Underground Press
Because of the German occupation in Denmark, the Nazi
officials doctored and put pressure on presses to print favorable
information. Instead of open censorship, the Germans declared, "We wont
stop you from printing anything you want, well just put you out of
business if your printing doesnt meet our approval" (Werstein 23).
As tighter restrictions were forced onto the press, they moved
underground. The first successful anti-Nazi papers Land og
Folk and
Arne Sejrs Students Service began to print the harshness of
the war
caused by the Nazis. News at it really happened, not as the Germans
wanted people to think it happened, spread all over the country as more
illegal presses such as Frit Danmark arose. Circulation over
the five-year occupation was about twenty million copies printed at all
the presses (Werstein 25).
Borje Outze created a agency called Information (map of distribution) that
linked and gained intelligence for
almost all the underground papers in Denmark. Information
created illegal presses all over Denmark. It provided the people with
daily news and increased unity by keeping people informed. It also became
a big tool in providing information to get the Jews out of Denmark during
the Danish Exodus (Thomas 86). Due to support by the British and sabotage
groups stealing printing supplies from the Germans, the illegal presses in
Denmark lasted throughout the war to spur on resistance activity with
resistance stories and news of German defeats while maintaining peace
within the Danish communities and bringing the people together after the
Nazis fled (Thomas 91).
Link to Collage showing some underground
papers.
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