Unpacking Holocaust Rescue Memory in Denmark: Sofie Lene Bak's Lecture on Antisemitism and National Narratives

This lecture by Sofie Lene Bak examines the memory of rescue in Denmark during the Holocaust, challenging the common portrayal of Denmark as a 'light in the darkness'. It investigates how national narratives and a focus on rescuers have marginalized the Holocaust as a shared catastrophe and discusses how these patterns of remembrance impact the recognition and confrontation of antisemitism.

Sofie Lene Bak's lecture 'Blindness and Light – Antisemitism and the Memory of Rescue in Denmark' critically analyzes the prevalent narrative surrounding the survival of Danish Jews during the Holocaust. While Denmark is often depicted as a sanctuary where 98% of Jewish citizens survived, Bak argues that the national memory has been shaped by myth and silence, centering on rescuers and national resistance rather than acknowledging the Holocaust as a broader European and Jewish catastrophe. This focus has, according to Bak, diminished Danish society's ability to identify and address contemporary antisemitism. The lecture aims to disentangle historical reality from myth, exploring the complex interplay between Holocaust experience and memory, and the conditions that allow antisemitism to persist. Sofie Lene Bak is an Associate Professor of Modern History at the University of Copenhagen, where she directs the forthcoming National Forum for Antisemitism Studies. She is also a former curator at the Danish Jewish Museum and has extensive publications on antisemitism, Danish Jewish history, and the Holocaust.

Please register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 24 March 2026. By participating in this event, you consent to the publication of photos, video and audio recordings made during the event.