Danish Parliament to erect memorial plaque for WWII deportees

The Danish Parliament's Presidium will install a memorial plaque to honor all Danes deported during the German occupation of Denmark between 1940 and 1945. The decision aims to remember those who lost their lives or suffered during this dark chapter of Danish history.

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World War II is a dark chapter in Danish history, where thousands of Danes were deported, and many lost their lives. I am therefore very pleased that a unanimous presidium wishes to erect a memorial plaque for all deported.

Parliamentary Speaker Søren Gade stated that the unanimous decision reflects a desire to commemorate resistance fighters, police officers, and individuals persecuted for their religious or political beliefs. Historians estimate that around 6,100 Danes were deported, and approximately 10% of them died as a consequence.

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It applies to both resistance fighters and police officers and those who were arrested solely because of their religious or political beliefs.

The specific placement, design, and inscription of the plaque are yet to be decided by the Presidium. However, the Horserød-Stutthof Association has long sought official recognition for 350 Danish communists interned in 1941 under the Communist Law. Some of these individuals were later deported to the Stutthof concentration camp, where 21 died.

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We think, of course, that all deported people deserve a memorial plaque.

Albert Scherfig, a spokesperson for the association, acknowledged that all deported individuals deserve remembrance. However, he emphasized that the Danish communists were deported as a direct result of a decision made by the Danish Parliament, distinguishing their case.

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But not everyone, like the Danish communists, was deported as a result of a decision made by the Danish Parliament.