site.bta80th Anniversary of Rescue of Bulgarian Jews Commemorated in Copenhagen

A lecture and a discussion commemorating the 80th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during WWII took place in Copenhagen on August 29. The event was organized by the Bulgarian Embassy in Copenhagen in cooperation with the Danish Jewish Museum, the Bulgarian diplomatic representation in Denmark said on its website.

The lecture was delivered by Dr. Rumyana Marinova-Christidi, Head of the Hebrew Studies Programme at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, who described the historic circumstances in Bulgaria prior to and after WWII that led to the rescue of some 50 000 Bulgarian Jews from the death camps. The lecture was followed by a discussion moderated by Simon Kratholm Ankjærgaard, Danish historian, journalist, and author of the book October 1943 about the rescue of Danish jews during WWII.

Ambassador Svetlin Stoev highlighted the fact that Denmark and Bulgaria are the only European countries to have rescued their Jews. He also singled out the preservation of collective memory and the objective interpretation of history as the only way to counter the increasing levels of anti-Semitism and discrimination nowadays," the post reads.

The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, Bulgarian and foreign students, as well as members of the Jewish community in Denmark, including three Holocaust survivors. Visitors to the event could also see a documentary exhibition prepared by the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library, which presents documentary evidence of the lives of Jews in Bulgaria.