Denmark: Racism and fascism (1)
01 January 1991
Denmark: Racism and fascism
artdoc April=1995
Anti-fascist opposition grows
Attempts by German and Danish neo-nazis to set up a printing
press in a house in Kværs in southern Jutland met with so much
opposition that the nazis were forced out of town. And when they
moved on to Kollund, where the 76-year-old German neo-nazi Thies
Christopherson had lived since 1986, anti-fascist opposition
continued. Eventually Christopherson, who claims the nazi
persecution of Jews during the Second World War never occurred,
declared he would be leaving Kollund and returning to Germany to
serve the rest of a prison sentence for printing and distributing
nazi propaganda - an activity which is illegal in Germany but not
in Denmark.
The protests began at the beginning of September when a Danish
neo-nazi called Hans Christian Peterson joined forces with the
former leader of Germany's banned far- Right `Nazionalistische
Front', Meinholf Schönborn, to purchase a house in Kværs.
Schönborn's house was soon firebombed. Meanwhile, in Germany,
student organisations demonstrated outside the Danish embassy in
Bonn to draw attention to the Danish law that allows German neo-
nazis to operate in Denmark. Following further anti-fascist
protests, justice minister, Erling Olsen, promised changes to the
law. And then, after an all-night demonstration outside the
proposed printing press, the neo-nazis, voicing criticisms at the
police's failure to protect them, decided to leave town.
As soon as the neo-nazis arrived in Kollund, the Kollund
district association convened an extraordinary general meeting.
The presence of the younger neo-nazis drew attention to
Christopherson who claimed to have stopped nearly all his writing
for German publications, that he barely knew Meinholf Schönborn,
and asked to be left alone to die in peace. When 2000 people took
part in a torch-lit procession through the town, Christopherson
announced that he would return to Germany and serve out his
prison sentence there.
More anti-fascist protests were planned in October (Jyllands-
Posten 11, 17, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30.9, 2, 3,10.94).
Young Social Democrats anti-nazi campaign sparks controversy
Social Democrat leaders have criticised members of the Young
Social Democrats (DSU) on the island of Funen for printing
postcards to be sent to two members of the far-Right `Danish
Association'. Although the postcards carry the addresses of the
two right-wingers, their correct names are not printed and they
are called instead `Nazi Pig XX' and "Xenophobe YY'. `I consider
the choice of words unfortunate and an over-reaction, although
I have no sympathy for those who will be receiving the cards'
said DSU national president, Henrik Larsen. But the chair of the
Funen DSU branch, Kasper Hyllested, said: ` A judge has ruled
that these two people can be called nazi pig and xenophobe and
that is why we are using those words', (Jyllands-Posten 28.8.94).
Meanwhile, in Franders, 500 people took part in a demonstration
against local Danish and German neo-nazis (Jyllands-Posten
2.10.94).
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 11, December 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London
WC1X 9HS. Tel: 0171 837 0041