Danish Jew-Rescue Iconoclasm: Hefty-Paid Rescuers. Unreturned Jewish Property. Yahil

Rescue of Danish Jewry, by Leni Yahil. 1984

Poles and Danes: Selective Indignation About Anti-Semitism, Paid Rescuers, Dangerous Informers, Nazi Collaborators, Underground Priorities, Refusals to Return Jewish Property

This fascinating book is packed with information. Because Poland is often compared unfavorably with Denmark in terms of the rescue of Jews, my review is written as a corrective.

The situation of Jews in Denmark was unlike that of Poland’s Jews in every possible way. At several thousand, compared with 4 million Danes (p. 265), Jews were a vanishing 0.2% of Denmark’s population. Even so, Danish authorities opposed the inflow of significant numbers of Jewish refugees into Denmark. (p. 41). Danish Jews were assimilated (p. 388, 392), so much so that Jews and gentiles were indistinguishable as train passengers. (p. 267). Already in the late 19th century, the intermarriage rate between Danish Jews and gentiles reached as much as 45%, and was significant even for newer Jewish arrivals. (p. 11).

THE POLONOPHOBIC MYTH OF THE GREEDY PAID POLISH RESCUER OF JEWS

Yad Vashem, which sweepingly honors Danish rescuers of Jews, denies recognition to paid Polish rescuers of Jews (for supposedly lacking a purely heroic motive, even though Poles were far poorer under the German occupation than were the Danes). Jan T. Gross has gone as far as insinuating that Polish rescuers of Jews were greedy exploiters, even though all Polish rescuers were risking their lives, and most Polish rescuers of Jews did not require payment.

Danish rescuers of Jews, in pointed fact, took hefty payments to ship Jews to Sweden. [I thank historian Mark Paul for locating this information.] Yahil writes: “At first, when transportation was largely carried out on a private basis, the cost ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 kroner per person. This meant that only the more affluent could afford to escape; the others–and they were most of the Jewish population–were forced to sell possessions in order to obtain money, and those who had nothing to sell simply ran and, as we have seen, hid as best as they could.” (p. 261). The personal possessions sold by “many Jews” (quoting Rabbi Melchior)(p. 513), included furniture. (p. 488).

As for greed and exploitation, Yahil comments (quote) In discussions on the events of those times both Jews and non-Jews usually justify the monetary demands of the fishermen. However, there were quite a few cases of embezzlement and exorbitant prices. On the other hand, there were also fishermen who transported refugees free of charge or refused any extra payment over and above ‘what was due’ to them. (unquote)(p. 263).

THE GERMANS ALSO GRANTED THE DANES THE LUXURY OF TIME

Had the Germans reacted seriously, only a few rich Danish Jews would have been rescued. Fortunately, the Germans dallied (WHY?), and Danish individuals and the Danish Underground had enough time to raise enough money to ship many of the remaining Jews to Sweden. Supposedly, no Jew was eventually left behind owing to inability to pay. (p. 262). However, money still ran out before the evacuation was completed, and the Jews in Sweden were forced to take out a large loan, with their property in Denmark serving as collateral, to pay for completion of the operation. After the war, Danish Jews repaid the loan. (p. 263).

AN IRONY TO COMPLAINTS THAT THE POLISH UNDERGROUND DID NOT PRIORITIZE THE RESCUE OF JEWS. THE DANISH UNDERGROUND DIDN’T EITHER–BUT WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT THAT

The money taken from the Jews for rescuing them was far greater than that required for the payment of minimum operating expenses. Fishermen were paid their wages. (p. 508). Most of the collected money was used the Danish Underground for matters unrelated to Jews and their welfare. (p. 356).

MORE ICONOCLASM OF DANES

The author suggests that Danes rescued Jews not out of a love for Jews, but as an act of defiance against the Germans. (p. 277, 362-363). The legend of Danish Jews not being required to wear the Star, because Danish King Christian X threatened to don this humiliating symbol himself, is just that. (p. xii, 62). [Nazi star-wearing requirements were imposed on Jews in a very inconsistent manner. Thus, Jews were not required to wear the Star in various other places in German-occupied Europe.]

DID THE GERMANS QUIETLY PERMIT THE DANES TO EXILE THEIR JEWS TO SWEDEN?

The overall passivity of the Germans, during the entire prolonged rescue operation, was astonishing, and not even imagined in German-occupied Poland. It was worthy either of a massive German conspiracy to avoid harming the Jews or of a comedy worthy of HOGAN’S HEROES. In German-occupied Poland, post-Stalingrad Germans could be successfully bribed only occasionally, and then almost always only for relatively small offenses (e.g., black marketeering). Germans in Denmark were chronically receptive to bribes.

