Description:

(1900 - 1945) Hitler's Chief of the SS and Gestapo placed in charge of security and responsible for the construction and operation of extermination camps. He chose suicide rather than face a hangman's noose at Nuremberg. DANISH JEWS OUTWIT HIMMLER AND FLEE WITH ONLY DAYS TO SPARE Historic content T.L.S. "Your loyal H. Himmler" on "Der Reichsfuhrer-SS" letterhead, 1p. large 4to., "Field Headquarters", October 1943 to WERNER BEST (1903–1989). Best was an SS-Obergruppenführer and Nazi Party leader, the first chief of Department 1 of the Gestapo, and initiated a registry of all Jews in Germany. As a deputy of Reinhard Heydrich, he organized the SS-Einsatzgruppen death squads. Best served in the occupation administration of France and then became the civilian administrator of occupied Denmark. In this letter, Himmler discusses unfortunate political developments in Denmark, and the escape of Jews from that country only days before they were to be rounded-up. In part: "...I have followed the overall developments in Denmark, which in recent years have not been overly happy in any way. The solution that [Danish Nazi Party leader Frits] Clausen has reported, to join the Waffen-SS as a doctor, I find very good. The advancement of the Schalburg Corps [Danish volunteers in the Waffen-SS] is correct. Also right is the Jewish action. It will be rippling for some time, but overall it will remove the main saboteurs and principal rabble-rousers. With the lifting of the state of emergency a Higher Police Leader is appointed...in the form of SS-Gruppenfuhrer [Gunther] Pancke..." Docketed, with folds and marginal file holes, else very good. In late September 1943, Danish Nazis got word from Berlin that it was time to rid Denmark of its Jews. As was typical for the Nazis, they planned the raid to coincide with a significant Jewish holiday—in this case, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Marcus Melchior, a rabbi, got word of the coming pogrom, and in Copenhagen’s main synagogue, he interrupted services to announce the upcoming action. Within days, and with the aid of Danish Gentiles, nearly 90% of the Jews living in Denmark were able to flee the country, most going to neighboring Sweden. Even Best himself contributed to slowing the process of revealing the locations of Danish Jews. The escape of the Jews no doubt embarrassed Himmler, who here tries to make light of it.

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July 30, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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