On Wednesday 4 October 2023, Dragør Municipality, in collaboration with Museum Amager, marks 80 years since the Danish Jews fled to safety in Sweden. Come to free special events. Everyone is welcome.

After three years of occupation, during which the policy of collaboration had held the hand over the Danish Jews, collaboration broke down and on the night between 1 and 2 October 1943, the occupying power moved out to arrest the Jews. But a warning had reached the Jewish population, who went underground and began the escape across the Sound to safety in neutral Sweden. 

700 Jews – 10% of Denmark's Jewish population – used Dragør as an escape port, where the escape operation continued until German troops on 4 October 1943 carried out a raid that closed down further escape via Dragør.

On the anniversary of the end of Dragør's role in the escape, the focus is therefore on the dramatic escape story with a series of free special events at Dragør harbour.

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Free special events

All events below are free and do not require registration.

16-18 p.m.: HISTORY CHALLENGE IN DRAGØR VISITOR'S CENTRE

Try your hand at the thought-provoking and educational challenges that Dragør Municipality's secondary school students experienced in week 38 at the municipality's large annual history race, which this year had the flight in 1943 as its theme. You will find the visitor center at the address: Gl. Havn 14, 2791 Dragør.

16-18 p.m.: OPEN CUTTER AT MUSEUM SCUTTER ELISABETH K571

Visit Museum Amager's authentic escape cutter, which took part in the escape operation in 1943, where it transported 70 Jews across the Øresund.

At 16.30 and 17.30: CITY WALKS AT DRAGØR HARBOR

Come around the harbor with museum inspector Christian Aagaard and hear the story of the dramatic autumn in 1943, when Dragør became one of the central escape ports for Danish Jews.

18 p.m.: THE MAYOR SPEAKS

Mayor Kenneth Gøtterup marks the 80th anniversary of the escape operation in 1943 and Dragør's role in it at the harbor square by the pilot tower.

At 18.15: ALSANG

Led by Jacob Honoré from Dragør School of Music and Culture, a number of the common songs around which the Danish population gathered at the beginning of the Occupation are sung.