Memorial for border police man H.Chr. Hansen - Sønderby, Denmark
N 54° 52.247 E 009° 53.523
32U E 557245 N 6080776
Memorial for one of the many border police men died as concentration camp prisoners in Neuengamme 1944.
Waymark Code: WMMBV8
Location: Denmark
Date Posted: 08/28/2014
Views: 7
This memorial is located near the cemetery of the church on the island of Kegnæs. Mr. Hansen was a local Danish border police man, arrested by the Germans in the concentration camp Neuengamme where he died in December 1944.
The Danish text on the monument notes his border police position (overgendarm), his birth and death and praises him as a good danish man:
“Minde over Overgendarm H.Chr. Hansen, Østerby,
født 5.10.1893 i Vejstrup,
død 19.12.1944 i Neuengamme Koncentrationslejr”
“Ein god dansk mand, ein pryd for sind stand, for sine kære alt“
At the beginning of World War II Denmark was neutral and even signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in the spring 1939. Nevertheless, it was occupied by the German Wehrmacht in April 1940. In August 1944 the occupying power took over also the executive power. The Danish policemen including the border police were disarmed and arrested, mostly at prisoner Camp Frøslev near the German-Danish border.
"Even though the Frøslev Camp was built to avoid the deportation of Danes to concentration camps in Germany, around 1.600 Frøslev prisoners were sent on, contrary to all agreements, to the horrors of the German concentration camps." Source: (
visit link)
In September 1944, nearly 2.000 Danish policemen were transported to the concentration camp Neuengamme or the concentration camp Buchenwald. On October 5th additional 141 border police men were transported to the concentration camp Neuengamme. Other transports from the prisoner camp Frøslev followed. Source: (
visit link)
Prisoner camp Frøslev in Denmark and concentration camp Neuengamme in Germany are memorial museums today and can be visited (see links provided above).
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