In the Friendliest Manner: German-Danish Economic Cooperation During the Nazi Occupation of 1940-1945

Denmark had a uniquely lenient Nazi occupation. A significant reason for this was the Danish government’s cooperativeness in maintaining public order and the stability of the Danish economy. Berlin facilitated this situation by sending the Wehrwirtschaftsstab Daenemark to provide Danish manufacturers with orders. With economic stability rather than exploitation as the Nazi priority, the Wehrwirtschaftsstab’s activity was notably restrained. This approach never varied, even after the collapse of the Danish government’s public cooperation with the Nazis in August 1943. Against this backdrop, the Danes successfully constructed a control system that limited the economic impact of the German presence, and further cushioned Denmark from the worst excesses of the Nazi occupation.