Gustaf von Dardel, Swedish Ambassador to Denmark, 1943

Gustaf von Dardel was the Swedish Ambassador to Denmark in 1943. 

In May 1943, von Dardel and the Swedish legation submitted a list of 40 Danish Jews who had families in Sweden, and arranged for their visas.  They were able to successfully escape to Sweden. 

Ambassador von Dardel helped to save Jews during the thwarted deportation attempt that took place in Denmark in the beginning of October 1943.  As early as September 6, 1943, von Dardel reported to the Swedish foreign ministry about the proposed deportation.  He notified the Swedish government in Stockholm about the impending deportations and recommended that they come to the aid of the Jews of Denmark.  On September 29, Von Dardel notified the Swedish foreign office by telegram that 6,000 Jews were scheduled to be arrested and deported to Germany by ship transport.  The Swedish government, by then, had decided that it would receive all the Jewish refugees that could make it to Sweden.  The Swedish government gave asylum to the Danish Jews. 

Von Dardel warned Jewish community leaders about the planned deportations.  This advance warning helped the Jews successfully plan their escape to Sweden.

As a result of this and other actions, more than 7,900 Jews were saved in Denmark.  This was nearly 98% of the Jews living in Denmark at the time.