Jewish deportees from Norway during World War II
Encyclopedia
During the Nazi occupation of Norway
, German authorities deported about 768 individuals of Jewish background to concentration camps outside of Norway. 28 of these survived World War Two.
Most of those deported were Norwegian citizens. Some were stateless refugees, and a few were citizens of other countries.
In addition to those Jews from Norway killed by the Nazis were deported to death camps (Vernichtungslager), at least 22 died in Norway by murder, extrajudicial executions, and suicide.A smaller number of Jews and individuals judged to be of Jewish heritage were imprisoned under harsh circumstances in Norway during the war but spared deportation, either because they were married to non-Jews, did not fall under the Nazi criteria for being Jewish, or were citizens of countries not under German occupation. It also appears that Jews with Danish citizenship were spared. The deaths of Jews in Norway does not include those who died of natural causes that may have been aggravated by neglect or denial of adequate medical treatment.
campaign undertaken by the Norwegian government in exile, the Swedish government, the Danish government, with the Swedish Red Cross implementing the rescue with its good offices. This followed intensive efforts by Norwegian and other Scandinavians to track and maintain contact with Norwegian citizens in camps.
By comparison, there was no organized effort to maintain contact with and establish the fate of Jews that had been deported from Norway. Four Norwegian Jews were rescued by the White Buses: Eugen Keil, Josef Berg, Harry Meyer, and Leif Wolfberg.
Of the 28 who survived, at least 21 returned to Norway soon after the war. The rest found homes in other countries.
Upon liberation, the few survivors were scattered across the camps:
As of November 30, 2009, there was only one remaining survivor of those deported from Norway.
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, German authorities deported about 768 individuals of Jewish background to concentration camps outside of Norway. 28 of these survived World War Two.
Deportation
The deportation schedule for the major transports was:| Departure date | Ship | No of Jewish deportees | Of which survived the war | Route and destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-Nov-1942 | Monte Rosa | 19 | 0 | Docked in Århus, train to Auschwitz via Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| 26-Nov-1942 | Monte Rosa | 27 | 2 | Docked in Århus, train to Auschwitz via Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| 26-Nov-1942 | D/S Donau SS Donau SS Donau was a Norddeutscher Lloyd refrigerated cargo ship. In the Second World War the Kriegsmarine used it as a transport ship between Germany and Norway. She became known as the "slave ship" after the SS and Gestapo transported 540 Jews from Norway to Stettin, from where they were taken by... |
532 | 9 | Docked in Stettin, train to Auschwitz |
| 24-Feb-1943 | Gotenland | 157 | 6 | Docked in Stettin, train to Auschwitz via Berlin |
| Other, 27-Apr-1941 - 10-Aug-1944 | Various ships | 30 | 11 | |
| Total | 768 | 28 |
Most of those deported were Norwegian citizens. Some were stateless refugees, and a few were citizens of other countries.
In addition to those Jews from Norway killed by the Nazis were deported to death camps (Vernichtungslager), at least 22 died in Norway by murder, extrajudicial executions, and suicide.A smaller number of Jews and individuals judged to be of Jewish heritage were imprisoned under harsh circumstances in Norway during the war but spared deportation, either because they were married to non-Jews, did not fall under the Nazi criteria for being Jewish, or were citizens of countries not under German occupation. It also appears that Jews with Danish citizenship were spared. The deaths of Jews in Norway does not include those who died of natural causes that may have been aggravated by neglect or denial of adequate medical treatment.
