Schalburgtage
Encyclopedia
Schalburgtage was the popular name for the terrorist
retribution which Germans
and their Danish
collaborator
s carried out as a revenge for resistance activity in the last part of the occupation of Denmark
between 1944 and 1945. The word is partially a reference to sabotage
and partially to the Schalburg Corps
who carried out most of the actions.
The occupying power called it counter-sabotage
, but the Danes quickly adopted the name schalburgtage. In fact, most of the schalburgtage was carried out by the Peter group
, most of whose members were also members of the Schalburg Corps.
The terror was directed against both the Danish resistance movement
and Danish society in general. This terrorism introduced revenge killings of estemed Danes which occurred when a German soldier or a Danish informant
was killed. These killings were called clearing murder
s.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
retribution which Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and their Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
collaborator
Collaborationism
Collaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
s carried out as a revenge for resistance activity in the last part of the occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
between 1944 and 1945. The word is partially a reference to sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
and partially to the Schalburg Corps
Schalburg Corps
The Schalburg Corps was a Danish volunteer army corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS. Named after Christian Frederik von Schalburg, commander of the Free Corps Denmark who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket in 1942...
who carried out most of the actions.
The occupying power called it counter-sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, but the Danes quickly adopted the name schalburgtage. In fact, most of the schalburgtage was carried out by the Peter group
Peter group
The Peter group was a terrorist group created in late 1943 during the occupation of Denmark by the German occupying power. The group inflicted so called counter-sabotage, also known as Schalburgtage, in response to the Danish resistance movement sabotage actions...
, most of whose members were also members of the Schalburg Corps.
The terror was directed against both the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
and Danish society in general. This terrorism introduced revenge killings of estemed Danes which occurred when a German soldier or a Danish informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
was killed. These killings were called clearing murder
Clearing murder
A Clearing murder was a revenge killing of a known and popular Dane in the last part of the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. When a German or Danish soldier or informant was killed by the Danish resistance movement, the Peter group performed one or more clearing murder.Hitler, at...
s.