THERESIENSTADT -- danske børn i nazistisk fangenskab, Kapitel 3 - Tilfangetagelsen

Summary

The script recounts the harrowing experiences of Danish Jews during World War II, focusing on a family's attempt to escape to Sweden amidst the Nazi occupation. Despite efforts to avoid capture, they are betrayed, leading to the arrest of the father and the terrifying capture of the narrator and her mother. They endure violence and separation, culminating in their internment at the Horseroed camp. Through the child's eyes, the story captures the fear, betrayal, and moments of human kindness amidst the horrors of the Holocaust, offering a deeply emotional and personal perspective.

Takeaways

• 🚨 The campaign against Danish Jews in October 1943 forced most of the 7,000 Jews to flee to neutral Sweden, but around 500 were arrested and detained.
• 👧 A Jewish child recalls a traumatic raid where men in black coats stormed into the house, scaring everyone, and her mother's attempt to hide her by pushing her towards non-Jewish women.
• 🏃‍♂️ While trying to escape, the family was betrayed by young Danes who led them straight to the Germans, though the mother and sister managed to escape.
• 😥 A father and daughter ended up trapped by a barbed wire fence during an escape attempt, where the father was beaten while the daughter cried.
• 👮 A mother sought help from a police station, following advice from her grandfather, but was directed to Dagmarhus, a German office.
• 💔 The family, along with others, was falsely told that they could collect their missing relatives, only to be captured when German soldiers stormed the room.
• 👧 A 14-year-old girl named Metha comforted the child with an old toy doll, which became the child’s treasured companion during the difficult times.
• 🔫 The father was almost executed by German soldiers but was taken to the Horseroed internment camp instead.
• 😭 At Horseroed, the child was terrified when Gestapo-Juhl, a Dane collaborating with the Germans, came to collect her to reunite her with her mother.
• 💔 The mother, overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her child at Horseroed, expressed how difficult it was to endure imprisonment, especially with a child.

Q & A

What was the campaign against Danish Jews, and when did it take place?

The campaign against Danish Jews occurred in October 1943, during World War II, when the Nazis sought to arrest and deport Danish Jews.

How many Danish Jews managed to escape, and where did they flee to?

The majority of the 7,000 Danish Jews managed to flee to neutral Sweden during the Nazi campaign.

What happened to the 500 Danish Jews who did not escape?

Around 500 Jewish men, women, and children were arrested and detained at various locations in Denmark.

What was the mother’s plan for the narrator when the men stormed into the house?

The mother tried to push the narrator, who was blond as a child, closer to the non-Jewish women in an attempt to protect them. However, the narrator clung to her mother's dress and cried, which ruined the plan.

What happened when the family tried to flee towards the beach?

The family was stopped by two young Danes who pretended to help them. They split the family into two groups, but the young man led them straight to the Germans. The father realized it was a set-up and told the mother and sister to run, which they did.

What did the grandfather advise the mother to do when the father didn’t return home?

The grandfather advised the mother to go to the police station to inquire about the father's whereabouts.

What occurred when the family visited Dagmarhus to search for the missing father?

At Dagmarhus, the mother was told she could wait for her husband. However, the room was filled with people who had received the same message, suggesting a trap to gather Jews.

How did the German soldiers make their entrance at Dagmarhus, and what impression did it leave?

The German soldiers stormed in, and the narrator recalled hearing the metallic sound of their rifles' safety catches being released—a sound that was unforgettable.

Who was Gestapo-Juhl, and why did he terrify the narrator?

Gestapo-Juhl was a Danish collaborator with the Germans. He terrified the narrator because he was working for the Gestapo, but he tried to calm the narrator by mentioning another child in the car.

How did the mother react when she saw the narrator at the Horseroed camp?

The mother screamed upon seeing the narrator at the Horseroed camp, overwhelmed by emotion. She later expressed that managing the situation alone would have been difficult, but with a child, it was even harder.