Poland in Denmark

On May 5 at the port of Klintholm, island of Møn, a ceremony was held to commemorate arrival of a barge with evacuated prisoners from the German Nazi concentration camp Stutthof. Deputy Ambassador Mateusz Mońko thanked the local community and the Danish Red Cross for the rescue operation and help provided to the prisoners. Together with the Deputy Mayor of Vordingborg Municipality, Else-Marie Langballe Sørensen, they laid flowers at the memorial stone.

“What happened on May 5, 1945 in Klintholm on the island of Møn is part of the Polish and Danish history. I would like to thank the local community of Klintholm for the help offered to the Polish prisoners evacuated from the German death camp Stutthof. I would also like to thank all those who document and popularize the history of the sea evacuation of prisoners from the Stutthof camp and the rescue operation held by the Klintholms’ residents - historians, journalists, the Stutthof Museum” - said M. Mońko.

The ceremony was combined with the presentation of the book "Ship from Hell" by Jesper Clemmensen and Thomas Albrektsen, presenting the events and further fate of the rescued prisoners, as well as a lecture by prof. Therkel Streade from the University of Southern Denmark and representatives of the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo. The event was organized by the Polish-Danish Association in Næstved.

On May 5, 1945, on the day of the liberation of Denmark from German occupation, a river barge with starving, sick and dying KL Stutthof prisoners landed at the fishing port in Klintholm. There were 345 people on the barge, including 190 Poles. Most of the evacuees were saved thanks to the rescue operation and  help provided by the local community. 19 prisoners died shortly after their arrival and were buried in Magleby and Stege on the island of Møn.

Photos thaks to L. Szuster.