A fascinating WWII story! Readers will learn how differently Denmark was treated after it was invaded by Germany. Based on true events, people and places, this proves to be an interesting story. Both Elise and Henrik were courageous. The people involved in the resistance were brave and loyal to their cause. Very realistic story. Readers will want to read the author's note for added history. Highly recommended!

This was a great Christian book it keros you thinking about the nazis and a war. I love the characters and the storyline and it has great faith content. This book was approved for me to read and review by netgalley and the publisher.

The Sound of Light
by Sarah Sundin
Publisher: Revell
Series: None
Rated: 5
Obtain: Borrow
Back of the Book: “When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.
American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.”

Impressions: This was a well-balanced and diverting story. I enjoyed the characters' growth as they were faced with life-changing decisions. From radical action to discreet steps, the efforts of the characters to fight back were inspiring. Else was faced with a fearful proposition while Henrik was attempting to run from his past. Together both characters created a suspenseful, and romantic story.

Quotes: “’Being courageous doesn’t have to mean being foolish.’” -It is sometimes this gut reaction to feel that if it’s not big enough it is not good enough, but I appreciated this quote because it encourages the small steps of faith it takes to be courageous. Being thoughtful is needed to be brave and effective at times.

“’Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness.’” -I just enjoyed learning a new word.

“’By not opposing the Germans, we’re effectively allying with them. Isn’t that a greater evil? Isn’t that worth risking our comfort and safety?’” -Yikes! In all my foot-in-mouth moments I’ve never stopped to think how my opposition or lack of allows for evil to continue in my world. Do my words and actions support my beliefs or are they full of excuses like, “I can’t change anything so” or “I don’t want to rock the boat.”

“’Sometimes silence takes much courage...Sometimes silence is nothing but cowardice.’”

“’Sometimes telling someone a harsh truth is the kindest thing you can do.’”

“’Leadership was like fire. In the right hands, it warmed all in range. In the wrong hands, it destroyed everything.’”

“...he told himself they were not interrogating him. He was interrogating them. Their questions revealed what they knew, what they suspected, and what they wanted to know.” -Just another interesting reminder to be slow to speak and quick to listen. You never know what you’ll discover.

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

A history lesson and a tale of resistance, compassion and love all rolled into one is what you with Sarah Sundin’s newest novel, The Sound of Light.

When the Germans occupy Denmark during WWII, they treat the country as a “model protectorate”. They didn’t enforce the same antisemitic laws as they did throughout Europe. For a while, things remained very much the same. That didn’t stop a Danish resistance from forming and for Baron Henrick Ahlefeldt, the desire to resist was very strong. He gave up his nobility for a life of anonymity and became a courier, rowing message across the sound to neutral Sweden. Dr Else Jensen, an American physicist, put up with a lot of animosity in a male dominated field in order to print illegal resistance newspapers in the basement of the science institute where she worked. Henrick and Else’s paths cross when they both moved into the same boarding house.

In the beginning they were unaware of each others resistance activities but when the Nazi’s decide to round up the Jewish population, they become a team. Together along with most of Denmark, they hide and then transport the majority of the Jews to safety in Sweden. Along the way, a friendship turns into something more and when their landlady betrays them to the Gestapo…their world turns upside down.

What I love about Sarah Sundin is that she is a true fan of history. While fictional and with the use of her vast research, she’s able to bring a story to life that humanizes what happened during WWII. You not only get an amazing story with strong, compassionate characters who want to do what’s right for fellow man but you get a history lesson too. I always finish one of her books with more knowledge than I had before and a desire to know more.

Thanks so much to Sarah, Revell and NetGalley for an early copy of this uplifting story and for sharing a little bit of history that is often overlooked.

There are so many books about WWII right now. I enjoyed this one and am definitely excited about the next in the series. There were some surprises of who was involved in the Resistace Everytime Hemming rowed that boat I was afraid it would be his last.
There were a few of the physics parts I didn’t care for but I know they were needed. For that reason I give this 4 stars.

Sundin is an autobuy for ne. An utterly immersive read that engages the reader from page one. Not to be missed! I.mpeccable historical detail.

I admit this wasn't my favorite of the Sarah Sundin books I have read, but it was still an entertaining read with themes and characters that I really enjoyed. On this one, I really enjoyed the historical information about the Dutch in WWII. I found it utterly fascinating, and it really made me proud to have the slightest bit of Dutch blood. (It's not much, but I still do have some!)

Else and Hemming (Henning? Henrik? What do we call this man!?) weren't my favorites, as I said before (I mean, who can compete with Lucie and Josie and Paul? And Evelyn and Peter, too. <3), but I still liked them. I think there was just something missing for me in the story, and I can't put my finger on it. Personal preference is all. Plus I did feel like the ending was a little rushing, but maybe that's because I truly didn't want it to end.

