Sobibor and Denmark: World War 2

See Escape From Sobibor 1987 - YouTube free. During World War 2, around 600 Jews attempted a mass escape from a death camp. About 50 survived. It is very difficult to watch, but the end is hopeful. Resistance to evil is worth it.

Psalm 10:12, "Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted."


In Denmark, the Nazis were attempting to implement the Danish Solution. However, 95% of more than 7,000 Jews were saved from the Nazis, and Christian faith made the difference. Pastor Dean Johannes Nordentoft, Oct. 1943 said, “Christians will be the first to fight this dirty anti-Semitism.” Pastor Ivar Lange of Frederiksberg Church, October 3, 1943, “I tell you that I would rather die with the Jews than live with the Nazis.” Kaj Munk, Danish Minister, Oct. 1943, “When here in this country pogroms have been started against a special group of our fellow countrymen, only because they belong to a special race, then the church has a right to cry out. This is breaking the constitution of Christ’s kingdom and is abominable to the Nordic way of thinking. The church must here be indefatigable.”

Though the badge (the Star of David) was not introduced in Denmark, King Christian X chose to side with the Jews. “The Jews are a part of the Danish nation.  We have no Jewish problem in our country because we never had an inferiority complex in relation to the Jews.  If the Jews are forced to wear the yellow Star, I and my whole family shall wear it as a badge of honor.”

Here is the protest by Danish Bishop Fuglsang-Damgaard against the proposed deportation of Danish Jews. It was read in Danish churches on Sunday, October 3, 1943. “We understand by freedom of religion the right to exercise our faith in God in accordance with vocation and conscience, and in such a way that race and religion can never in themselves be a reason for depriving a man of his rights, freedom, or property.  Despite different religious views, we shall therefore struggle to insure the continued guarantee to our Jewish brothers and sisters of the same freedom we ourselves treasure more than life itself. The leaders of the Danish Church have a clear understanding of the duty to be law-abiding citizens and would never revolt needlessly against those who exercise the functions of authority over us—but our conscience obliges us at the same time to maintain the law and to protest against any violation of rights.  We will therefore unambiguously declare our allegiance to the doctrine that bids us obey God more than man.”

This is a letter to German Führer Adolf Hitler in Denmark on Oct. 3, 1943. Signed by Danish Bishops also read in church. “We will never forget that the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary, according to God’s promise to the Chosen People of Israel. Persecution of the Jews conflicts with the humanitarian conception of the love of neighbors and the message which Christ’s church set out to preach. Christ taught us that every man has a value in the eyes of God. Persecution conflicts with the judicial conscience existing in the Danish people, inherited through centuries of Danish culture. All Danish citizens, according to the fundamental law, have the same right and responsibility under the law of religious freedom. We respect the right of religious freedom and to the performance of divine worship according to the dictates of conscience. Race or religion should never in themselves cause people to be deprived of their rights, freedom, or property. Notwithstanding our separate religious beliefs we will fight to preserve for our Jewish brothers and sisters the same freedom we ourselves value more than life. The leaders of the Danish Church clearly comprehend the duties of law-abiding citizens, but recognize at the same time that they are conscientiously bound to maintain the right and to protest every violation of justice. It is evident that in this case we are obeying God rather than man.”

Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz was a German Nazi, but he made a different choice. “I will assume responsibility for everything I am going to do (informing the Jews of the Denmark Solution about to be implemented). I am consoled by my strong faith that good deeds can never be wrong.” September 26, 1943, diary entry

Rabbi Marcus Melchoir, Chief Rabbi of Copenhagen, “I have very important news to tell you.  Last night I received word that the Germans plan to raid Jewish homes throughout Copenhagen to arrest all the Danish Jews for shipment to concentration camps.  They know that tomorrow is Rosh Hashanah and our families will be home.  The situation is very serious.  We must take action immediately.  You must leave the synagogue now and contact all relatives, friends, and neighbors you know are Jewish and tell them what I have told you.  You must tell them to pass the word on to everyone they know is Jewish.  You must also speak to all your Christian friends and tell them to warn the Jews.  You must do this immediately, within the next few minutes, so that two or three hours from now everyone will know what is happening.  By nightfall tonight we must all be in hiding.”