Stories about Christian X of Denmark.

[alejandro_sk]

Originally Posted by kerry

How could it be just? If you went against the Nazis then you were a traitor. This isn't everyday run-of-the-mill espionage we're talking here. This was genocide plain and simple. If you didn't agree with Hitler and his regime then you had better put on a brave front a try to "fit in" with your fellow Aryan brothers or be labeled an enemy of the state to face the same fate as the Jews. Nothing was just, nothing.

When Hitler ordered Danish Jews to wear the yellow star, the Danish Royal family wore it too and asked their people to do so too, so the Nazi (not German) troops could not tell who was who. Tha Danish Royal family was brave enough to defy Hitler. Why couldn't other royal houses do the same? I mean, it was possible!
Alex

[King Kong]

Originally Posted by alejandro_sk

When Hitler ordered Danish Jews to wear the yellow star, the Danish Royal family wore it too and asked their people to do so too, so the Nazi (not German) troops could not tell who was who. Tha Danish Royal family was brave enough to defy Hitler. Why couldn't other royal houses do the same? I mean, it was possible!
Alex

Alex, fellow countryman, don't let yourself be carried away by historical accuracy. :)
I've read the book and I can tell you it's not as 'historical' as the title may suggest. 'Predicting' about a book is not always good. Let sleeping dogs lie ...
Cheers! :)
Martin

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by alejandro_sk

Yes, that's true. I have not read that book but I know that King Leopold III of Belgium almost lost his throne during that time. What I said about the Royal Danish house is also from another book. There was a bit of everything during that time and I'm afraid we'll never get to know the whole truth.
Alejandro

The Danish Jews were never ordered to wear the Star of David, thus the legend that King Christian wore it on his daily rides in Copenhagen, is just a myth.

He did irritate Hitler, though, when he sent a thank you note back in response to birthday greetings, and the note was short and concise "My thanks, Christian R." (Paraphrased.) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_X

But generally the royal and WWII is an exciting topic, and this book should be a fascinating read.

We also have a topic in the Royal Chit Chat part of the forum What did Monarchs do during WWII for those of you interested.

[alejandro_sk]

Originally Posted by norwegianne

The Danish Jews were never ordered to wear the Star of David, thus the legend that King Christian wore it on his daily rides in Copenhagen, is just a myth.

Hello!
I have never been to Denmark and I was born ages after the war, but if the legend you mention is a myth, then it is a very popular one! :) I have one book that mentions that, here with me (for school):
Thomson, David; Europe since Napoleon; Penguin Books Ltd. pp 768-769.
It doesn't say that the King wore the yellow star on his daily rides but that the whole Royal family stood on the palace balcony (?) wearing the stars and telling the people to do the same.
Thank you for the links, the one to Wikipedia too! :)
Alejandro

[King Kong]

Originally Posted by norwegianne

The Danish Jews were never ordered to wear the Star of David, thus the legend that King Christian wore it on his daily rides in Copenhagen, is just a myth.

Hi norwegianne!
Now that you mention it, I think there is/was a photo (not picture or painting) showing King Christian wearing the Star of David! I'll see if I can find it. Any idea who took it, where or when? And above all, why?
Cheers! :)
Martin

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by King Kong

Hi norwegianne!
Now that you mention it, I think there is/was a photo (not picture or painting) showing King Christian wearing the Star of David! I'll see if I can find it. Any idea who took it, where or when? And above all, why?
Cheers! :)
Martin

I'd be interested in seeing it. Everywhere I've seen, it's proclaimed to be a myth, and I think I remember reading in the latest biography about Queen Margrethe that she also said that it was a myth. But if you have proof - I'd be more than willing to see it. :) EDIT: As I'm getting anxious to find out what is real, I've ordered a book on "Christian X and the occupation" from the library... Maybe the picture could be there?

It's important to remember, as well, that out of Denmark's 7,500 Jews, only 51 perished in the German camps, due to the Danish population's immensely large rescue operation before the Jews were to be transported to Germany.