I'd recommend this to any lovers of WWII fiction! It's a perfectly clean, amazing romance with sacrificial love, amazing characters, and a beautiful historical background. It's full of heroism, standing up for what is right, and lots of fun sciencey stuff which was a blast to read.

This was my first Sarah Sundin read and it didn’t disappoint! I loved reading of the tale of The Havmund and how he rose above his father’s disappointments. I gave it a 4 star simply because I had a hard time getting past the foreign language references at first but once I got past the first couple of chapters I couldn’t put it down!

If you are intrigued by the WWII era at all, you absolutely have to read Sarah Sundin’s novels! In The Sound of Light, Sundin gives readers a look at Denmark in 1943, a country whose history relating to the war I previously knew little about. What a fascinating story the Danes have! About halfway through the book, I was so entranced by the storyline I couldn’t put the book down. I was glad to see some familiar faces from When Twilight Breaks and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, but each novel is absolutely a stand alone story. I’m so excited for Sundin’s next series—the teaser alone had me on the edge of my seat. Don’t miss her books! 4.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If this book represents the quality of books being released in 2023, we are in for a really good year! I enjoyed this book because of it's strong characterizations and for the period it was written in. I liked that briefly brought in some previous characters too.

When you've finished this book, go back and read Sarah Sundin's other series. I find her books very readable, strong females and romances that are a clean read. They are well researched and will teach most readers something in every book.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

I think I have figured out how to write a best-selling novel. It's much like giving birth to a baby. The beginning pangs are enough to catch the mom's attention, and then it builds until the final transition where the baby is finally born and the moments of high intensity elation are calmed into a satisfying end. I imagine authors go through the same kind of emotions where the idea is conceived, mulled over for a time, built up, pushed through to the plot climax, and then the loose ends of the book are brought together in fulfillment of the whole story. These are the emotions I felt as I read Sarah Sundin's latest World War II novel. Many of her early WWII novels had decidedly American characters, whereas her later stand-alone novels have quite a few European characters. Not a criticism, just an observation. The great romance story formula was an undercurrent in this novel, but it comes across in an organic way that does not hinge on conflict between the characters. Instead the part where boy loses girl was a matter of Hemming being arrested and Else having to leave Denmark without knowing where he was, how he was being treated, or even if he still lived.

Beyond the conflict that is part of every war--the ideologies, the posturing and maneuvering--one conflict among characters was relegated to that of Hemming and his father, who was part of the Danish Aristocracy. In fact, Hemming was titled in his own right. But father and son had their own difficulties that played out in ways that were resolved unexpectedly and all of the resolution hinged on each of their faiths. Another conflict was between Else and one of the professors at the Physics Institute, who didn't believe a woman was smart enough to be a physicist, much less one who could hold a PhD in physics.

Else and Hemming met in the boarding house where they both stayed during the week. Hemming was working at the shipyard and Else was working at the Institute. When Else went to her grandparents' home for the weekend, she was surprised to find Hemming attending the same church. Both held secrets and when those secrets were revealed, it became a greater concern for both of them. They both worked for the Danish resistance and once Germany declared martial law, both were compelled to flee the country. The only fly in the ointment is that Hemming was arrested before he could leave.

As I read this book, I felt like the beginning of the plot moved too slowly, but this is novel is based on actual people and actual events, and it can't be pushed faster than history dictates. Once the events start piling one on top of the other, the book becomes one that is extremely hard to put down. The reader comes to respect the amount of time, effort, and research that has gone into bringing this part of history to the fore in such a readable and relatable fashion. This book is less about the romance of Hemming and Else and more about the things people had to do in desperate times. Their romance provides a sweetness to a sour time in history.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a carving of a merman for your mantel.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Sound of Light
by Sarah Sundin
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
Revell
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
This will definitely be at the top of my 2023 Recommendations List!
Sundin is remarkable! Our readers at our library anticipate her new books greatly.
This is the third book in the series, so if possible read the other two first. From the first three chapters, you're rooting for the characters, you're hoping they have a happy ending, and you're definitely not ready for the emotional rollercoaster Sundin will bring you on. There are super impactful themes of forgiveness, the heartbreak and horror of what happened in WWII, the resilience of a people trying to stay free from a war they didn't want involved in, and the brilliantly overwhelming response of the Danish people when the Germans announced their plans to round up Jews in their land. It's based on a real evacuation, which was even more compelling for me to read, personally. The characters are easy to empathize with, the story is gutwrenching and hope-filled, and it's an absolute masterpiece. A very quick read if you're sucked into the story.
5 stars

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

I loved this book, the way Denmark was portrayed during WWII, the romance between the characters, the great risk people took in order to do what was right, I just loved it.

