Scandinavia Special Interest Group (SIG)

A GUIDE TO JEWISH DENMARK

Published on the occasion of the 5th Congress of
The European Association for Jewish Studies,
Copenhagen, 1994 - 79 p. ill. by Joseph Salamon

by Karen Lisa Goldschmidt Salamon

This book is still a valuable guide to Jewish Denmark although some of the information (e.g. addresses etc.) concerning the period from 1994 till today is not up to date. In some cases the authors have changed positions, but not profession.

To my surprise I found that it is still available and can be purchased from the publishers:

C.A. Reitzels A/S BOOKSTORE AND PUBLISHERS,
Noerregade 20, 1165 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tlf: +45 33 12 24 00 - Fax: +45 33 14 02 70
Website: www.careitzel.dk   - e-mail: info@careitzel.com

Price: 25 DKK + postage

Contents

  1. Karen Lisa Goldschmidt Salamon: Introduction
  2. Hanne Trautner-Kromann: The History of the Jews in Denmark 1622-1940
  3. Bent Blüdnikow: Jewish Immigration to Denmark in the Modern Era
  4. Herbert Pundik: The Escape of 1943
  5. Jacques Blum: The Danish Jews Today
  6. Ulf Haxen: The Jewish Collection in the Royal Library in Copenhagen
  7. Lise Svanholm: Danish-Jewish Painters in the Nineteenth Century
  8. Hans Metzon: Jewish Cemeteries in Denmark
  9. Edna Basud Thorsen: Jewish Sights and Sites in Denmark
  10. Maps of Copenhagen and Denmark with points of interest
The Authors (1994):
Karen Lisa G. Salamon, social anthropologist, Paris;
Hanne TrautnerKromann, Jeqwish Studies, Lund University;
Bent Blüdnikow, historian, the National Archives, Copenhagen;
Herbert Pundik, journalist, Tel Aviv and Copenhagen;
Jacques Blum, cultural sociologist, Copenhagen;
Ulf Haxen, the Judaica Dept., the Royal Library, Copenhagen;
Lise Svanholm, art historian, Copenhagen;
Hans Metzon, the Ministry of Education, Copenhagen;
Edna Basud Thorsen, Jewish history and philosophy, Copenhagen.

Introduction

by Karen Lisa Goldschmidt Salamon, editor

Jews have lived in Denmark for almost 400 years. Though never in any large numbers, and without particular notice until the now famous rescue of the Danish Jews in 1943.

However, Danish Jewish history has its own particular flavour, an important ingredient of which is the unusually peaceful coexistence with the Danish majority which has characterised Jewish life in Denmark for the most.

Danish Jewry has to a great extent been assimilated into Danish society, and left many traces in the cultural, political and economic life of the country.

The story of Danish Jewish life can of course be told in many ways. Any brief guide -as this one -will naturally have to take shortcuts. We have had to choose certain topics that we find important and which we believe will be of interest to visitors in Denmark.

You will find three articles each dealing with different epochs of Danish-Jewish history between 1622 and 1945. We have then tried to update this picture by giving a brief description of the Jewish community in the 1990s.

Besides the more general historical outline of Jewish history in Denmark, we present a few more specific aspects of the cultural heritage of Jewish life in Denmark.

The Royal Library of Copenhagen contains a unique collection of Jewish manuscripts and books which is presented here. Works by Danish Jewish artists are found in various museums in Denmark. To introduce these, the more specific history of Jewish artists in Denmark in the 19th century is recounted.

The Jewish cemeteries of Denmark are presented, and various Jewish institutions and important places of "Jewish Denmark" are listed. We hope that this guide will enhance and deepen the visitor's understanding of the particular characteristics of Danish Jewish life and history.

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08.12.2001