Bent Faurschou-Hviid
Encyclopedia
Bent Faurschou-Hviid was a member of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske
during World War II
. His red hair quickly gave him the nickname "Flammen" meaning "The Flame".
Faurschou-Hviid was one of the most active liquidators for the Danish resistance movement during World War II
, and according to several of his colleagues in Holger Danske
, no other resistance member was as hated or sought by the Germans as was Faurschou-Hviid. According to Gunnar Dyrberg in the 2003 Danish documentary film With a Right to Kill (Med ret til at dræbe), no one knows exactly how many liquidations The Flame performed but rumours have it that the number is 22.
. "Citronen" means "the lemon". Schmith got this nickname because he worked for French car manufacturer Citroën
. Together, "Flammen" and "Citronen" formed the most famous resistance duo in Denmark during World War II.
and was dead a few seconds later. The witnesses later told of how they could hear the German soldiers upstairs cheering at the sight of the corpse and how the soldiers then dragged Faurschou-Hviid downstairs by his feet, bumping his head into the stairs repeatedly.
In 2008, Faurschou-Hviid and Schmith became famous when the most expensive Danish film to date premiered. The title was Flame & Citron
, and the film was hugely successful in terms of box office receipts. Faurschou-Hviid is played by Thure Lindhardt
.
Holger Danske (resistance group)
Holger Danske was a Danish resistance group during World War II. It was created by veteran volunteers from the Winter War who had fought on the Finnish side against the Soviet Union. It was among the largest resistance groups and consisted of around 350 volunteers towards the end of the war...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His red hair quickly gave him the nickname "Flammen" meaning "The Flame".
Faurschou-Hviid was one of the most active liquidators for the Danish resistance movement during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and according to several of his colleagues in Holger Danske
Holger Danske (resistance group)
Holger Danske was a Danish resistance group during World War II. It was created by veteran volunteers from the Winter War who had fought on the Finnish side against the Soviet Union. It was among the largest resistance groups and consisted of around 350 volunteers towards the end of the war...
, no other resistance member was as hated or sought by the Germans as was Faurschou-Hviid. According to Gunnar Dyrberg in the 2003 Danish documentary film With a Right to Kill (Med ret til at dræbe), no one knows exactly how many liquidations The Flame performed but rumours have it that the number is 22.
Early life
Faurschou-Hviid was born in Asserbo, Denmark on the island of Zealand to Wilhelm Faurschou-Hviid, the owner of Asserbo's Birkegården Hotel, and Marie Louise Larsen. He also had a sister, Marie-Louise Swanstrøm.Partnership with "Citron"
"Flammen" regularly partnered with "Citronen" whose real name was Jørgen Haagen SchmithJørgen Haagen Schmith
Jørgen Haagen Schmith , better known under the codename Citron, was a fighter in the Danish resistance movement during the German Occupation of Denmark of 1940-45....
. "Citronen" means "the lemon". Schmith got this nickname because he worked for French car manufacturer Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
. Together, "Flammen" and "Citronen" formed the most famous resistance duo in Denmark during World War II.
Death
On October 18, 1944, Faurschou-Hviid was having dinner with his landlady and some guests when suddenly there was a knock on the door and a German officer demanded entry. Faurschou-Hviid, who was unarmed that evening, quickly went upstairs looking for an escape across the roof, but he soon realised that the house was completely surrounded. With no escape possible, he chewed on a cyanide capsuleCyanide poisoning
Cyanide poisoning occurs when a living organism is exposed to a compound that produces cyanide ions when dissolved in water. Common poisonous cyanide compounds include hydrogen cyanide gas and the crystalline solids potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide...
and was dead a few seconds later. The witnesses later told of how they could hear the German soldiers upstairs cheering at the sight of the corpse and how the soldiers then dragged Faurschou-Hviid downstairs by his feet, bumping his head into the stairs repeatedly.
Legacy
In 1951, Faurschou-Hviid was presented, posthumously, with the US Medal of Freedom by President Harry Truman.In 2008, Faurschou-Hviid and Schmith became famous when the most expensive Danish film to date premiered. The title was Flame & Citron
Flame & Citron
Flame & Citron is a 2008 Danish drama/action co-written and directed by Ole Christian Madsen. The film, a fictionalized account based on fact, is about two Danish resistance movement fighters during the Nazi occupation of Denmark.- Plot :...
, and the film was hugely successful in terms of box office receipts. Faurschou-Hviid is played by Thure Lindhardt
Thure Lindhardt
Thure Lindhardt is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theater in 1998....
.