From WesTexas@aol.com Sun Jul 11 23:13:10 2004 From: WesTexas@aol.com (WesTexas@aol.com) Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 18:13:10 EDT Subject: [Culturechat] A true story of extraordinary courage & leadership in Denmark in WWII Message-ID: <12b.45fd2312.2e231576@aol.com> --part1_12b.45fd2312.2e231576_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A few months ago, I took my daughter and her friends to seen the Disney movie about a Danish prince and his American fiance. I commented that the director should have noted the extraordinary courage that King Christian X--and the Danish people showed--while under Nazi occupation, but no one else was aware of the story. So, following is a true story of extraordinary leadership and courage for those who have forgotten or never knew about it (source: World War II: 4,139 Strange and Fascinating Facts). When the Germans ordered the Danish Jews to wear the Star of David, King Christian (obviously not Jewish) was the first to put one on himself, followed by the entire population of Denmark. He then began secretly sending the Danish Jews to Sweden, thus saving most of them. One day, while riding through Copenhagen, King Christian noticed a swastika flag flying from a public building in violation of the Danish-German agreement. When asked to take it down, a German officer said that the flag was there on orders from Berlin and would remain. King Christian replied that if the flag were not removed by noon, a soldier would be sent to remove it. The German officer stated that the soldier would be shot if he removed the flag. King Christian replied that he, the King of Denmark, would be that soldier. The flag came down. --part1_12b.45fd2312.2e231576_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable A few months ago, I took my daughter an= d her friends to seen the Disney movie about a Danish prince and his America= n fiance.   I commented that the director should have noted the e= xtraordinary courage that King Christian X--and the Danish people showed--wh= ile under Nazi occupation, but no one else was aware of the story.  So= , following is a true story of extraordinary leadership and courage for thos= e who have forgotten or never knew about it (source:  World War II:&nb= sp; 4,139 Strange and Fascinating Facts).

When the Germans ordered the Danish Jews to wear the Star of David, King Chr= istian (obviously not Jewish) was the first to put one on himself, followed=20= by the entire population of Denmark.  He then began secretly sending t= he Danish Jews to Sweden, thus saving most of them. 