I was wiping away tears toward the end of this one. What a beautiful story of redemption and sacrifice and living for a greater good! While this book is the third in a series, it definitely stands alone as a unique tale of occupied Denmark during WWII, and the entire cast of characters was quite vivid and relatable. Even the minor characters leapt from the pages with their distinct personalities and loyalties. Henrik, in particular, was quite the attractive hero, shedding his noble rank even as his journey -- and his relationship with Else -- leads him to discover the true meaning of nobility. While war stories tend to be epic in scale and scope, this story felt quite intimate and isolated from the grand world stage... which I suppose is a perfect reflection of the Danish experience for most of the war. But in true Sundin fashion, and true to actual historical events, the evils of German occupation can't be held at bay forever, and the result is a conclusion that is both heart-wrenching and heart-pounding.

This is the first book that I have read by this author I believe and what a book to start on, I couldn't put it down. The writing was engaging and kept me hooked, the story was gripping and I fell in love with the characters. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Sarah Sundin continues to astound me with her astonishing fiction. I always eagerly anticipate her new releases and this one definitely lived up to my rather high expectations! I love how history always finds a home in Sundin's deft hand, but the setting in this story almost outshone everything else! Still, the plot kept me up late at night as I tried to figure out what would happen next. A sweet romance wrapped in a suspenseful war story, this novel is top of my 2023 recommended list!

I will first say that I missed the "Christian" category tag when I first requested this book and just picked up on the "Historical Fiction" tag, which made me hesitate to start the book once I discovered my mistake. However, I was pleased that beyond a few references and a few scenes happening at a church, it was fairly non-intrusive and most importantly, fitting with the time period.

That being said, while I liked this book, I absolutely did not buy the sudden transformation of the Baron. I felt like more backstory would have made his whole story line more real and believable, because the initial transformation was so glossed over.

Unbelievable Baron aside, this was an overall enjoyable read and a good addition to historical fiction covering the time period, especially since the events in Denmark are not nearly as written about as those in other countries.

Oh, I enjoyed these characters. Else, the meek physicist who learns to have courage, and Henrik, the aristocrat hiding as a common laborer to cover his resistance work. I learned so much about Denmark during WWII and sympathized with their plight as they stood up to the Nazis, knowing the great personal cost it would incur. I really loved a lot of things about this story, including the respectful romance and Henrik's relationship with his father. There was some torture in the story, which is hard for me to read, but it wasn't very graphic or drawn out. Although this book has references to prayer, faith, and church attendance, it read more as an inspirational story as the reader isn't really taken inside the characters' inner faith walk, we're just told they have one. The Sound of Light is a standalone but fits beautifully with Sundin's series about different Harvard classmates.

I read a copy of this book provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.

Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin invites readers into a physicists world during World War II. The plot features rescue attempts and bravery from the heroine and hero. At the beginning of the novel, the story does lay the background to Else and Henrik's character. A little boring and repetitive at times. But once you pass the first twenty percent of the novel, then it becomes the Sundin story I was expecting. Characters full of heart. Brave. Resilient. Willing to risk their own lives to save Jews and stop the injustice by the German soldiers. A delightful story. The writing style is wonderful, and Sundin delivers just exactly what she promises. A World War II novel to inform the readers and allow them to see a good ending to a story. Sundin does a wonderful job at crafting a realistic setting full of time period pieces that keeps the readers in the 1940's mindset in Denmark. Overall, Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin takes a little time to lift off, but once she does, it becomes a unique and powerful story that should be read by all.

I received a complimentary copy of Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

To help their country, he must silence his voice—and she must find hers.
When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research—her life’s dream—and makes a dangerous decision to print resistance newspapers.
As Else hears rumors of the movement’s legendary Havmand—the merman—she also becomes intrigued by the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse. Henrik makes every effort to conceal his noble upbringing, but he is torn between the façade he must maintain and the woman he is beginning to fall in love with.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence.

