Jørgen was sent to a concentration camp

The young medical student Jørgen Kieler becomes a saboteur in the Holger Danske resistance group. He is one of the five main characters you can get acquainted with at the Museum of Danish Resistance.

The taxis drive Jewish passengers toward Skudehavnen in Copenhagen. As they approach the docks, the taxis stop a little way off. The Jews must walk the rest of the way themselves to reach the fishing boats waiting to take them to Sweden.

The young medical student Jørgen Kieler is there too. He has loaded up his bike with the luggage he is helping the Jews carry. He is part of the resistance movement and a member of the resistance group Holger Danske.

However, Jørgen Kieler's involvement in the resistance movement begins at a different point.

The 9th of April 1940 is a day of great sorrow and shame for Jørgen and his siblings. Denmark has effectively surrendered without resistance. He feels resentful toward the government.

As a part of the student environment in Copenhagen, and along with his brother Flemming and sisters Elsebet and Bente, he becomes actively involved in the Free Denmark student group. They print illegal newspapers.

A choice with grave consequences

In the course of the occupation, Jørgen Kieler’s involvement with the resistance develops from illegal newspapers to actual acts of sabotage. The choice to go from unarmed resistance to armed resistance is not an easy one. The sisters are opposed to taking up arms. For Jørgen, this choice entails a major ethical question: After all, how can he encourage others to carry out act of sabotage, if he is not willing to run the risk himself?

His involvement in sabotage operations come to an end in September of 1944, when Jørgen is caught and deported to the concentration camp Neuengamme.

What considerations underlie the decision to move from unarmed to armed resistance and perhaps killing other people? And what happened next in Jørgen Kieler’s story? You can delve into his story and difficult choices at the Museum of Danish Resistance.