The West German Government awarded today its Grand Cross of Merit to Chief Rabbi Marcus Melchior of Denmark for his role in the Danish rescue of the Jews of Denmark from the Nazis during World War II. Rabbi Melchior will receive the award in ceremonies in Copenhagen on November 11 and go to Bonn to be received by President Heinrich Luebke on November 25.
Rabbi Melchior and Danish resistance leaders had been warned by Georg Tuckwicz, a German commercial salesman, of Adolf Eichmann’s plans to deport Denmark’s Jews to Eastern Europe. The warning was given in time to enable the Danes to evacuate almost all of Denmark’s Jews to sanctuary in Sweden.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