The Danish resistance movements were an underground insurgency to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the Nazi occupation authority allowed the democratic government to stay in power, the resistance movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale than in some other countries.
Members of the Danish resistance movement were involved in underground activities, ranging from producing illegal publications to spying and sabotage. Major groups included the communist BOPA (Danish: Borgerlige Partisaner, Civil Partisans) and Holger Danske, both based in Copenhagen. Some small resistance groups such as the Samsing Group and the Churchill Club also contributed to the sabotage effort.
During the invasion of Denmark on April 9, 1940 and subsequent occupation, the Danish king and government chose not to flee the country and instead collaborated with the German authorities who allowed the Danish government to remain in power. The Germans had reasons to do so, especially as they wanted to showcase Denmark as a "model protectorate", earning the nickname the Cream Front (German: Sahnefront), due to the relative ease of the occupation and copious amount of dairy products. As the democratically elected Danish government remained in power, Danish citizens had less motivation to fight the occupation than in countries where the Germans established puppet governments, such as Norway or France. The police also remained under Danish authority and led by Danes.
Daily life in Denmark remained much the same as before the occupation. The Germans did make certain changes: imposing official censorship, prohibiting dealings with the Allies, and stationing German troops in the country. The Danish government actively discouraged violent resistance because it feared a severe backlash from the Germans against the civilian population.
Immediately after the occupation began, isolated attempts were made to set up resistance and intelligence activities. Intelligence officers from the Danish army, known as the "Princes," began channeling reports to London allies as early as April 13, 1940.
Following the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 the Germans banned the Danish Communist Party and had the Danish police arrest its members.Those members who either avoided arrest or later escaped thus went underground and created resistance cells. From October 1942, they published a clandestine newspaper, Land og Folk ("Land and People"), based on the previous Communist Party newspaper, Arbejderbladet, which was distributed widely across the country.
As time went on, many other insurgent groups formed to oppose the occupation. These included the Hvidsten group, which received weapons parachuted by the British, and Holger Danske, which was successful in organizing sabotage activities and the assassinations of collaborators. The Churchill club, one of the first resistance groups in Denmark, was a group of eight schoolboys from Aalborg. They performed some 25 acts of sabotage against the Germans, destroying Nazi German assets with makeshift grenades and stealing Nazi German weapons.
The number of Danish Nazis was low before the war, and this trend continued throughout the occupation. This was confirmed in the 1943 parliamentary elections, in which the population voted overwhelmingly for the four traditional parties, or abstained. The latter option was widely interpreted as votes for the Danish Communist Party. The election was a disappointment for the National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark (DNSAP) and German Reichsbevollmächtigter.
In 1942-43, resistance operations gradually shifted to more violent action, most notably acts of sabotage. Various groups succeeded in making contacts with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) which began making airdrops of agents and supplies. There were not many drops until August 1944, but they increased through the end of the occupation.
As the years went by, the number of acts of sabotage and violence grew. In 1943, the number grew dramatically, to the point that the German authorities became dissatisfied with the Danish authorities' handling of the situation. At the end of August, the Germans took over full administration in Denmark, which allowed them to deal with the population as they wished. In particular, the Danish Freedom Council was set up in September 1943, bringing together the various resistance groups in order to improve their efficiency and resolve. An underground government was established. Allied governments, who had been skeptical about Denmark's commitment to fight Germany, began recognising it as a full ally.
In 1943, the movement scored a great success in rescuing all but 500 of Denmark's Jewish population of 7,000-8,000 from being sent to the Nazi concentration camps by helping transport them to neutral Sweden, where they were offered asylum. The Danish resistance movement has been honoured as a collective at Yad Vashem in Israel as being part of the "Righteous Among the Nations".They were honoured as a collective rather than as individuals at their own request. Prominent members included:
Christer Lyst Hansen
Henning Bysted
Mogens Fog
Flemming Muus
Monica Wichfeld
Varinka Wichfeld-Muus
Niels Eberhard Petersen
Ove Kampmann
Anton Poul Andersen
Poul Kristian Brandt Rehberg
Poul Bruun
Marius Fiil
Niels Fiil
Jørgen Kieler
Thomas Sneum
Jørgen Haagen Schmith (Citronen)
John Christmas Møller
Ole Lippmann
Børge Bak
Tom Dencker-Grant
Jørgen Strange Lorenzen
Sven Fage-Pedersen
Poul Nielsen
Find Sandgren
David John Valdemar Schultz
Kim Malthe-Bruun
Knud Pedersen
Povl Falk-Jensen
Preben Munch-Nielsen
Lone Maslocha
Ellen Christensen
Hans Edvard Teglers

Knud Christiansen was a Danish rower who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. His greatest feat, however, was preventing the mass murder of Denmark’s 7,000 Jews on Rosh Hashanah, 1943. Because of his fame and athletic connections, Knud learned of an SS plan to round up all Danish Jews in one mass action during their holy day. Knud coordinated with a large network of friends and associates to hide Jews in every spot available, including his own home.Starting shortly before Rosh Hashanah, the network hid fugitive Jews in farmhouses, churches, city apartments, and more. Then, during October, November, and December, Knud used his Olympic rowing skills to ferry one Jew at a time across the Øresund Strait. Eventually, the resistance used larger fishing boats to rescue greater numbers of Jews on each trip.Knud’s entire family participated in the effort: his mother, father-in-law, younger brother and wife were all involved in resistance work.
His wife Karen also published a German language newspaper targeted at Wehrmacht officers. Her writing chronicled SS atrocities against the Jews, as reported in BBC broadcasts. As a result, many German officers stationed in Denmark looked the other way as the Danish people worked together to save the nation’s Jews.

