Hurry hurry hurry

My great-grandfather was saved this way. He was a painter and signed up to fight for the Allies in exchange. Since he survived the infantry, he was given free choice of Allied country to live in, so he moved his entire family to the US, married a Native American and resumed painting. That's the story of how my family emigrated from Europe...and how I exist.
So...thanks

Did you know the ice cream brand, "Häagen-Dazs" was made by a Jewish man after World War II? He gave the brand a Danish sounding name to honor Denmark for their exceptional treatment of the Jews during the war. Makes me even prouder to be a Dane.

@MB-Bergholtz oh.. I though it's german name, so.. American brand use it like european name to raise the sell of the ice cream.. Is it any mening in danish?

@Zuperkrunch No, it's just meant to sound Danish. Plus, it's an English brand name, which usually doesn't have any meaning in any other language.

@MB-Bergholtz that's adorable and heartwarming

@SchrodySweden Yep! I felt all warm and fuzzy inside when I learned the meaning behind the name.

@MB-Bergholtz Really? I knew it was made up by someone who wanted a Scandinavian-sounding name, but I never knew that was the story behind it

@MB-Bergholtz #9711559
Advise if you want a Danish-looking name: don't use z or ä.

@Klaus Yeah, I know that, but the man may have heard Swedish and assumed Danish was similar. I mean, the three are similar in many ways, ya have to admit!

I've seen you make this claim before, but this is not historically accurate.
Denmark was invaded by Nazi-Germany on the 9th of April 1940, the same day they attacked Norway. This came as a complete surprise to everybody. Sweden, Norway and Denmark all declared themselves neutral when the war broke out the year before - just as they had during the first world war - and they all expected to weather this storm just as they had that one, by just staying neutral. That Germany would invade Norway and Denmark was totally unexpected and the same fate later in the year befell The Netherlands, who also had remained neutral during the first world war. So there was no evacuation of Jews or anyone else before the Nazi invasion, simple because no one expected it to come.
When it did the Danish Jews were however left in peace by the Nazis who wanted to keep Denmark as a model protectorate for other countries to emulate - "Look how good we treat you if you cooperate". The Danes kept their own government and parliament and they made it quite clear to the Nazis that they would not accept any action against Danish Jews, so the Nazis dropped the subject for the time being.
But as the war went more and more badly for the Nazis they continued exterminating the Jews (a top priority of Hitler of course) and in 1943 (after Stalingrad, with relations deteriorating between the Nazis and Denmark) they began preparing to round up and deport all of Denmarks Jews in one major action.
Cooperation between the Nazis and Denmark however meant that the Danish civil authorities was still functioning as a separate entity. They where following the Nazis orders and there were of course collaborators and anti semites among them as well, but for the most part the men and women working in them were not OK with seeing their countrymen being deported and killed (by this time everybody of course knew what happened with the Jews who where "resettled").
So the secret that the round-up was about to happen leaked out and the Danish Jews where warned to go into hiding and then helped to flee to Sweden.
This was a joint effort by Danish civil servicemen (police especially), the resistance movement and regular Danes helping to hide and transport the Jews to Sweden - and also some Swedish fishermen (Swedish authorities couldn't intervene as we officially where neutral but individual Swedes could). Some German military men were also less then interested in hunting down fleeing civilians and preferred to see them just slip away rather then enrage the Danish population by mistreating their countrymen.
So yes, the story above is basically correct in it's humorous take on what happened - but it didn't take place before the Nazi invasion but several years later.

More details can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_the_Danish_Jews

@Nisse_Hult A nice story from a dark period. I know that jews (and other people in danger) were also rescued from Norway over to Sweden by the help of local people guiding them through the woods. Unfortunately, many jews were also deported, and they were allmost all killed.
The norwegian government did not cooperate with the nazis, and they fled to England. Instead we got a norwegian nazi government led by Quisling under supervision of Germany, so the situation was different than in Denmark.

'@Nisse'_Hult
I'm always astounded by the depths of Nazi anti-semitism. Like even expecting the worst of them, you still get surprised.
Like...just logically, you'd think the Nazis would stop even thinking about Jews when the Soviets started to devour their armies in the east and stampede toward Germany. You'd think they'd have bigger priorities....but sexual intercourseing hell, they kept at it just the same. Even marching concentration camp populations to new locations farther west....a totally pointless and effort filled thing....unless you're a hyper crazy racist on like a totally different level.

Well done, Denmark!

…and Sweden!

Sweden always helped the neighbors, Denmark with the jews and Finland in winter war... Great brother.. https://youtu.be/5q4tnJmHzk0

@Zuperkrunch
Well, Sweden didn't do shit in regards of helping Finland during World war 2. So ashamed of that still.

@mussepiggsvin In ww2, who invaded finland?

@Zuperkrunch russia I think

@SchrodySweden didn't finland free them self in winter war? Winter war and ww2 were connected?

@Zuperkrunch Self-freedom -- well some children were sent to Sweden for safety. As for WW2-- well, it's just the *timing* as far as Finland is concerned. Such as taking advantage of some other country fighting Russia too... and once *our* war with Russia was done, well, good bye temporary allies."What you mean you don't want to leave? We still have all these weapons here, we'll make you go if we must..."

Also, side-effect: Women weren't going to quit their work just because the men were back...

@Suominoita That's was a good side effect.. Thanx for the info

Those Jews are so cute X3

@Lilyloverprettygirl9 Never thought i'd see this sentence,but yes XD

@Lilyloverprettygirl9 Exactly what I was about to coment X3

Those Jewballs are so cute :3

@BadgeOfBall as a Polandballer this makes me A N G R Y

nazi germany's eyeshadow suits him

we saved 7.056 jews
but closed our borders to millions of others, when the nazi startet to hunt them
but people dont hear that part.

@LXCP Only 7 jews? That's not very much. And what about the .056?

@Ziebenhaub_the_Texan I think he means 7,056 jews.

@hejsanhoppsan I know, it just looks weird the way it's written.

@LXCP The part you truly don't hear about is that Danish Jews SUPPORTED that.

Omg the small Jews look so cute!