HANS SODE-MADSEN the Perfect Deception. the Danish Jews And
HANS SODE-MADSEN The Perfect Deception. The Danish Jews and Theresienstadt 1940_1945. The Prelude This is the story about the Danish Jews, who did not reach freedom in Sweden but spent 18 months in the concentration camp and "model_ghetto" Theresienstadt. Outside Denmark, where October 1943 is synonymous with the saving of 7,000 Jews from the Holocaust, the story of the Jews in Theresienstadt is hardly known at all. When "deception" is used in the title, it refers to those people, institutions and forces involved in the course of events: the German occupying power, the Danish political system and the Danish population, including the Danish Jews. All of them participated in a historical drama which consisted of as much deception as selfdeception. The story is also one about unique reliefwork which, during the years of occupation, emanated from the Ministry of Social Affairs under the leadership of Hans Henrik Koch, the head of department. It culminated with the return of Danish and Norwegian concentration camp prisoners on the White Busses in April_May 1945. The action will forever be tied up with the name of Swedish Count Bernadotte despite the fact that his roles was less constructive and important than is generally thought. The relief_work of the Social Ministry was activated by the internment of Danish Communists in the summer of 1941, the action against the Jews in October 1943, and the deportation of the Danish police in September 1944. It bore the impression of unprejudiced concern, inventiveness, and financial and charitable generosity. However, it could not have taken place without an exceptionally good and informal cooperation between a number of state and local authorities, private organizations, and individuals who never before had had to handle joint actions.
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