Vestre Prison (Danish: Vestre Fængsel) is the main jail of the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Erected in 1895, it is Denmark's largest prison. During much of the German occupation of Denmark, Vestre Fængsel was operated by German police.

Trekroner Søfort (literally Three Crowns Sea Fortress) is a sea fort at the entrance to the Copenhagen harbour. From 1713 until after World War I, Trekroner Fort was part of the fortifications of Copenhagen. During the German occupation of Denmark the Germans used the fortress as a barracks. After the war it was used for a few years as a prison for German officers and the former German ambassador to Denmark.

Berlingske Tidende (Berling's Times), is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen. It is considered a newspaper of record for Denmark. First published on 3 January 1749,Berlingske is Denmark's, as well as the Nordic region's, oldest continually operating newspaper and among the oldest newspapers in the world.

Frit Danmark was one of the most significant resistance organizations in occupied Denmark, which is also known as the publisher of the influential illegal magazine of the same name. The organization recruited widely across the political spectrum among the middle class of major cities.

A mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo, sometimes called a stencil duplicator) is a low-cost duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The process is called mimeography, and a copy made by the process is a mimeograph. Mimeographs were used by many resistance groups during World War Two as a way to print illegal newspapers and publications

Mimeographs, along with spirit duplicators and hectographs, were common technologies for printing small quantities of a document, as in office work, classroom materials, and church bulletins. Early fanzines were printed by mimeograph because the machines and supplies were widely available and inexpensive.

Helsingør classically known in English as Elsinore, is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør and Helsingborg in Sweden together form the northern reaches of the Øresund Region, centered on Copenhagen and Malmö. In World War II, Helsingør was among the most important transport points for the rescue of Denmark's Jewish population during the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler had ordered that all Danish Jews were to be arrested and deported to the concentration camps on Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year which fell on 2 October 1943. When Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, a diplomatic attaché of Nazi Germany to Denmark, received word of the order on 28 September 1943, he shared it with political and Jewish community leaders. Using the name Elsinore Sewing Club as a cover for messages, the Danish population formed an underground railroad of sorts, moving Jews away from the closely watched Copenhagen docks to spots further away, especially Helsingør, just two miles across the Øresund from Helsingborg in neutral Sweden. Hundreds of civilians hid their fellow Danish citizens—Jews—in their houses, farm lofts and churches until they could board them onto Danish fishing boats, personal pleasure boats and ferry boats. Over the course of three nights, Danes had smuggled over 7,200 Jews and 680 non-Jews (gentile family members of Jews or political activists) across the Øresund, to safety in Helsingborg and Malmö in Sweden.

The Danish resistance movement, with the assistance of many Danish citizens, managed to evacuate 7,220 of Denmark's 7,800 Jews, plus 686 non-Jewish spouses, by sea to nearby neutral Sweden during the Second World War. The arrest and deportation of Danish Jews was ordered by the German leader Adolf Hitler, but the efforts to save them started earlier due to the plans being leaked on September 28, 1943 by German diplomat Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz.
The rescue is considered one of the largest actions of collective resistance to aggression in the countries occupied by Germany during the Second World War. As a result of the rescue, and of the following Danish intercession on behalf of the 464 Danish Jews who were captured and deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, over 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust. In the wake of increased resistance activities and riots, the German occupation authorities presented the Danish government with an ultimatum on August 28, 1943; they demanded a ban on strikes, a curfew, and the punishment of sabotage with the death penalty. Deeming these terms unacceptable and a violation of national sovereignty, the Danish government declared a state of emergency. Some 100 prominent Danes were taken hostage, including the Chief Rabbi Max Friediger and a dozen other Jews. In response, the Danish government resigned on August 29, 1943. The result was direct administration of Denmark by the German authorities; this direct form of rule meant that the "model protectorate" had come to an end—and with it, the protection the Danish government had provided for the country's Jews.
On September 28, 1943, Duckwitz leaked word of the plans for the operation against Denmark's Jews to Hans Hedtoft, chairman of the Danish Social Democratic Party. Hedtoft contacted the Danish Resistance Movement and the head of the Jewish community, C. B. Henriques, who in turn alerted the acting chief rabbi, Marcus Melchior. At the early morning services, on September 29, the day prior to the Rosh Hashanah services, Jews were warned by Rabbi Melchior of the planned German action and urged to go into hiding immediately and to spread the word to all their Jewish friends and relatives.
The early phases of the rescue were improvised. When Danish civil servants at several levels in different ministries learned of the German plan to round up all Danish Jews, they independently pursued various measures to find the Jews and hide them. Some simply contacted friends and asked them to go through telephone books and warn those with Jewish-sounding names to go into hiding. Most Jews hid for several days or weeks, uncertain of their fate.

