This is an important book and one from which I learned a great deal. I couldn't finish it, I believe because of the translation and the extensive quoting from diaries. As it is my third incomplete this summer, I hope it just means a run of less than stellar picks and not a decline in patience. The only Jewish community in occupied Europe (excepting to my surprise, Bulgaria) to survive the Holocaust virtually unscathed was in Denmark. This is a history of how that transpired. It is based primarily on the diaries of two Jewish families. Long before the Germans occupied Denmark on April 9, 1940, the Danes had made a conscious effort to resist Nazism's philosophical poisons, particularly anti-semitism. When invaded, they did not fight or attempt to resist the Wehrmacht, leading to an almost consensual occupation. The Danes were left in charge of day-to-day administration and the Germans used a very small occupying force. Because they retained their sovereignty, they were the only occupied country ruled by the Foreign Office. During the so-called 'peaceful occupation', the Danes were able to take the position that there was no 'Jewish problem' in Denmark. At the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, the liquidation of the Scandinavian Jews was deferred, which meant the issue did not come to a head until the summer of 1943. By then the Germans were losing and wanted to impose a stricter regime on the Danes. Peaceful occupation came to an end with the imposition of martial law on August 29, 1943. Denmark's 6,000 or so Jews were targeted for 'final solution'. However, because they were so integrated into society, exactly how they could be extracted without substantial unrest was uncertain.
Just to the north, neutral Sweden had maintained a sensible center-oriented government and society that eschewed the extremes of communism and national socialism. They were shocked in 1942 when the Germans rounded up Norway's Jews. In late September 1943, Berlin ordered Copenhagen to initiate a round-up of the Jews. Word spread quickly after the Germans leaked the news and the Jews began to head toward the Baltic. There was a vast outpouring of civil and political opposition to the German's plans. "Germany went from being a neighboring country that for strategic reasons had occupied Denmark under favorable terms to being an assailant perpetrating violence on the Danish people." Only a few hundred elderly Jews were picked up on the first night of the 'aktion' - the rest were in hiding or on the run. The Swedes, knowing that their trading with Germany put them in poor standing with the Allies, opened their coast and country to the Danish Jews. Thus, the Jews of Denmark had a viable escape route. The most befuddling aspect of their escape is that the Germans more or less let them go. It appears as if differences between the Gestapo, the Army and the Foreign Office, along with a high volume of agricultural goods flowing to the Reich, and a general reluctance to upset the proverbial applecart led to the Germans looking the other way. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that a free press in Sweden was reporting on events in Denmark. In any event, over the course of a week, almost all of Denmark's Jews (some were sent to Theresienstadt, where they survived) escaped across the Baltic to Sweden, where they were welcome. The most impressive aspect of this story is the lack of anti-Semitism on the part of most of the Danes. Starting with the King, who felt a responsibility to protect his people, everyone considered their neighbors and colleagues as not distinct because they, or their ancestors, worshipped differently. It's a totally refreshing and pleasant contrast to the rest of Europe and the Americas. The second most fascinating aspect of the tale is the aggressive steps the Jews took to escape. They were not frozen in situ out of fear. Amazingly (again in contrast to just about everywhere else - the author mentions Italy and Bulgaria as exceptions), their apartments, valuables and assets were there when they returned in 1945. All in all this is a very interesting story that is in total contrast to the usual anti-Semitism, violence, subjugation and destruction that played out almost everywhere else in Europe.
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