Michael Westergård Jensen

Michael Westergård Jensen (25 October 1916 – 23 June 1944) was a merchant and member of the Danish resistance executed by the German occupying power.

Michael Westergård Jensen
Born
Michael Westergaard Jensen[1][2]

(1916-10-25)25 October 1916[1][2][3][4]
Nordregrave 9, Randers[1][2][3]
Died23 June 1944(1944-06-23) (aged 27)[3][4][5]
Ryvangen[3][4][6]
Cause of deathExecution by firing squad[3][4]
Resting placeHadsund[3][4]
OccupationMerchant[3][4][5]
Known forExecuted as member of the Danish resistance movement[3]
Website"Modstandsdatabasen" [Resistance Database]. Michael Westergaard Jensen (in Danish). Copenhagen: Nationalmuseet. Retrieved 2014-12-14.

Biography

Jensen was born in Randers on 25 October 1916 as fourth child to porter on the Hadsund railway Christen Mikael Jensen and wife Ane Johanne née Jensen[3][7] and baptized Michael Westergaard Jensen in Saint Peter's Church, Randers on the second Sunday in Advent.[1][2]

In 1931 Jensen was confirmed in Hadsund on the eighteenth Sunday after Trinity while residing in southern Hadsund.[2]

In March 1944 the Gestapo made an "incredible number of arrests" including ten arrests in the region of Års, among these Jensen.[8]

On 23 June 1944 Jensen and seven other members of the resistance were executed in Ryvangen.[3][5][9][10][11]

After his death

The January 1945 issue of the resistance newspaper Frit Danmark (Free Denmark) reported on the execution of the eight resistance members including Jensen.[5]

After the liberation Jensen's remains and those of at least six of the others executed with him were found in Ryvangen and transferred to the Department of Forensic Medicine of the university of Copenhagen.[3][9][10][11]

On 29 June 1945 Jensen was buried in Hadsund.[3][4]

A memorial stone for Jensen and 90 other resistance members also exhumed in Ryvangen and buried in their respective home towns was laid down in Ryvangen Memorial Park.[6]

References
  1. "Fødte Mandkøn" [Born Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 19016-1918 (in Danish). Randers. 1916. p. 27.
  2. "Konfirmerede Drenge" [Confirmed Boys]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1921-1932 (in Danish). Hadsund Sogn. 1931. p. 63.
  3. "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1930-1946 (in Danish). Sankt Johannes Sogn. 1945. p. 351. Michael Westergaard Jensen. Død 23 Juni 1944 Ryvangen. Skudt. Begravet 29 Juni 1945 Hadsund Kirkegaard. Købmand, Ugift, 27 Aar
  4. "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1936-1951 (in Danish). Hadsund. 1945. p. 61. Michael Westergaard Jensen. Død 23 Juni 1944 Ryvangen, København. Blev henrettet ved Skydning af Tyskerne. Begravet 29 Juni 1945 Hadsund Kirkegaard
  5. "23. Juni - 8 Frihedskæmpere henrettet" [23 June - 8 freedom fighters executed]. Frit Danmark (in Danish). January 1945. p. 9. Retrieved 23 November 2014. stud. theol. Chr. U. Hansen, Laandmaaler E. Balslev, Købmand B. Lauritsen, Købmand J. Ryder, Kleinsmed J. P. Funk Lind, Købmand M. Vestergaard Jensen, Kaptajn P. Gjessing og Mejerist H. J. Henriksen
  6. Michael Westergård Jensen (Inscribed Stone Monument) (in Danish). Ryvangen Memorial Park.
  7. Folketælling [Census] (in Danish). Randers. 1 February 1916. Nordregrave 9.
  8. "Utrolig mange Arrestationer" [Incredibly many arrests]. De frie Danske (in Danish). 18 March 1944. p. 10. Retrieved 24 November 2014. I Aars har der været stor Razzia, der har resulteret i en halv Snes Anholdelser, bl.a. af Landinspektør Balslev, Grosserer Westergaard Jensen, Landsrs. Torrild Thomsen. Hovedmanden i Sagen menes at være den 35-aarige Skibskaptajn Gjessing, Hasseris, i hvis Hjem Tyskerne fandt et stort Vaabenforraad og ca. 50 falske Politiskilte.
  9. "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1930-1946 (in Danish). Sankt Johannes Sogn. 1945. p. 352. Død 23 Juni 1944 Ryvangen. Skudt. Begravet 30 Juni 1945 Alling Kirkegaard. Mekaniker, Ugift, 23 Aar
  10. "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1930-1946 (in Danish). Sankt Johannes Sogn. 1945. p. 365. Død 23 Juni 1944 Ryvangen. Henrettet ved Skydning. Begravet 29 August 1945 Ryvangen. Mejerist, Ugift, 24 Aar
  11. "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1930-1946 (in Danish). Sankt Johannes Sogn. 1945. p. 371. Paul Ib Gjessing. Død 23 Juni 1944 Ryvangen. Henrettet ved Skydning. Begravet 29 August 1945 Ryvangen. Skibsfører, Gift, 35 Aar


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