The jewish Taylor of Werner Best

[DavidFrankenberg]

Hello,

i have read this story :

When Alexander Bodin Saphir's Jewish grandfather was measuring a high-ranking Nazi for a suit in Copenhagen 75 years ago he got an important tip-off - the Jews were about to be rounded up and deported.
My grandfather - usually known by his nickname, Folle - always claimed that the reason they managed to escape early in that month of miracles was because of a high-ranking German officer who came to his brother-in-law's tailor shop, N Golmanns, on Istedgade in the seedy red light district of Copenhagen.
After the war my grandfather would open his own shop, R Bodin on St Kongensgade, one of the most fashionable streets in Copenhagen, but in 1943 he was still learning his craft. Together with his brother-in-law, Nathan, they would take measurements of new customers and note them down with other relevant information on A5 cards. These cards were stored in a bureau in the shop. I suspect my grandfather's hands shook as he took the measurements and fitted the suit of this particular German officer, who must have been pleased with the finished article as he then offered my grandfather and brother-in-law a warning: "Get out, while you still can. There's a round-up coming."
My grandfather never named the high-ranking German officer, but years later Nathan made a startling declaration to my cousin, Margit. The source of the leak that saved my Danish family was none other than Dr Karl Rudolph Werner Best - the very man who, as Germany's plenipotentiary in Denmark (and, moreover, deputy head of the SS) was in charge of ensuring that Denmark's Jews were sent to their death.

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-45919900

Is it true ?
Was Werner Best able to have a jewish Taylor in Copenhagen ? Did he really want to tip him off ? I mean seriously ? He was a SS.
The best critic I could make is that WB never mentioned it AFAIK... but he definitely should have talked about it during his trial in 1945 or in his books after 45... but he never did.
Why would he have a jewish Taylor, save his whole family, and never talk about it after the war whereas he was accused of being a nazi and deporting jews to death camps ?
That' why it sound fake to me, but I may be wrong.

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Best could have had a jewish tailor in Copenhagen but the story about the warning sounds wrong. The story here in Denmark is that the German diplomat Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz was informed by Best about the action and date, and Duckwitz then informed some of his danish acquaintances - the politicians Hans Hedtoft and H. C. Hansen who then informed the resistance. Never heard of the tailor story before.

Waleed

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Read the BBC article again and should correct myself.
The warning was given to the chief rabbi first. What makes me wonder about the story is the lack of mentioning what this family did to warn their fellow jews. Did they inform the rabbi? If informed in time why not leave before the round-up action?
Checking up on who is behind the article I found another article and was surprised to see he mentions the wrong chief rabbi at the time which makes me doubt the story even more.
This is the article: https://www.timesofisrael.com/play-depi ... nish-jews/

Waleed

[DavidFrankenberg]

Best could have had a jewish tailor in Copenhagen

Really ? Best was the number 3 SS in Nazi Germany behind Himmler and Kaltenbrunner... I doubt A LOT that he could choose a jewish taylor...
But, if so.... why didnt he mentions it during his trial ? it was simple to do... he did not. He could also tell about it between 1945 and his death in 1980... but he did not... He wrote a lot of books... he never mentions it. The story is very doubtful.

but the story about the warning sounds wrong. The story here in Denmark is that the German diplomat Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz was informed by Best about the action and date, and Duckwitz then informed some of his danish acquaintances - the politicians Hans Hedtoft and H. C. Hansen who then informed the resistance. Never heard of the tailor story before.

Waleed

Read the BBC article again and should correct myself.
The warning was given to the chief rabbi first. What makes me wonder about the story is the lack of mentioning what this family did to warn their fellow jews. Did they inform the rabbi? If informed in time why not leave before the round-up action?
Checking up on who is behind the article I found another article and was surprised to see he mentions the wrong chief rabbi at the time which makes me doubt the story even more.
This is the article: https://www.timesofisrael.com/play-depi ... nish-jews/

Waleed

Best informed Duckwitz. Then Duckwitz informed the danish political leaders. Then the danish political leaders informed the Chiefs Rabbi of Denmark. Then the chief rabbis of Denmark informed the jewish community. Then they all fled to Sweden.

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

I didn’t write history, so chill down. Just explaining the danish side of the story. Have my own doubts about the whole tailor story.
Never said Best had a jewish tailor or not. Yes, very questionable and if so why warn a junior employee and not the owner.
No idea what your actually saying by this

Best informed Duckwitz. Then Duckwitz informed the danish political leaders. Then the danish political leaders informed the Chiefs Rabbi of Denmark. Then the chief rabbis of Denmark informed the jewish community. Then they all fled to Sweden.

But yes! With the help of the resistance and many fellow danes and most likely a good portion of help from german side too most of Denmarks jews were able to flee to Sweden during the month of October 1943.
If your questioning this then there’s not much more I can say.

Waleed