Peter group
Encyclopedia
The Peter group was a terrorist group created in late 1943 during the occupation of Denmark
by the German
occupying power. The group inflicted so called counter-sabotage, also known as Schalburgtage
, in response to the Danish resistance movement
sabotage
actions. The group was named after its German instigator Otto Schwerdt aka Peter Schäfer.
Later it also became known as the Brøndum gang in reference to one of its members, Henning E. Brøndum, decisive role in numerous actions.
The group is infamous for the murder of Kaj Munk
on January 4, 1944 and the destruction of the lookout tower Odinstårnet
in Odense
on December 14, 1944.
Seven members, including Henning E. Brøndum, of the group were sentenced to death in April 1947 and executed in May 1947.
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
by the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupying power. The group inflicted so called counter-sabotage, also known as Schalburgtage
Schalburgtage
Schalburgtage was the popular name for the terrorist retribution which Germans and their Danish collaborators carried out as a revenge for resistance activity in the last part of the occupation of Denmark between 1944 and 1945...
, in response to the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
actions. The group was named after its German instigator Otto Schwerdt aka Peter Schäfer.
Later it also became known as the Brøndum gang in reference to one of its members, Henning E. Brøndum, decisive role in numerous actions.
The group is infamous for the murder of Kaj Munk
Kaj Munk
Kaj Harald Leininger Munk was a Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor, known for his cultural engagement and his martyrdom during the Occupation of Denmark of World War II...
on January 4, 1944 and the destruction of the lookout tower Odinstårnet
Odinstårnet
Odinstårnet was an observation tower located on Bolbro Bakke in Odense, Denmark. The tower, 177 metres tall, was built in 1934-35 using spare materials from the construction of the first Little Belt Bridge and opened on 29 May 1935. It was the second tallest tower in Europe, surpassed only by...
in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
on December 14, 1944.
Seven members, including Henning E. Brøndum, of the group were sentenced to death in April 1947 and executed in May 1947.
External links
- Webpage about the Peter group (in Danish)