For those interested: There is also a children's book written about this legend: The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry also bears mention of it.

[Elspeth]

My father was Jewish and escaped the holocaust by being evacuated to England by the Red Cross; apparently shortly before he died a couple of years ago, when he was reminiscing about things to my mother's Danish sister-in-law, he told her how much the European Jews living in exile in England (and maybe elsewhere) had appreciated the support shown by the Danish king and people. The particular story of the King wearing the yellow star in support of the Jewish community may be apocryphal, but it sounds as though he was lending support somehow.

[ysbel]

The legend of Christian X wearing a yellow star is a well-known urban myth.

The website www.snopes.com is my premier source for urban myths and the truth behind them. Some are quite funny but here is the page on Christian X and the Star of David.

http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/denmark.htm

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by ysbel

The legend of Christian X wearing a yellow star is a well-known urban myth.

The website www.snopes.com is my premier source for urban myths and the truth behind them. Some are quite funny but here is the page on Christian X and the Star of David.

http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/denmark.htm

Interesting article, Thanks for that ysbel.:)

[King Kong]

Originally Posted by norwegianne

I'd be interested in seeing it. Everywhere I've seen, it's proclaimed to be a myth, and I think I remember reading in the latest biography about Queen Margrethe that she also said that it was a myth. But if you have proof - I'd be more than willing to see it. :) EDIT: As I'm getting anxious to find out what is real, I've ordered a book on "Christian X and the occupation" from the library... Maybe the picture could be there?

It's important to remember, as well, that out of Denmark's 7,500 Jews, only 51 perished in the German camps, due to the Danish population's immensely large rescue operation before the Jews were to be transported to Germany.

For those interested: There is also a children's book written about this legend: The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry also bears mention of it.

Hi norwegianne!
I don't have proof about the photo but the article from Wikipedia you linked in your post to Alejandro also mentions "photo" not picture. All the same, I'll keep on Googling for it. :) Besides, whatever you may find about King Christian X in the books you ordered, please, let me know. I'm interested, star or no star.
I think that on the whole, the moral behind the legend is that Danish people really helped Jews and the Royal family must have been quite against Hitler if we are to judge by their popularity after the war. Good for them! :)
Cheers!
Martin

[norwegianne]

The posts previous to this one have been moved from another thread, as they had little to do with the actual book in question. Please remember the rules when posting. (If you can't recall them, please take a moment to reread them.)


Norwegianne.
Royal Librarian aka. Royal Library Moderator

[Princejohnny25]

I have always loved the book Number the Stars when I was a kid. I recently read it again and still like it. I thought Denmark and their King were so cool after reading that book. The things they did to protect the jews amazed me. I also heard that it was a myth and not actuall truth.

[auntie]

Originally Posted by alejandro_sk

When Hitler ordered Danish Jews to wear the yellow star, the Danish Royal family wore it too and asked their people to do so too, so the Nazi (not German) troops could not tell who was who. Tha Danish Royal family was brave enough to defy Hitler. Why couldn't other royal houses do the same? I mean, it was possible!
Alex

Okay guys, lets not get carried away, I have a Danish Jewish friend, who's mother was in Denmark at the time of the holocaust, and he told me that the King of Denmark threatened that he and all his fellow Danishmen would wear a yellow star, so the Nazi's wouldn't differentiate between on Danishman and another, in his eyes, all his subjects are the same. The Nazi's then realized that they would have no cooperation from the Danish nation, (like the countries of Hungary, Poland, the Ukraine, Lithuania- the latter 2 being part of Poland and Russia during WWII) and the Jewish people of Denmark were not put through any torment or discrimination, untill they were meant to be deported, and the rest is well known, how they were smuggled to Sweden. I would like to mention another last point, to the credit of the Danish nation, that when the Danish Jewish people went back home after WWII, none of their houses were ransacked, everything was,a s they had left it! It sends shivers down my spine, May the King's memory be blessed, together with the rest of the Danish nation!