Background Information about World War II in Denmark and Europe
√ Use the glossary to define the all cap words.
The book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, is about a ten-year-old girl named Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, who live in COPENHAGEN, DENMARK in the year 1943. Their lives are filled with school, food shortages, and the NAZI soldiers marching through their town. All of a sudden, the Jews of Denmark, including Annemarie's friend, Ellen, start being "RELOCATED" outside of Denmark. Ellen, a Jewish citizen, moves in with Annemarie's family and pretends to be Annemarie's sister in order to prevent her from being taken by the Nazi soldiers. Eventually, Annemarie and her family reunite Ellen with her Jewish parents and then they are smuggled safely out of the country.
Why did this all happen? Where did it all begin? Read the following history to learn more about World War II and how it came to Denmark.
Number the Stars is set in the year 1943 in EUROPE. During this time, a war was raging in Europe and in some parts of ASIA. The German army, lead by their leader, ADOLF HITLER, was invading countries surrounding GERMANY. Also, during this time, JAPAN was attacking nations along the PACIFIC OCEAN, including the United States. GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, the United States, and the SOVIET UNION joined together as ALLIES to fight Germany, Japan, and the other opposing forces.
Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany in the year 1933 when he was appointed REICH CHANCELLOR. Hitler believed that the German people were a superior race and that the German people should rule the world. He believed that all NON-ARYAN people, such as Africans, SLAVICS, and JEWISH people were of an INFERIOR RACE.
Shortly after Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany, he began a CAMPAIGN to rid Germany and the rest of Europe of Jews. In 1935, Jews were stripped of their CITIZENSHIP and other basic rights. Jews could no longer vote in German elections. Nazis began to BOYCOTT shops and businesses owned by Jewish people. By 1938, over 1,000 SYNAGOGUES were burned. In 1938, on KRISTALLNACHT, the "Night of the Broken Glass," Nazis terrorized Jews throughout Germany and 30,000 Jews were arrested. Jewish children could no longer attend school and had to carry ID cards and Jewish passports marked with a "J." In 1938, Hitler ordered that Jews could not have radios and had to wear a yellow STAR OF DAVID so that they could be easily recognized. Soon the Nazis began their most horrible PERSECUTION of the Jews. They took Jews from their homes and moved them into GHETTOS where living conditions were horrible. There were too many people living in a small area and there was not enough food. Jews could not leave their houses without permission from the police and could not longer use telephones. By 1942, Jews were forbidden to subscribe to newspapers, keep dogs, cats, or birds, keep electrical equipment including typewriters, own bicycles, buy meat or eggs, and use public transporation.
To learn more about the Nazi's Anti-Jewish Laws, click here.
In 1942, Nazi officials decided on the "FINAL SOLUTION," a plan to kill all the Jews in Europe. Jews were taken to CONCENTRATION CAMPS where they were forced to work for the German government against their will. Some Jews were murdered in GAS CHAMBERS. The destruction of the Jewish people was called a GENOCIDE. The HOLOCAUST had begun.
What was happening in Denmark during this time?
Before the Nazi soldiers came to Denmark, it was a small, quiet, NEUTRAL country who supported its Jewish citizens. Denmark had laws that stopped people from DISCRIMINATING against the Jews. These laws were called the ANTI-SEMITISM laws.
On April 9, 1940, Germany attacked Denmark even though they had signed a PACT the year before that said that Germany would not invade Denmark. At this time, the Jewish population was about 7,500 people. About 6,000 Jews had been born in Denmark. The rest of the Jews had moved to Denmark in the early 1930's when Hitler became the leader of Germany and began to persecute Jews. They allowed the Danish government to continue governing the country, but took control of Denmark's FOREIGN POLICY. Also, Nazi troops were placed in towns throughout the country.
Over time, as the allies began to attack Germany, people began to oppose the Nazi soldiers in Denmark. Many Danish citizens began a RESISTANCE movement in their country. The Germans tried to make Jews wear yellow stars of David on their clothing and the Danish government told Germany that they would not allow it. Germany got angry and took over full control of Denmark in August of 1943.
The Danish government could no longer protect its Jewish citizens. The Germans decided that all Jews from Denmark would be rounded up and DEPORTED out of the country on October 1, 1943.
However, things did not happen as the Germans planned they would. GEORG FERDINAND DUCKWITZ, a German DIPLOMAT, secretly told the Danish Resistance that the Nazis were planning on deporting the Jews. The Danish people responded quickly. They organized a nationwide effort to smuggle the Jews by sea to SWEDEN. Warned of the German plans, Jews began to leave Denmark by train, car, and on foot. Along the way, the people of Denmark hid them in homes, hospitals, and churches. Within a two-week period, Danish fisherman helped carry 7,220 Jews to safety across the channel to Sweden. The Jews were safe in Sweden because it was a neutral country.
The Danish rescue effort was special because it was nationwide. Denmark was the only country to stand up for its Jewish citizens. However, not all the Danish Jews were saved. About 500 Danish Jews were deported from Denmark and put into the THERESIENSTADT ghetto in CZECHOSLAVAKIA. The Danish government demanded to be able to talk to the Danish Jews in the concentration camp and kept them from being sent to death camps. Only about 100 Danish Jews died in the Theresienstadt ghetto or in escape during the war. It was the highest Jewish survival rate of any country.