

German Refugees

Unlike France and the Netherlands, Denmark was not a haven for Jewish refugees fleeing NAZI persecution. Those who tried to cross the border illegally if aprehended were arrested and handed over to the NAZIs. As a result the numbers were very limited. And most were able to escape the NAZI roundup and escape to Sweden with the Danish Jews. A few were apparently apprehended with the roundups, athough we do not have any details. One rreport alludes to foreifn (mostly German) Jewish children whom Danish organisations was concealing in foster homes. We do know that the Danes in their inquiries to the Germans wanted an accounting for all Jews deported from Denmark, regardless of citizenship. As far as we know, the German authorities in Theresienstadt did not attempt to select out the Germans from the Danish citizens.

Survival

Miraculosly most of Danish Jews in Theresienstadt survived. A factor here in addition to to the parcels from Denmark was the fact that they were only in NAZi hands for a year and a half. Just as the NAZIs were fristrated that the Polish Jews were not dieing fast enough despite being denied adequate food, fuel, clyhing, and medical supplies, the relatively short term of condidesment in Theresienstadt was a factor in their survival. Apparently some 50 Sanish Jews died there. One source say 51 Danish Jews died at Theresienstadt, —mostly elderly died as a result of disease. Poor nutrition of course makes people more susceptable to disease. In Holocaust terms this level of survival in a NAZI camp is unprecedented.

White Bus Rescue (April 1945)

The Danish Jews were rescued by the 'White Buses' operation. This was a rescue operation headed by Count Folke Bernadotte and organized by the Swedish Red Cross and the Danish government (spring 1945). It was made possible even die-hard NAZIs could see the war was lost, even SS Commander Heinrich Himmler. In an effort to save his skin he tried to negotite the West, thinking he would not be held accountable for the millions murdered. He thus made a few humnitarian jestures. Count Bernadotte personlly negotiated with Himmler for the release of Scandinavian prisoners from the concentration camps. The Swedish nd Damish Governments worked together. The Danish Aid Corps arranged for cars and buses to transport the prisoners. The Operation as launched (March 1945) And many Himmler SS subordinate though it a good idea to appear helpful to the Swedes fearing Allied retribution. Himmler was acting on his own without Hitler's apptroval. Had he known, Hitler would have put a stop to it. The purpose of the White Busses was to rescue NAZI concentration camp inmates and transport them to safety in neutral Sweden. The objective was initially to save Scandinavian citizens, but as the effort evolved, it rapidly expanded to include citizens of other countries. Most of the concentration camps were the camps in northern Germany. The furthest the White Busses reached was Theresienstadt all the way south in Czechoslovakian (April 15). There they collected 423 surviving Scandinavian Jews--mostly Danes. The Germans turned over 425 surviving Danish Jews including a few babies born at the camp. [Goldberger] Also included in the group was a Danish boy had been deported from Berlin and a few Czech women had married Danish men in the camp. They were allowed to accompany them. Compared to the prisoners collected in other camps, the Theresienstadt Jews were in relatively good condition. The operation not only had the Germans to be concerned about. Trucks full of Jews were not safe anywhere in the Reich. Germany was in chaos and Allied plnes were shooring anything thst moved on the roads. The Theresienstadt White Busses were not hot, but other White Busses were. The buses reached the the Danish border (April 17). They were greeted with food, cakes and flags. The buses continued to Odense, where the passengers were able to rest for the night. The buses then continued on to Copenhagen, but as the Germans were still in control, they did not dare remain in Denmark. The foirmer prisoners sailed to Sweden and safety. They were put up in two quarantine camps: Tylösand and Strangnæs. Near the end, Hitler became aware of Himmler;s disoloualty (April 28). By that time, however, he could no longer do nything about it and the White Bus jews were safe in Sweden. Denmark was finally liberated (May 5). The Theresienstadt Danish Jews were finally free to return to Denmark.

Sources

Goldberger, Leo. The Rescue of the Danish Jews: Moral Courage Under Stress (NYU Press: 1987).

Nielsen, Martin. Rapport fra Stutthof (Gyldendal, 1947).

Created: 2:20 PM 10/23/2016
Last updated: 2:20 PM 10/23/2016