Schindler, Wallenberg, Miep Gies by David K. Fremon
Author:David K. Fremon [Fremon, David K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780766062191
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2015-03-14T16:00:00+00:00
“Valkommen!”
Sweden had declared itself a neutral nation. At some places, the Swedish coast was less than three miles from Danish islands. But the German-controlled coast guard made escape there almost impossible. Sweden was so near yet seemed so far away.
Worst of all, Sweden had questionable neutrality. The government allowed German troops to pass through the nation. It sold iron ore to Germany. The Swedish government would not accept fugitive Danes. But by 1943, Sweden saw how the war was turning.
Niels Bohr escaped to Sweden on September 30. The United States sought the services of Denmark’s most famous physicist. His work would be invaluable in developing an atomic bomb.
Bohr, a Nobel prizewinner, would not leave Sweden until it offered a haven to Danish Jews. The Swedish king gave his word that the Jews would be welcomed. That was not enough. The king’s announcement had to be printed on the front pages of Sweden’s leading newspapers and broadcast over the radio. Sweden, perhaps because of American pressure, followed Bohr’s wishes.
Danish Jews headed for the coast. Members of the underground helped them reach seaside towns. Often, the refugee Jews did not know these helpers by name. They only knew “the farmer,” “the young man,” “a lady,” or “a friendly family.”10
One bookstore in Copenhagen served as a headquarters. If a certain poetry book was displayed in the window, it was safe for Jews to enter. Once inside the store, a courier would lead them to coastal safety. The store became so busy with refugees that the owners became irritated whenever anyone came in to buy a book.
Lucky refugees at the town of Elsinore got a boxcar ride. Sweden ferried boxcars full of iron ore to Denmark and Germany. When the cars returned to Sweden, they were empty. Danes at first sneaked Jews onto the cars, and they rode to Swedish safety. These shipments worked until a Swedish newspaper described the plan. It had to be abandoned.
The Helsinger Sewing Club kept busy at this time. It had nothing to do with tailors or seamstresses. This and other “clubs” were code names for evacuation missions involving hundreds of fishermen.
Fishing boats carried the most Jews to Sweden. The fishermen usually charged money for these trips. A few demanded outrageous sums, but some charged nothing. Most received $20 to $60 per head. No one was left behind because they could not pay. Danes raised about $600,000 to finance the informal rescue fleet.
Boats left at night from deserted coves. Many carried ten to twenty people. Passengers waited for hours. Then they would see a light in the distance. This brief signal meant action. They waded a hundred yards through icy waters to the boat. Occasionally a German patrol would encounter people waiting for a ride. Underground members, fishermen, and even Danish police usually chased them away.
Fishermen and refugees alike risked their lives. Patrol boats and harbor mines posed dire threats. If the human-made hazards did not stop the rescue boats, the storms might. However, the fishermen got some unofficial support.
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