The Jews were smuggled and transported out of Denmark over the Øresund strait from Zealand to Sweden—a passage of varying time depending on the specific route and the weather, but averaging under an hour on the choppy winter sea. Some were transported in large fishing boats of up to 20 tons, but others were carried to freedom in rowboats or kayaks. The ketch Albatros was one of the ships used to smuggle Jews to Sweden. Some refugees were smuggled inside freight rail cars on the regular ferries between Denmark and Sweden, this route being suited for the very young or old who were too weak to endure a rough sea passage. Danish Resistance Movement operatives had broken into empty freight cars sealed by the Germans after inspection, helped refugees onto the cars, and then resealed the cars with forged or stolen German seals to forestall further inspection.

Fishermen charged on average 1,000 Danish kroner per person for the transport, but some charged up to 50,000 kroner. The average monthly wage at the time was less than 500 kroner, and half of the rescued Jews belonged to the working class. Prices were determined by the market principles of supply and demand, as well as by the fishermen's perception of the risk. The Danish Resistance Movement took an active role in organizing the rescue and providing financing, mostly from wealthy Danes who donated large sums of money to the endeavor. In all the rescue is estimated to have cost around 20 million kroner, about half of which were paid by Jewish families and half from donations and collections.

During the first days of the rescue action, Jews moved into the many fishing harbors on the Danish coast to await passage, but officers of the Gestapo became suspicious of activity around harbors (and on the night of October 6, about 80 Jews were caught hiding in the loft of the church at Gilleleje, their hiding place having been betrayed by a Danish girl who was in love with a German soldier).[13] Subsequent rescues had to take place from isolated points along the coast. While waiting their turn, the Jews took refuge in the woods and in cottages away from the coast, out of sight of the Gestapo.

Some of the refugees never made it to Sweden; a few chose to commit suicide; some were captured by the Gestapo en route to their point of embarkation; some 23 were lost at sea when vessels of poor seaworthiness capsized; and still others were intercepted at sea by German patrol boats. Danish harbor police and civil police often cooperated with the rescue effort. During the early stages, the Gestapo was undermanned and the German army and navy were called in to reinforce the Gestapo in its effort to prevent transportation taking place; but by and large the German military troops proved less than enthusiastic in the operation and frequently turned a blind eye to escapees. The local Germans in command, for their own political calculations and through their own inactivity, may have actually facilitated the escape.

Mogens Staffeldt ( 4 May 1915 in Hellerup – 20 July 1986 ) was a Danish bookseller and manager of Nordisk Boghandel in Østergade / Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen and, like his brother Jørgen Staffeldt , was a member of the Dansk Samling . Nordisk Bookshop functioned as an illegal central and meeting place, and here Mogens Staffeldt and his brother Jørgen were arrested on 16 February 1944 . Until 1 October of the same year, he was arrested and imprisoned in Vestre Fængsel and Horserødlejren , after which he was given the opportunity to escape to Sweden . His brother, on the other hand, died in a German concentration camp.

Stefan Rozental (13 August 1903, Łódź – 2 August 1994, Copenhagen), was a nuclear physicist, specialising in quantum mechanics. Trapped outside Poland when World War I started, he and his parents ended up in Denmark and spent four years from 1915 there before they returned to their native Poland in 1919 after the war. He received his PhD from the University of Kraków in 1928.
He later held an assistant position with Werner Heisenberg in Leipzig between 1929 and 1934 and lectured in Kraków between 1934 and 1938. Due to the rising Antisemitism in Poland he emigrated to Denmark and arrived in Copenhagen in March 1938 where Niels Bohr admitted him to his institute. From 1940, after Hendrik Anthony Kramers (from 1916) and Léon Rosenfeld (from 1934), he was Niels Bohr's personal assistant for almost fifteen years, whom he assisted even into the early sixties after both returned to Copenhagen in 1945.

