The Danes that occupied this western most peninsula of Denmark are constantly being harassed by the relentless weather of the North Sea. It may have helped to produce a people of extreme hardiness and independence. The short growing season also may have made it necessary to be particularly frugal and protective of their families and their animals.

Vestervig Church in Vestervig,Thy, Denmark,  photo by Elroy Christenson, 1985

The Catholic church first came to the area in the 12th century. Up to this point the people here were probably Norse pagans and held animistic beliefs based on the forces of nature. Some early burial mounds are also nearby. The Vestervig Church, was the largest village church of the North during the Middle Ages at more than a hundred kilometers north of Copenhagen. It sits in the center of some of Denmark's most fertile farming land on a hill with a commanding view of the sea, fiord, lake, burial mounds, and sand dunes. At one time it had a quadrangle attached for a convent of the order of Augustus. The shaped has changed somewhat with removal of 2 naves and the building of the bell tower in the fifteenth century. After the Reformation the convent was torn down and the land went first to the crown then to the independently operated parish church. The cemetary along side the church has tombs that date from 1217.

To quote from the Vestervig Kirke brochure:

"A stone inscribed near the entrance is 'Liden Kirstens' tomb, the illigible inscription reads: ' Here rest a sister and a brother; a couple so closely attached that this exalted pair have been laid to rest in the same grave'. This alludes in a few words to a long tragic love story of two who loved each other but were not allowed to married but who were united in death. The concerned are the sister of King Valdemar the Great and her lover prince Buris Henriksen. The king refused to give his consent to the marriage. In fit of rage when Liden Kirsten gave birth to a child the king had her killed and the princes eyes gouged out and "maimed hand and foot" he was chained to the convent porch, from where he each day tell his dying day dragged himself to his loved ones grave, legend has it, for eleven years."

By the mid to late 1600's the Reformation brought reform to the church. The Convent was torn down and the interior was white washed to cover all the images of saints that had been previously painted on the interior walls. Even the bricks and timbers from the church were quarried to build Aalborghus. The simplicity and self-reliant nature of the protestant faith undoubtedly appealed to these farmers sense of nature and propriety. 

During World War II the Nazis occupied Denmark from April 9, 1940.  There is a story that King Christian X chose to wear a yellow star in support of the Danish Jews.  Unfortunately the story is false.  The Jews in Denmark were never required to wear the indentifying yellow star but there is ample evidence that the King and most Danes were very supportive of the Jews.  The Jews in Denmark were not persecuted until the Autumn of 1943.  After being allerted to the impostion of "The Final Solution". A letter from Danish church leaders was read in every pulpit in the nation stating, " Where ever Jews are persecuted because of their religion or race it is the duty of the Christian Church to protest against such persecutioin, because it is in conflict with the sense of justice inherent in the Danish people and inseperable from our Danish Christian culture through centuries". Danish authorities and resistance leaders warned the Jewish people and organized the smuggling of more than 7000 Jews and 700 non-Jewish relatives into Sweden.   Athough 500 Jews were deported from Denmark to Czechoslovakia, they were allowed to receive letters, packages and most survived the Holocaust.  When the Jews returned to their homes in Demark they discovered that their homes, pets, gardens and personal belongings were cared for by their neighbors. This was certainly not the case in most of Europe. Even though King Christian didn't wear a star his support and the goodwill of many Danes obviously saved many lives. 
                                      [www.auschwitz.dk/Denmark.htm]

Askov Christoffersen became a member of the Resistance Movement.   It was started by the Conservative party about 1942.  Members were going out to blow up railway lines that ran from Germany to Norway.  Askov became a member by following some of his fellow villagers to a  pick up a load of weapons dropped by parashutes by the British at night.  They caught Askov because he followed them, he demanded that he be taken into the movement.  They listened to the shortwave radio for coded messages that told them when the weapons drop by parashute would happen.  The Germans never discovered the Movement in the area although they raided many farms and sites.  Askov kept some weapons in his barn for a few days before they were moved to a safer location.  In August of 1943 the Danish Navy sunk all its ships for fear that they would be taken by the Germans.  [Kent Christoffersen 5/28/08]

The Hjemmevaernet , the Home Army, founded in 1949 going into the Cold War was set up to protect the country of Denmark from foreign invaders.  It was total volunteer army with provisions provided by the Danish government.  It was primarily geared to protect power plants, bridges, and communication plants  and military installations.   The Home Army had a womens section and an Air Survaillance Corps.  At the height of the enrollment it consisted of 75,000 members.  Kent Christoffersen was a shooting instructor and officer and a member for thirty-three years to resigned in 2000. [Kent Christoffersen 5/28/08]

My own relatives in the Jutland region near Nissum were diligent farmers by the day but destroyed bridges and military installations at night. My great uncle Ervin Christensen, although a U. S. citizen is said to have made several trips back to Denmark and worked as a spy.

Other names in this region that are related is somewhat confusing because of the naming patterns. For instance Christian's children would be named Christensen (Christian's son) or Christendatter (Christian's daughter). Some of the names are related to their profession such as a person who owns and operates a mill would be Moller. It best to follow the family using the links on Ancestoral Chart #1.

source:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:  http//:www.ushmm.org/outreach/denchr.htm
Vestervig Church, Vestervig Church Organ Fund, Vestervig Kirkes Orgelfond, 7770 Vestervig. Giro 23 77 70
History of Jews in Denmark, www.auschwitz.dk/Denmark.htm

All information and photos included within these pages was developed by the help of hundreds of researchers. The information here is for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and is freely offered as long as this site is listed as a source. It may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2007.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- echriste@sccd.ctc.edu - last updated 4/20/08