Daily Egyptian 02
Fall 2002
Story of 1943 rescue of Jewish population in Denmark told at SIUC's museum
Carrie Roderick
Daily Egyptian
The brave rescue of about 7,000 Jews from Denmark in 1943 comes to life in a traveling exhibit that arrived at SIUC Tuesday for a month-long run at the University Museum.
"October 1943: The Rescue of the Danish Jews from Annihilation" ends on Nov. 15 and was coordinated by S. Jonathan Wiesen, an assistant professor of history. Wiesen said he arranged for the exhibit to come to SIUC because it's a story many people need to hear.
"People think of all the horror of the Holocaust as a very dark time, but the rescue of Denmark's Jews shows how everyday people, even in the most dire circumstances, can make choices to save peoples' lives," said Wiesen, who teaches a course about the history of the Holocaust and wrote the book "West German Industry and the Challenge of the Nazi Past, 1945-1955."
The story of the rescue of Denmark's Jews is explained through posters and text. Black and white photographs of soldiers and Jewish people tell the heroic story of the escape.
Nearly 60 years ago, the Nazis planned to deport the Jews from Denmark to concentration camps. In 1943, Germany invaded Denmark but found that almost the entire Jewish population had escaped to neutral Sweden with the help of their fellow Danes.
Other countries besides Denmark had people who revolted against the German forces on a smaller level, Wiesen said.
"'The Diary of Anne Frank' people know well," he said. "She was hidden in the Netherlands by a family. There were many cases like that, but to see an entire population spontaneously stand up against Nazi demands is pretty remarkable."
Although the Holocaust took place six decades ago, it must not be forgotten, said Sam Goldman, one of the lay leaders of Beth Jacob Congregation, a sponsor of the exhibit.
"It's a reminder of history and it's very important that we remember it," he said. "We have to let people know that this can never happen again. It's a holocaust of humanity."
Factoid: The exhibit lasts until Nov. 15. There will be a free public reception on from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 7. The curator of the exhibit, Professor Therkel Straede of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, will lecture at 7 p.m. on the topic of "Why Denmark Stood Up for its Jews: Altruism, Pragmatism, Anti-Semitism?"
Reporter Carrie Roderick can be reached at croderick@dailyegyptian.com
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