Repatriation and restitution of Holocaust victims in post-war Denmark

Jewish Holocaust survivors faced severe economic and emotional difficulties on returning home to Denmark in 1945. Jewish families had used their savings, sold valuables and property and obtained improvised private loans in order to finance their escape to Sweden. Homes, businesses and property had been subject to theft and abuse. During and after the German occupation, however, Danish authorities worked to mitigate and ameliorate the consequences of Nazi persecution and the Danish government implemented one of the most inclusive and comprehensive restitution laws in Europe, taking into account Jewish victims of deportation as well as victims of exile. The restitution process underlines the dedication of the Danish authorities to the reintegration of the Jewish community and their interest in allaying potential ethnic conflict. Furthermore, the process is a remarkable – but overlooked – missing link between the social reforms of the 1930s and the modern Danish welfare state

"Amidah" - Trods Redningsmænd og ofre i oktober 1943

The article identifies trends and potentials in the historiography of the rescue of the Danish Jews in October 1943. The perception of the rescue had been extraordinarily consensual until the 1990s when studies revealed that persecution had strategically low priority in Denmark. This conclusion changed the fixed roles of both persecutors and rescuers into a more nuanced perception that allowed for German pragmatism and Danish abuse. In collective memory, by contrast, stereotypes hardened in a post-war society where patriotic martyrs were more instrumental than victims of a meaningless racial ideology. Focus was almost exclusively on the rescuers, with little room for mourning the dead and lost. In recent years, collective memory in Denmark has been internationalized with a growing attention to the victims, but it signifies a risk of an Americanization of memory that dissolves ambiguity and universalizes the event. The gulf between historiography and memory can be bridged by a renewed research interest in the victims, for example by applying the concept of Amidah to the Danish case. Amidah, translated from Hebrew into “Defiance”, embraces any act of opposition to the Nazis in the process of dehumanization that ultimately culminated in death. By this definition, any act that saved lives can be regarded as resistance. Through examples of Jewish rescuers, recently uncovered cases of Hidden Children in Denmark and Jewish experiences of exile and return, the article demonstrates the potential of further exploring the perspective of the victims, not only turning passive objects of persecution into active subjects but also placing the events in October 1943 firmly in a larger context of the European Holocaust

Forråelsen. Kvinder, sædelighed og kriminalitet i Danmark under 2. Verdenskrig

Brutalization. Women, Morality and Crime in Denmark during World War IIUntil recently, the increase in sex crimes in Denmark during and after World War II has been attributed to moral panic regarding homosexual prostitution and waves of public alarm brought about by a press wallowing in spectacular and violent sex crimes against children. Yet, a scrutinizing review of national and local crime statistics reveals that the increase in reported incidents and convictions on incest and sexual abuse of children was the gradual effect of a new penal code inaugurated in 1933 and consolidated during the war. The efficiency of the new penal code was dependent on public acceptance and trust in the police, and the efforts of the latter had immediate results in reducing the dark figures of sexual abuse. Furthermore, a new level of convictions on rape and indecency – representing an increase of approx. 50% – was established during the war and persisted throughout the 1950's, suggesting an increased criminal activity caused by the stress – and opportunity – of war. The dramatic increase in violent crime committed by women during the war has been explained by the rise in convictions for the deliberate transmission of venereal disease. Though the number of convictions had increased dramatically by 1941, and on average represented 38% of all women convicted of a violent crime, it is not a sufficient explanation. A growing number of convictions for criminal abortions accounts for half of all women convicted of a violent crime in 1942 and 1943. Still, the rise in the number of female offenders does indicate brutalization and disturbance of civil society even under the relatively lenient conditions in Denmark during the war.The revision of crime statistics offers new insights into the disciplinary response of the authorities on changes in sexual behaviour during the German occupation of 1940-1945. The moral panic regarding changing sexual norms penetrated the legal system in 1942. It targeted women who had illegal abortions, were infected with venereal diseases or were convicted of procuring. The increased number of convictions and a reduced number of settlements was the legal system’s attack on sexual liberation and reproduction control – exercised by women – during the war years. It was a prelude to the moral political reaction in postwar Danish society

Anmeldelser

Anmeldelser af:Birgit Vorre:Boligen i det 20. århundrede. Indretning og brug. Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, 2008, 314 s.Palle Ove Christiansen:Smeden & skaberværket. Tanker om tilværelsen i en vestjysk fabriksby. C.A. Reitzels Forlag, 2008. 167 s.Bent Østergaard:Indvandrerne i Danmarks historie. Kultur- og religionsmøder. Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2007, 523 s.Christian Tortzen:En sømand han maa lide. Sømændenes Forbund 1897-1997. Bind II. De sidste 50 år. Kampen fortsætter. Pantheon, 2007, 560 s

Jewish archives and sources in the Nordic countries : The current state of affairs and future perspectives

This article aims to give an overview of Jewish archives and archival sources in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Besides describing significant existing collections, the article looks into ongoing archival projects and digitising and infrastructure programmes, and maps out future challenges.This article aims to give an overview of Jewish archives and archival sources in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Besides describing significant existing collections, the article looks into ongoing archival projects, digitizing and infrastructure programs, and maps out future challenges.Peer reviewe