Johan Kjær Hansen (7 April 1907 – 29 June 1944) was a member of the
Danish resistance
The Danish resistance movements ( da, Den danske modstandsbevægelse) were an underground insurgency to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the Nazi occupation autho ...
executed by the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
occupying power.
Biography
Hansen was born in Hjørring on 7 April 1907 as son of deceased bicycle manufacturer Hans Christian Johan Andreas Hansen and 29-year-old widow Anna Elisabeth Nielsen née Kjær and baptized in Gassum on the second Sunday after
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
.
In addition to being a member of the
Hvidsten group
The Hvidsten Group (Danish: ''Hvidstengruppen'') was a Danish resistance group during World War II named after the Hvidsten Inn between Randers and Mariager in Jutland where it was formed.
History
The Hvidsten Group became connected to the res ...
Hansen was also a mechanic.
The group helped the British
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
parachute weapons and supplies into Denmark for distribution to the resistance.
In March 1944 the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
made an "incredible number of arrests" including in the region of
Randers
Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 62,802 (as of 1 January 2022).De frie Danske reported that several arrestees from Hvidsten had been transferred from Randers to
Vestre Fængsel
Vestre Prison ( da, Vestre Fængsel) is the main jail of the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Erected in 1895, it is Denmark's largest prison with a total capacity of 530 inmates. It primarily houses pretrial detainees, not convicted felons.
History ...
.
On 29 June 1944 Hansen and seven other members of the Hvidsten group were executed in Ryvangen.
After his death
On 15 July 1944 De frie Danske reported on the execution of several members of the Hvidsten group. Six months later the January 1945 issue of the resistance newspaper ''Frit Danmark'' (Free Denmark) reported that on 29 June the previous year Hansen and seven other named members of the Hvidsten group had been executed.
On 5 July 1945 Hansen's remains and those of five others from the group were found in Ryvangen and transferred to the Department of Forensic Medicine of the
university of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
where an
inquest
An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...
the same day showed that he was executed with gunshot wounds to the chest. The remains of the two remaining executed members of the group, Marius Fiil and his son
Niels
Niels is a male given name, equivalent to Nicholas, which is common in Denmark, Belgium, Norway (formerly) and the Netherlands. The Norwegian and Swedish variant is Nils. The name is a developed short form of Nicholas or Greek Nicolaos after Sai ...
had been found in the same area three days before.
On 10 July he was together with the seven other executed group members cremated at Bispebjerg Cemetery.
In 1945 a memorial stone over the eight executed members of the Hvidsten group was raised near Hvidsten Inn.
Similarly a larger memorial stone for resistance members including the eight executed members of the Hvidsten group has been laid down in
Ryvangen Memorial Park
Ryvangen Memorial Park ( da, Mindelunden i Ryvangen) is a memorial park in Ryvangen officially inaugurated on 5 May 1950 to commemorate fallen members of the Danish resistance to the German occupation of Denmark during World War II.
The locatio ...
.
Portrayal in the media
* In the 2012 Danish drama film ''Hvidsten Gruppen'' (
This Life
This may refer to:
* ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun
Places
* This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt
* This, Ardennes, a commune in France
People with the surname
* Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...
) Johan Kjær Hansen is portrayed by Henrik Vestergaard.