Befrielsen

The Nazi occupation of Denmark ended May 5th, 1945. At the Danish Lutheran Church of Vancouver, B.C., we celebrate the anniversary on the Sunday closest to May 5th by inviting all the Danish organisations in town to come to church and help us fly our colours.

Norway, the other Scandinavian country occupied by the Nazis, was liberated two days later, on May 7th, 1945. We therefore invite out Norwegian friends to join our celebrations.

Here they all are:

• Granly Danish Lutheran Church,
• Dania Society,
• The Royal Danish Guards Association,
• The Danish House Society,
• The Pacific Region of the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada,
• The Danish Brotherhood,
• The (former) Norwegian Consul,
• and ourselves, the Danish Lutheran Church of Vancouver.

Almost all of Denmark was liberated on May 5th, 1945, but the Germans on the Baltic island Bornholm north of Poland refused to surrender to the Soviets. On May 7th, while the rest of Denmark celebrated, the Soviets bombed the towns Rønne and Neksø before the Germans finally surrendered. The Red Army left Bornholm about a year later.