On an autumn day in September, Adolf Hitler authorized the deportation of Jews from Denmark, reflecting the broader Nazi strategy of anti-Semitic actions as they sought to rid occupied territories of Jewish populations. While the Nazi regime escalated its deportations in Europe, Denmark's relatively peaceful occupation led to a different response. Many Danish people were appalled by the prospect of rounding up their Jewish neighbors and took immediate steps to protect them. Organized by underground networks, the Danish resistance worked in concert with sympathetic citizens to devise a plan to smuggle Jews to safety in nearby Sweden.

This effort intensified in the days following the order, leading to one of the busiest rescue operations of its kind. Fishermen, boat owners, and local citizens undertook perilous journeys across the Øresund Strait, ferrying Jews from the Danish coast to the safety of Sweden, where the government had committed to accepting them. Despite Nazi surveillance and patrols, the operation was largely successful, with roughly 7,200 Jews escaping deportation to concentration camps. Only a few hundred were captured by the Nazis before the operation could be effectively implemented.

This act of civil courage epitomizes the moral stand taken by many Danes, showing a collective resistance against the Nazi regime's brutal measures. Denmark's actions have since been viewed as a rare instance of mass defiance against the Holocaust, underscoring the role of civilians alongside organized resistance in confronting totalitarianism. The compassion shown during this dark period remains a notable example of human solidarity.