With or without getting bribed, however, the Germans never penetrated hospitals (p. 243), turned blind during watchtower duty (p. 259), casually allowed refugee-laden vehicles to pass them (p. 266), utterly ignored Jews on trains heading for the coastal cities (p. 267), and discovered a sudden need to repair their patrol ships at precisely the time when Jews were being shipped to Sweden. (p. 267). To top it all off, the Germans sometimes allowed known remaining Danish Jews to go on their daily lives unmolested. (p. 319).

LAUGHABLE GERMAN LENIENCY TO DANES “CAUGHT” RESCUING JEWS

A caught Polish rescuer of Jews was almost always shot on the spot, by the Germans, along with his family (and sometimes the entire village) together with the Jews–unless he was publically hanged for several days as a warning to other Poles. German leniency to caught Danish rescuers was unbelievable. Germans released captured Danes to the custody of the Danish authorities, “forgetting” that the “offenders” would get little or no punishment. (p. 268). Danish police that were caught aiding Jews merely got a warning and reprimand. (p. 273). One captured Danish rescuer, Koppel, was allowed to keep his money and, after a beating from the Germans, was released. (p. 489). Rescuer Kiaer, who made 172 crossings, upon capture, was sent to a concentration camp, but, along with other captured Danish rescuers (p. 273) was never executed, and was allowed to survive the war. (p. 488).

THE DANISH EXPERIENCE REFUTES HOLOCAUST-UNIQUENESS CLAIMS ABOUT A UNILATERAL NAZI OBSESSIVE DRIVE OF KILLING ALL POSSIBLE JEWS, MOREOVER WHATEVER THE COST

Yahil supposes that Danish defiance is what caused the Germans to back off their plans for Danish Jews. (p. xiii, 517). This explanation is dubious at best. To begin with Danish resistance against Nazi Germany had always been rather small. If the Nazis were determined to exterminate Europe’s Jews, whatever the potential military and political costs, why would they let a tiny nation thumb its nose at, and stymie, their grandiose genocidal project? In addition, conquerors normally do not consult the wishes of the conquered and, in Poland, any mere hint of defiance against the Germans was answered not by concessions but only by more savage repression and atrocities.

It is likely that the Germans respected the Danes, unlike the Slavic untermenschen, as a fellow Teutonic people. If so, then the Germans let their feelings for Danes OVERRULE any desire to kill Jews, contradicting Holocaust-uniqueness proponents, who would us believe, by constant repetition, that the Nazis were out to kill ALL accessible Jews, no matter what.

POLISH ANTI-SEMITISM A MEDIA-REPEATED GIVEN: DANISH ANTI-SEMITISM VIRTUALLY IGNORED

Anti-Semitism existed in Denmark before the war and, perhaps ironically, actually underwent resurgence immediately after the war. (pp. 374-375). Danish rescuers had their own informant problem. (e.g., p. 87, 183, 277). After the war, 15,000 Danish collaborators were arrested. (p. 512). If this was all, and recounting the total Danish population of 4 million (p. 265), it means that 1 in every 267 Danes was a Nazi collaborator. [Quoted Nazi collaboration rates among ethnic Poles are generally lower.] A Polish Nazi Party never existed among ethnic Poles, but a Danish Nazi Party (DNSAP) definitely existed (p. 84-on) and, at one time, got the votes of a few percent of the Danish voting population. (p. 86). Of course, we never hear about that.

DANISH (AS WELL AS POLISH) COLLABORATORS MORE DANGEROUS TO THE JEWS THAN THE GERMANS THEMSELVES

During the actual Danish rescue (or, more accurately, transfer) operation, “The general opinion is that the Danish Nazis–few though they were–were more dangerous than the Germans themselves.” (pp. 266-267). Yet, unlike the case with Poles, we never hear that “Danes Were as Bad as the Germans.”

DANES, LIKE POLES, SOMETIMES REFUSED TO RETURN JEWISH PROPERTY TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.

Jan T. Gross has made a big issue of (what was actually relatively rare) Polish hostility to Jews coming back to reclaim their properties. This occurred elsewhere in Europe. Danish Jews returning from Sweden sometimes found that some Danes had absconded with the Jews’ apartments, furniture, work tools, etc., and refused to return Jewish businesses. (pp. 372-373, 377). We never hear about THAT.