Hilde Levi (9 May 1909 – 26 July 2003) was a German-Danish physicist. She was a pioneer of the use of radioactive isotopes in biology and medicine, notably the techniques of radiocarbon dating and autoradiography. In later life she became a scientific historian, and published a biography of George de Hevesy. Born into a non-religious Jewish family in Frankfurt, Germany, Levi entered the University of Munich in 1929. She carried out her doctoral studies at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry at Berlin-Dahlem, writing her thesis on the spectra of alkali metal halides under the supervision of Peter Pringsheim [de] and Fritz Haber. By the time she completed it in 1934, the Nazi Party had been elected to office in Germany, and Jews were no longer allowed to be hired for academic positions. She went to Denmark where she found a position at the Niels Bohr Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen. Working with James Franck and George de Hevesy, she published a number of papers on the use of radioactive substances in biology. When the Nazis began rounding up Danish Jews in September 1943, Levi fled to Sweden, where she worked for the biologist John Runnström at the Wenner-Gren Institute for Experimental Biology in Stockholm.

George Charles de Hevesy as a Hungarian radiochemist and Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate, recognized in 1943 for his key role in the development of radioactive tracers to study chemical processes such as in the metabolism of animals. He also co-discovered the element hafnium. Prior to the onset of World War II, Max von Laue and James Franck had sent their gold Nobel Prize medals to Denmark to keep them from being confiscated by the Nazis. After the Nazi invasion of Denmark this placed them in danger; it was illegal at the time to send gold out of Germany, and were it discovered that Laue and Franck had done so, they could have faced prosecution. To prevent this, de Hevesy concealed the medals by dissolving them in aqua regia and placing the resulting solution on a shelf in his laboratory at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. After the war, he returned to find the solution undisturbed and precipitated the gold out of the acid. The Nobel Society then recast the medals using the recovered gold and returned them to the two laureates. By 1943, Copenhagen was no longer safe for a Jewish scientist and de Hevesy fled to Sweden, where he worked at the University of Stockholm until 1961.

The Niels Bohr Institute (Danish: Niels Bohr Institutet) is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics and biophysics. During the 1920s, and 1930s, the institute was the center of the developing disciplines of atomic physics and quantum physics. Physicists from across Europe (and sometimes further abroad) often visited the institute to confer with Bohr on new theories and discoveries. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics is named after work done at the institute during this time. Niels Henrik David Bohr

Øresund or Öresund, commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait is wide at its narrowest point between Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden. Øresund, along with the Great Belt, the Little Belt and the Kiel Canal, is one of four waterways that connect the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic Ocean via Kattegat, Skagerrak, and the North Sea; this makes it one of the busiest waterways in the world.

Vedbæk is a wealthy suburban neighbourhood on the coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. In the 18th century, well-to-do townsfolk from Copenhagen started to build country houses in the area. After a paddle steamer began to call at Vedbæk on its journey from Copenhagen to Helsingør, there was an influx of visitors.

The Hotel d'Angleterre is one of the first deluxe hotels in the world. Situated in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark, it is located on Kongens Nytorv opposite Charlottenborg, the Royal Opera and Nyhavn.

Henrik Kauffmann (26 August 1888 – 5 June 1963) was the Danish ambassador to the United States during World War II, who signed over part of Greenland to the US. On 9 April 1941, the anniversary of the German occupation of Denmark, he signed on his own initiative "in the Name of the King" (Danish: I Kongens Navn) an "Agreement relating to the Defense of Greenland" authorizing the United States to defend the Danish colonies on Greenland from German aggression. The treaty was signed by the United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull and approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 7 June 1941.
Kauffmann's treaty was approved by the local officials on Greenland but declared void by the Danish government in Copenhagen. Kauffmann ignored this protest, citing the fact that Denmark was occupied by a hostile power; consequently, he considered the government incapable of protecting Danish interests. The government responded by charging Kauffmann with high treason and stripping him of his rank. Kauffmann ignored both actions. Kauffmann's line was supported by the Danish consuls general in the United States, as well as by the Danish ambassador to Iran. These diplomats were dismissed as well. Kauffmann replied by urging Danish diplomats around the world not to follow instructions from Copenhagen. Kauffmann was nicknamed "the King of Greenland" for his independent political moves in the Greenland affair.

Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr was also a philosopher and a promoter of scientific research. Bohr developed the Bohr model of the atom, in which he proposed that energy levels of electrons are discrete and that the electrons revolve in stable orbits around the atomic nucleus but can jump from one energy level (or orbit) to another. Although the Bohr model has been supplanted by other models, its underlying principles remain valid. He conceived the principle of complementarity: that items could be separately analysed in terms of contradictory properties, like behaving as a wave or a stream of particles. The notion of complementarity dominated Bohr's thinking in both science and philosophy. His own mother was Jewish, so Niels made a determined stand for his fellow countrymen in a personal appeal to the Swedish king and government ministers.