Age distribution of Jewish individuals deported from Norway
| Age | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | 16 | 2.2% |
| 6-15 | 49 | 6.6% |
| 16-25 | 121 | 16.5% |
| 26-35 | 128 | 17.5% |
| 36-45 | 104 | 14.0% |
| 46-55 | 153 | 20.7% |
| 56-65 | 112 | 15.2% |
| 66-75 | 43 | 5.9% |
| >76 | 11 | 1.5% |
Distribution of deportees by county arrested and transport
This list includes Jewish individuals both with Norwegian citizenship, foreign citizenship, and stateless refugees that were arrested and deported. The site where they were arrested was not always their place of residence; many had relocated to rural areas to avoid detection. The majority of those deported were immediately murdered in the gas chambers at Auschwitz; some were put to slave labor but perished soon after. A very small number ultimately survived.| Ship | ||||||
| County | Donau | Gotenland | Kvarstad | Monte Rosa | Other route | Totals |
| Østfold Østfold is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and... |
2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | |
| Akershus Akershus - Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum... |
36 | 2 | 1 | 39 | ||
| Aust-Agder Aust-Agder is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal.... |
2 | 2 | ||||
| Buskerud Buskerud is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:... |
15 | 1 | 4 | 20 | ||
| Finnmark Finnmark or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens... |
2 | 2 | ||||
| Hedmark Hedmark is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The... |
5 | 1 | 3 | 9 | ||
| Hordaland Hordaland is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen... |
13 | 12 | 1 | 26 | ||
| Møre og Romsdal Møre og Romsdal is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:... |
3 | 24 | 3 | 30 | ||
| Nordland Nordland is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is... |
6 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| Oppland Oppland is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway.... |
12 | 2 | 14 | |||
| Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
395 | 41 | 23 | 17 | 476 | |
| Rogaland Rogaland is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%... |
5 | 5 | 2 | 13 | ||
| Sør-Trøndelag Sør-Trøndelag - References :... |
6 | 53 | 1 | 2 | 62 | |
| Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Fjordane is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde.... |
4 | 4 | ||||
| Telemark Telemark is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:... |
1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Troms Troms or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea... |
1 | 8 | 8 | 17 | ||
| Vest-Agder Vest-Agder In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding... |
2 | 2 | ||||
| Vestfold Vestfold is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs... |
27 | 2 | 29 | |||
| Totals | 534 | 157 | 1 | 46 | 30 | 768 |
Liberation and return
Thousands of Norwegians were deported to camps in Germany and German-occupied territories during World War II. Most of those who survived were rescued by the White BusesWhite Buses
"White Buses" refers to a program undertaken by the Swedish Red Cross and the Danish government in the spring of 1945 to rescue concentration camp inmates in areas under Nazi control and transport them to Sweden, a neutral country...
campaign undertaken by the Norwegian government in exile, the Swedish government, the Danish government, with the Swedish Red Cross implementing the rescue with its good offices. This followed intensive efforts by Norwegian and other Scandinavians to track and maintain contact with Norwegian citizens in camps.
By comparison, there was no organized effort to maintain contact with and establish the fate of Jews that had been deported from Norway. Four Norwegian Jews were rescued by the White Buses: Eugen Keil, Josef Berg, Harry Meyer, and Leif Wolfberg.
Of the 28 who survived, at least 21 returned to Norway soon after the war. The rest found homes in other countries.
Upon liberation, the few survivors were scattered across the camps:
- Benno Asberg was refused admission to the White Buses while in Ravensbrück, escaped, and was rescued by advancing Soviet forces.
- Josef Berg happened to be in Sachsenhausen when the White Buses arrived. Thanks to non-Jewish Norwegian prisoners, he was accepted on board the bus, one of only four Jews from Norway to be rescued by the operation
- Paul Ludwig Cohn, was ill in Auschwitz when it was liberated by Soviet forces and, like Kai Feinberg, escaped.
