Hvad Berlin vidste : Tyske dokumenter fra Auswärtiges Amt vedrørende kirkelige forhold i Danmark under besættelsen (PA AA RZ 214/98793)

Resumé

This article presents German documents sourced from the Auswärtiges Amt (the Foreign Ministry), shedding light on church affairs in Denmark during World War II (file PA AA RZ 214/98793). The correspondence within these documents unveils interactions between the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, the office of Werner Best in Copenhagen (the Reich’s plenipotentiary in occupied Denmark), and the Nazi Party Chancellery in Munich, spanning from July 20, 1943, to January 10, 1945. Notably, the historical narrative of Danish ecclesial affairs during World War II has predominantly relied on Danish sources, and the majority of these documents remain unexplored by historians. Consequently, this collection offers fresh insights into inner-German negotiations concerning the role of Danish ecclesial agents.
While the Foreign Ministry and the Nazi Party Chancellery closely monitor the Danish church, Werner Best employs a downplaying strategy, consistent with his overarching administrative approach during this period. The documents uncover a unique perspective on the significance of Danish ecclesial figures in the broader context of wartime Germany.