Preben Munch-Nielsen 1944

Preben Munch- Nielsen was born on 13 June 1926 in the fishing village of Snekkersten, Denmark. He was brought up by his grandmother, who was also responsible for raising five other grandchildren.



During his schooling he commuted daily to a school in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, approximately 25 miles south of Snekkersten.



Preben Munch Nielsen recalled his schooldays:



“There were very few Jews in my elementary school, but I didn’t think of them as Jews, we were all just Danes.”



On 9 April 1940 the Germans invaded Denmark and Preben recalled his early contact with the occupiers, and his rescue work:



“In April 1940 I arrived in Copenhagen, where I saw planes overhead and German officers in the street. I joined the resistance as a courier, but I became more involved in October 1943, when the Gestapo hunting down Danish Jews.”



In the spring of 1943, however, the situation changed. Inspired by the Allies’ progress in the war, the Danish people stepped up their resistance to the German occupation. Labour strikes and acts of sabotage intensified.

Read the full story of Preben Munch-Neilsen here: 
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/survivor/preben.html

The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team

www.HolocaustResearchProject.org