Bohr founded the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen, now known as the Niels Bohr Institute, which opened in 1920. Bohr mentored and collaborated with physicists including Hans Kramers, Oskar Klein, George de Hevesy, and Werner Heisenberg. He predicted the existence of a new zirconium-like element, which was named hafnium, after the Latin name for Copenhagen, where it was discovered. Later, the element bohrium was named after him.
During the 1930s, Bohr helped refugees from Nazism. After Denmark was occupied by the Germans, he had a famous meeting with Heisenberg, who had become the head of the German nuclear weapon project. In September 1943 word reached Bohr that he was about to be arrested by the Germans, and he fled to Sweden. From there, he was flown to Britain, where he joined the British Tube Alloys nuclear weapons project, and was part of the British mission to the Manhattan Project. After the war, Bohr called for international cooperation on nuclear energy.

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony, and parables. Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives as a "single individual", giving priority to concrete human reality over abstract thinking and highlighting the importance of personal choice and commitment. Kierkegaard's theological work focuses on Christian ethics, the institution of the Church, the differences between purely objective proofs of Christianity, the infinite qualitative distinction between man and God, and the individual's subjective relationship to the God-Man Jesus the Christ, which came through faith.Much of his work deals with Christian love. He was extremely critical of the doctrine and practice of Christianity as a state-controlled religion like the Church of Denmark. His psychological work explored the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with life choices.

Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Steady progress and consolidation continued through the period of World War II and the subsequent period of reinvigorated prosperity.

Store Kongensgade (lit. English. Great King's Street) is the longest street in central Copenhagen, Denmark.It extends northeast from Kongens Nytorv to Esplanaden, running parallel to Bredgade, where it breaks left, continuing northwest to Grønningen.

Bredgade (lit. "Broad Street") is one of the most prominent streets in Copenhagen, Denmark. Running in a straight line from Kongens Nytorv for just under one kilometre to the intersection of Esplanaden and Grønningen, it is one of the major streets in Frederiksstaden, a Rococo district laid out in the middle of the 18th century to commemorate the tercentenary of the House of Oldenburg's accession to the Danish throne. It is lined with a number of fine mansions as well as other historic buildings. Many law firms, trade unions, fashion stores and art galleries are based in the street.

Gothersgade is a major street in the City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends from Kongens Nytorv to Sortedam Lake, passing Rosenborg Castle and Gardens, Nørreport Station and Copenhagen Botanic Gardens on the way. Every day at 11:30 am, the Royal Life Guards, who are based at Rosenborg Barracks, depart from Rosenborg Eksercerplads and march down Gothersgade and up Bredgade for the ceremonial changing of the guard at 12 noon at Amalienborg Palace Square.

Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. The island is known as solskinsøen ("sunshine island") because of its weather and klippeøen ("rock island") because of its geology, which consists of granite, except along the southern coast. Bornholm, as a part of Denmark, was captured by Nazi Germany on 10 April 1940, and served as a lookout post and listening station during the war, as it was a part of the Eastern Front. The island's perfect central position in the Baltic Sea meant that it was an important "natural fortress" between Germany and Sweden, effectively keeping submarines and destroyers away from Nazi-occupied waters. Several concrete coastal installations were built during the war, as well as several coastal batteries, which had tremendous range. However, none of them were ever used, and only a single test shot was fired during the occupation.

Frederik's Church (Danish: Frederiks Kirke), popularly known as The Marble Church (Marmorkirken) for its rococo architecture, is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Copenhagen, Denmark. The church forms the focal point of the Frederiksstaden district; it is located due west of Amalienborg Palace. A series of statues of prominent theologians and ecclesiastical figures, including one of the eminent Danish philosopher Kierkegaard (who, incidentally, had become very critical of the established church by the end of his life), encircles the grounds of the building.

Dagmarhus is an office building in Copenhagen that now houses the cinema Dagmar Teatret at Jernbanegade 2 at Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen. The building replaced the actual theater building Dagmarteatret , which was demolished in 1937 , and the new functionalist building, erected in 1937 - 39 , was designed by Christian Kampmann and Hans Dahlerup Berthelsen. During the occupation , the Dagmarhus building was occupied by the Germans and in 1943 became the Germans' headquarters together with Shellhuset . The Gestapo had a branch there. Danish sticklers , among others the Peter group , also stayed at Dagmarhus.

The word stinger/stikker is from old times the criminal jargon term for someone from the criminal environment who, in return for payment, a reduced sentence or benefits of another kind, reports criminals and crimes to the authorities. During and after the German occupation of Denmark 1940-45 , the word was especially used for the Danish informants, agents and spies , which the German police, the Gestapo , used to unravel the resistance movement .

The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue) is a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, Denmark. Based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913.