Nazis and Their Collaborators in Denmark
German Military Occupation Forces (Befehlshaber der Deutschen Truppen in Danemark)
General L. von Kaupisch. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 53, 393)
General Erich Lüdke. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 53-54, 118)
Lt. General Herman von Hanneken. (Hilberg, 1961, pp. 55, 72N, 357, 359, 360, 592; Rasmus Kreth and Michael B. Mogensen, The Action Taken Against the Danish Jews in October 1943 with Special Reference to the Conduct of the Danish and German Authorities, Aarhus: Aarhus University History Institute, 1994; Yahil, 1969, pp. 74, 118, 120, 125, 130-133, 136, 140, 144, 153-157, 164-168, 177, 188, 193)
Oberst von Engelmann, Chief German Military Intelligence, Denmark. (Yahil, 1969, p. 152)
SS Organizations and Personnel in Denmark
“Denmark caused us more difficulties than anything else.”
- Adolph Eichmann
Criminal Advisor Bunke, Denmark
Later put in charge of confiscated Jewish card index. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 170, 472 Fn 71, N6-5208)
Adolf Eichman, Lt. Colonel, Head RSHA Section IV A 4 B (1906-1962)
Eichman was in charge of the planning and implementation of the arrest and deportation of Danish Jews in October 1943. The operation foiled and only 495 Jews of the nearly 8,000 were arrested and deported.
After the war he fled to Argentina. In 1960 he was arrested by Israeli agens and taken to Israel. He was tried in an Israeli court and found guilty in 1962. He was hanged May 31 – June 1, 1962. (Yahil 70 ,77 ,78 ,143 ,166 ,186 ,195 ,199 ,236 ,296 – 304, 307, 386, 402, 408, 419, 420)
Rolf Günther, SS Officer
Deputy to Adolph Eichmann, SS officer in charge of planning and implementing deportation of Danish Jews. Escaped, said to be in Egypt in 1953. (Hilberg, 1961, pp. 263, 273, 357, 528, 571, 707; Yahil, 1969, pp. 166, 172, 188, 297-301, 311)
Hans Karl Ingver Hermannsen, Head of Gestapo Department 1A, Denmark
Gestapo agent in charge of confiscated Jewish card index. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 170, 742 Fn 71, NG-5208)
Karl Heinz Hoffman, Geheimstaatspolizei (Gestapo) Agent
(Yahil, 1969, pp. 145, 171-172)
Juhl, SS and Gestapo Officer
(Flender, 1980, pp. 160-162, 166-167, 212)
BdS Standartenführer Dr. Rudolf Mildner, RSHA
(Yahil, 1969, pp. 128, 129, 145, 151-153, 168, 172, 189, 195, 297, 305)
Kryschak, RSHA
(Hilberg pp563)
Gunther Panke, SS Commander German Police, Denmark
Arrived in Denmark on November 1, 1943. Took office on December 6, 1943. Was subordinate to Werner Best. (Hilberg, p. 562; Yahil, 1969, pp. 132, 161, 191-194)
German Foreign Office Representatives in Denmark
Responsible for Jewish Antisemitic Activities in Denmark.
Joachin von Ribbontrop 1893-1946
Minister Plenipotentiary at Large and German Foreign Minister 1938-1945. Involved in all planning and implementation of political and Ministry aggression by the Nazi Government. The German Foreign Ministry was active in deporting of Jews in France and Slovakia and later in Hungary. Ribbontrop was however ambivalent about deporting Danish Jews. He was found guilty by the International Military Tribunal (IMT) and hanged in 1946.
Werner von Grundherr, Chief of the Scandinavian Referat in the Political Division
Appointed German ambassador to Greece in 1952. Forced to resign after German government interrogation 1952. (Hilberg, 1961, pp. 289N, 352, 357, 707; Yahil, 1969, pp. 56, 71, 72, 99, 101, 119, 296, 401-405)
Paul Ernst Kanstein, Präsident German Foreign Ministry Representative, Denmark
Assistant to Renthe-Finke. Against deportations. (Hilberg, 1985, p. 565; Yahil, 1969, pp. 72, 73, 75, 127, 152-154, 173, 181, 417)
Martin Luther (1896-1945), head Department For Jewish Affairs (Inland II) German Foreign Ministry
He was a clandestine liaison between the Foreign Ministry and Reich Secretary Main Office until mid 1943. He was arrested and sent to a concentration camp for his actions against German Foreign Minister von Rippontropp. He died after being liberated by the Russians in May 1945.
Luther attended the Warsaw Conference of January 20, 1942. This was to coordinate the actions of various departments of the Nazi government in implementing the murder of the Jews of Europe. In the meeting Minister Luther discussed difficulties in carrying out the action in the Scandinavian countries:
“The Deputy Director of the ministry, Luther, stated in this connection [i.e., organization of the “final solution”] that a thorough handling of the problem would reveal difficulties in certain countries, for instance the north, and that postponement of the operation in those countries was to be recommended for the time being. In consideration of the small number of Jews in those countries this postponement should not be regarded as an important deficiency. On the other hand the Foreign Ministry does not expect great difficulties in the west and southeast.”
Franz Rademacher, Arbeilung Deutschland
Arrested in 1949. Tried, convicted in Germany, sentenced to three years. Jumped bail August 1952. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 48, 52-53, 55, 71, 77, 90, 401-402)
O. van Scherpenberg, Head of German Economic Mission, Denmark
O. van Scherpenberg was against the planned deportation of Danish Jews of October 1943. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 179-180, 475 Fn 103)