One day, while riding through Copenhagen, King Christian noticed a swastika=20= flag flying from a public building in violation of the Danish-German agreeme= nt.  When asked to take it down, a German officer said that the flag w= as there on orders from Berlin and would remain.   King Christian= replied that if the flag were not removed by noon, a soldier would be sent=20= to remove it.  The German officer stated that the soldier would be sho= t if he removed the flag.   King Christian replied that he, the K= ing of Denmark, would be that soldier.  The flag came down. 
--part1_12b.45fd2312.2e231576_boundary-- From pmnick@earthlink.net Sun Jul 11 23:54:25 2004 From: pmnick@earthlink.net (Paul Nick) Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 18:54:25 -0400 Subject: [Culturechat] A true story of extraordinary courage & leadership in Denmark in WWII In-Reply-To: <12b.45fd2312.2e231576@aol.com> Message-ID: <41AAEF97-D38D-11D8-B542-0003938E450E@earthlink.net> --Apple-Mail-6--389884343 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed It's a shame that memories of courage and sacrifice during WWII fade=20 or, worse yet, never get told. I spent a year abroad at the University=20= of Copenhagen in college in the mid-80s, and lived with a Danish family=20= on a farm outside of Copenhagen, in Ganloese. My Danish father,=20 Ejvind, was active with the Danish resistance, and was my Danish=20 mother, Hanne. Her family owned a B&B hotel in Helsingor, and used to=20= ferry political and religious refugees to Sweden. Ejvind was active=20 with the underground, performing myriad operations against the=20 occupying forces. King Christian was certainly a role model and,=20 literally, emblematic of the Danes in general. On Sunday, July 11, 2004, at 06:13 PM, WesTexas@aol.com wrote: > A few months ago, I took my daughter and her friends to seen the=20 > Disney movie about a Danish prince and his American fiance.=A0=A0 I=20 > commented that the director should have noted the extraordinary=20 > courage that King Christian X--and the Danish people showed--while=20 > under Nazi occupation, but no one else was aware of the story.=A0 So,=20= > following is a true story of extraordinary leadership and courage for=20= > those who have forgotten or never knew about it (source:=A0 World War=20= > II:=A0 4,139 Strange and Fascinating Facts). > > When the Germans ordered the Danish Jews to wear the Star of David,=20 > King Christian (obviously not Jewish) was the first to put one on=20 > himself, followed by the entire population of Denmark.=A0 He then = began=20 > secretly sending the Danish Jews to Sweden, thus saving most of them.=A0= > > One day, while riding through Copenhagen, King Christian noticed a=20 > swastika flag flying from a public building in violation of the=20 > Danish-German agreement.=A0 When asked to take it down, a German = officer=20 > said that the flag was there on orders from Berlin and would remain.=A0=A0= =20 > King Christian replied that if the flag were not removed by noon, a=20 > soldier would be sent to remove it.=A0 The German officer stated that=20= > the soldier would be shot if he removed the flag.=A0=A0 King Christian=20= > replied that he, the King of Denmark, would be that soldier.=A0 The = flag=20 > came down.=A0 > --Apple-Mail-6--389884343 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=ISO-8859-1 It's a shame that memories of courage and sacrifice during WWII fade or, worse yet, never get told. I spent a year abroad at the University of Copenhagen in college in the mid-80s, and lived with a Danish family on a farm outside of Copenhagen, in Ganloese. My Danish father, Ejvind, was active with the Danish resistance, and was my Danish mother, Hanne. Her family owned a B&B hotel in Helsingor, and used to ferry political and religious refugees to Sweden. Ejvind was active with the underground, performing myriad operations against the occupying forces. King Christian was certainly a role model and, literally, emblematic of the Danes in general. =20 On Sunday, July 11, 2004, at 06:13 PM, WesTexas@aol.com wrote: = Geneva0000,0000,0000A few months ago, I took my daughter and her friends to seen the Disney movie about a Danish prince and his American fiance.=A0=A0 I commented that the director should have noted the extraordinary courage that King Christian X--and the Danish people showed--while under Nazi occupation, but no one else was aware of the story.=A0 So, following is a true story of extraordinary leadership and courage for those who have forgotten or never knew about it (source:=A0 World War II:=A0 4,139 Strange and Fascinating Facts). When the Germans ordered the Danish Jews to wear the Star of David, King Christian (obviously not Jewish) was the first to put one on himself, followed by the entire population of Denmark.=A0 He then began secretly sending the Danish Jews to Sweden, thus saving most of them.=A0 One day, while riding through Copenhagen, King Christian noticed a swastika flag flying from a public building in violation of the Danish-German agreement.=A0 When asked to take it down, a German officer said that the flag was there on orders from Berlin and would remain.=A0=A0= King Christian replied that if the flag were not removed by noon, a soldier would be sent to remove it.=A0 The German officer stated that the soldier would be shot if he removed the flag.=A0=A0 King Christian replied that he, the King of Denmark, would be that soldier.=A0 The flag came down.=A0 = --Apple-Mail-6--389884343-- From WesTexas@aol.com Thu Jul 15 21:50:49 2004 From: WesTexas@aol.com (WesTexas@aol.com) Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 16:50:49 EDT Subject: [Culturechat] Norway still the world's best place to live Message-ID: <1ab.26a6eb8c.2e284829@aol.com> --part1_1ab.26a6eb8c.2e284829_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article828724.ece Norway still the world's best place to live For the fourth year in a row, the United Nations has ranked Norway as having the highest standard of living in the world. Sweden, Australia and Canada are next in line, while the United States is further down the scale. Norway, also known for its scenic beauty, is once again being hailed as the world's best country in which to live. The annual ranking is based largely on average levels of education and income, combined with expected length of lifetime. The report measured standards of living in 177 countries around the world. Other Nordic countries also ranked high, with Iceland in 7th place, Finland 13th and Denmark 17th. Norway's gross national product per person amounted to USD 36,600, beaten only by Luxembourg. Its men and women are expected to live to an age of 78.9 years and Norway is one of 19 countries in the world with no measurable rates of illiteracy. Researchers for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also weighed countries' degrees of cultural freedom in their analysis. They called cultural freedom a "basic human right," and awarded high scores in this year's UN Human Development Report to countries that accept immigrant cultures in addition to their own. Norway's cultural diversity has blossomed in recent years, and public policies are aimed at integrating various ethnic groups and promoting tolerance. Norway also was lauded for its high literacy rate in addition to educational levels and material wealth. Norwegians themselves generally point to their country's scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, clean water and fresh air. The United States landed in eighth place on the list, while France, for example, was 16th. The worst countries in which to live are all in Africa, according to the UN report. All 23 nations at the bottom of the list were African, with war-torn Sierra Leone in last place. --part1_1ab.26a6eb8c.2e284829_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local= /article828724.ece
Norway still the world's best place to live

For the fourth year in a row, the United Nations has ranked Norway as having= the highest standard of living in the world. Sweden, Australia and Canada a= re next in line, while the United States is further down the scale.
Norway, also known for its scenic beauty, is once again being hailed as the=20= world's best country in which to live.
The annual ranking is based largely on average levels of education and incom= e, combined with expected length of lifetime.
The report measured standards of living in 177 countries around the world. O= ther Nordic countries also ranked high, with Iceland in 7th place, Finland 1= 3th and Denmark 17th.
Norway's gross national product per person amounted to USD 36,600, beaten on= ly by Luxembourg. Its men and women are expected to live to an age of 78.9 y= ears and Norway is one of 19 countries in the world with no measurable rates= of illiteracy.
Researchers for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also weighed c= ountries' degrees of cultural freedom in their analysis. They called cultura= l freedom a "basic human right," and awarded high scores in this year's UN H= uman Development Report to countries that accept immigrant cultures in addit= ion to their own.
Norway's cultural diversity has blossomed in recent years, and public polici= es are aimed at integrating various ethnic groups and promoting tolerance. Norway also was lauded for its high literacy rate in addition to educational= levels and material wealth. Norwegians themselves generally point to their=20= country's scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, clean water and fresh a= ir.
The United States landed in eighth place on the list, while France, for exam= ple, was 16th.
The worst countries in which to live are all in Africa, according to the UN=20= report. All 23 nations at the bottom of the list were African, with war-torn= Sierra Leone in last place.

 --part1_1ab.26a6eb8c.2e284829_boundary--