White Buses - Passage to freedom (CD)

Benjamin Koppel - sax

Thana Alexa - vocal

Antonio Sanchez - drums

Uri Caine - piano

Henrik Dam Thomsen - cello

Søren Møller - keys

The rescue of the Danish Jews in October 1943 is living memory. Though most who lived through the ordeal are long gone, the events from those days live on with their families and wider in society as a testimony of what happened - and as a reminder of the much worse that did not happen.

Remembering inspires contemplation in memory of those who perished, of those who survived - and of those helping the vast majority escape Nazi persecution. This in turn begs the question of what made Denmark the exception in the history of the Holocaust?

This piece of music is part of the contemplation: at the same time expressing compassion and paying tribute. It’s not a statement, nor an investigation or an attempt to answer the question. Rather it expresses compassion and celebration, painful and joyful, dark and jubilant - as life herself. The composition of Benjamin Koppel and the performance of the artists and the testimonies thus reflect the history of the rescue of the Danish Jewry: Not a simple matter, not straightforward, nor miraculous. It hints at a longer history of a society developing a strong sense of belonging to a people united in determination to maintain, preserve and defend it’s most inner core: the rule of the people, democracy, and the values on which it is rooted.

Denmark had developed a deep sense of citizenship for all who were part of society and committed to it. Far beyond formalities and constitutional rights, this sense had become imbedded with a vast majority of Dan es from all strides of society and regardless of political convictions and religious creed. Fundamentally, this was what made the exception possible, as countrymen rose to rescue their fellow countrymen. Notably, this principled and practical rejection of the Nazi strategy to single out a minority constituting “a Jewish problem”, provided a major obstacle for pursuing the Holocaust in occupied Denmark along the lines effectively executed elsewhere. As Danish authorities persistently refused to implement st eps identifying Jews as opposed to other citizens, and as civil society at large rejected the Nazi anti-semitism, the Nazi leadership had to weigh pursuing Die Endlösung against other strategic interests in Denmark.

These were not trivial. Backed by all democratic parties the Danish government in many ways conceded to German demands. Society generally adjusted to the realities of life under occupation by an overwhelming neighbouring country, run by an unpredictable, vicious and brutal dictator and his cronies. This made Hitler see Denmark as a model protectorate, a stable provider of goods and foodstuffs, largely spared for now and allowed to maintain its democratic institutions, formal sovereignty and neutrality, all to be dealt with in due course as the war was won.

This allowed the Danish government some leverage in dealing with the occupation, and stubborn rejection by the government of the first “small steps” preparing the ground for exclusion and deportation caused those to be postponed time and aga in. Therefore, until October 1943, both Danish Jews and stateless Jewish refugees in Denmark lived normal lives without the discriminatory measures imposed elsewhere in preparation of deportation and elimination. For many, this created a sense of security and safety.

As we know, this was a dangerous illusion. As years went by and the war took new turns raising hopes of Allied victory, public disorder and resistance slowly grew. Towards the end of August 1943, the Danish government resigned and the Germans declared marshal law under direct rule of Der Wehrmacht. At this point , Hitler decided to finally execute the long postponed measures “to solve the Jewish problem in Denmark”. Even so, and realising how deeply such a move would be resented by Danish society at large, potentially provoking a much unwelcome uprising in the protectorate, Hitler cautioned his men to go about it “without stirring too much trouble”. In effect, his obedient executioners in Denmark went about the dirty business with lack of enthusi asm and mostly without the zeal so often demonstrated other places under Nazi rule. Indeed, explaining the exception includes a warning from Hitler’s top - officials in Denmark few days ahead of the planned action against the Jews and a spectacular lack of d iligence in pursuing the rounding up and chasing the wast majority seeking shelter with friends, neighbours and random fellow countrymen.

The vast, multi-facetted and unprecedented rescue operation now initiated in the occupied country was not the resul t of well organized resistance, not of planning or emergency plans – or thanks to few heroes - though such did play a role. Rather, it reflected a deep sense of collective indignation felt by most Danes, as the news of the impending action against Jewish c ountrymen began to circulate from mouth to ear. With no government, no free press and no organisation to align thinking and efforts, countless citizens spontaneously rose to help their fellow countrymen at the decisive moment - or just chose to close their eyes and to keep their mouth shut as Jewish families quite visibly sought shelter in fishing helmets along the coast. Though not a plan, nor a miracle, the rescue also did not happen by accident. It was the result of policies long pursued and was the resu lt of both the refugees and the rescuers sharing a common commitment to society. It was the negation of “them or us” and the manifestation of a national “we” including all countrymen and those having sought refuge in the society they had in common.

Yes, there were exceptions to all of this. Danes are no different from other people and had it’s part of local nazis, prejudges against Jews, exceptional ideological anti - seminsim, betrayal and greed, also among the fishermen risking life and boat to ferry the refugees to safety in Sweden. Also, the Danish policy of cooperating with the occupying forces and administering society to protect democracy and shield the people from direct Nazi rule, as in Norway, have been subject of criticism and rejection since the first days of the occupation in 1940 - and still is. The memory of these dilemma are part of modern Danish society never seeming to tire in debating the moral and ethics of taking responsibility for the bad in order to avoid the evil.

As these reflection s mutate and perspectives change over time, one uplifting and encouraging deed stands out: The fact that countless Danes across all parts of society in late September and early October 1943 rose to the occasion and came to the rescue of their fellow countr ymen and “stateless“ Jews stranded in Denmark, helping more than 7200, or well beyond 90% to escape to Sweden. It also stands out that Danish authorities managed to extract from the Nazi leadership assurances that some 464 Jews deported from Denmark to The resienstadt would not be send onwards to be murdered in the extermination camps. This in turn explains how it was possible for Danish volunteers and Swedish Red Cross in the last days of the war to send white buses across war torn Germany to Theresienstadt to rescue some 425 Danish Jews and drive them back up north to still occupied Denmark and from there ferry them onwards to safety in Sweden. Of those deported from Denmark, 51 vanished in Theresienstadt. All of this, and every single history of individ ual refugees and helpers, add up to the exception. The special Danish example cannot be used to reproach others who experienced the German occupation under far worse conditions than Denmark” Still, the exception should be remembered as an outstanding tes timony of civility at times in dire need of it. This is what this concert is about. This is what it invites you to contemplate, reflect upon, mourn - and celebrate.

Dr. Bo Lidegaard Historian