- Friedrich and Grete Doller were among the last Norwegian sent to Norway. It is unclear how they returned to Kristiansand
- Otto Eisler, a noted Czech architect, returned to his home city of Brno after the war and continued his architectural career
- Having survived a death marchDeath marchA death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
from Auschwitz to Buchenwald, Leo Eitinger, Pelle Hirsch, Assor Hirsch, Julius Paltiel, and Samuel Steinmann were liberated there on April 11. On March 1, fellow Norwegian but non-Jewish students had been sent by train from Buchenwald to Neuengamme as part of the White Buses operation, but these five were not allowed to leave on account of being Jewish. Following the liberation, the five had to find their own way home with the help of American and Danish individuals and officials. They arrived by boat in Oslo. Authorities were unable to provide them with any help, not even housing, and they relied on friends to get situated again.Several sources cite the experiences of Eitinger, the Hirsch brothers, Paltiel, and Steinmann, including: [dead link:] , Paltiel's memoirs, Steinmann's interview, and the biography of Eitinger. Both Paltiel and Steinmann say that being left behind by the White Buses was the greatest disappointment in their time in captivity. - Berthold Epstein, a noted professor in pediatrics, returned to Prague after the war to continue his medical and academic career
- Kai Feinberg was liberated from Auschwitz and worked for some time in Eastern Europe before he returned to Norway on his own
- Pavel Fraenkl was liberated from Theresienstadt and returned to Norway by unknown means, where he had a distinguished career as a literary professor
- Eugen Keil returned to Norway from Sachsenhausen via the White Buses
- The twins Fritz and Hans Lustig returned to their home town of Brno after the war but emigrated years later, settling in Norway
- Harry Meyer was in Sachsenhausen at the end of the war and was one of four Norwegian Jews rescued by the White Buses
- Moritz Nachtstern was kept in Block 19 at Sachsenhausen as part of Nazi Germany's efforts to counterfeit Allied currency. He found his own way home after liberation
- Georg Rechenberg and Robert Savosnick were liberated from Sachsenhausen without the benefit of the White Buses. Thanks to the help of Norwegian officer Helmer Bonnevie, they returned on their own to Norway
- Fritz Georg Ruzicka did not return to Norway but settled in Denmark to a successful career as an entertainer
- Herman Sachnowitz was liberated from Bergen Belsen, put under the care of British troops and returned to Norway on his own
- Leopold and Lisa Segal settled in Great Britain after the war
- Jacques Stanning was liberated by Soviet forces in Auschwitz. He returned to Norway in August 1945.
- Leif Wolfberg was rescued by the White Buses when his fellow non-Jewish Norwegian prisoners forged his papers to have him renamed Rolf Berg.
As of November 30, 2009, there was only one remaining survivor of those deported from Norway.
Notable deportees
- Otto EislerOtto EislerOtto Eisler was a Czech architect, noted for his contributions to International style in architecture.-Biography:...
- Leo EitingerLeo EitingerLeo Eitinger was a Holocaust survivor and Norwegian Psychiatrist who studied the late-onset psychological trauma experienced by people who went through separation and psychological pain early in life only to show traumatic experience decades later...
- Berthold EpsteinBerthold EpsteinBerthold Epstein was a Czechoslovakian pediatrician, professor, and scientist who worked as a doctor in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.-Early life:...
- Cissi KleinCissi KleinCissi Pera Klein was a Norwegian Jewish girl who is commemorated every year as one of the victims of the Holocaust in her home town in Trondheim. Her parents had emigrated to Norway from the Baltic states around 1905, at first living in North Norway, but then establishing a retail store in Trondheim...
- Ruth MaierRuth MaierRuth Maier was an Austrian woman whose diaries describing her experiences of the Holocaust in Austria and Norway were published in 2007 to generally favorable reviews, leading her to be described as "Norway's Anne Frank."Ruth Maier was born in Vienna to a largely assimilated Jewish family...
- Julius PaltielJulius PaltielJulius Paltiel was one of the 26 Norwegian Jews who returned from Auschwitz.-During WWII:During the Second World War, Paltiel's family ran a textile company in Trondheim. On 6 October 1942, he and his family were arrested and sent to Falstad concentration camp, where they stayed until they were...
- Moritz RabinowitzMoritz RabinowitzMoritz Moses Rabinowitz was a Norwegian retail merchant based in the city of Haugesund, memorialized for his humanitarian outlook and contribution to his city.- Family :...