The archive of David Simonsen

Abstract

The Royal Library in Copenhagen has for 50 years been in possession of an archive of extraordinary scope, bequeathed to it by the former chief rabbi in Denmark, Professor David Simonsen (1853–1932). The significance of the archive should be immediately related to the important role played by Simonsen during the First World War, in that he, after having renounces his rabbinical post in 1902, simultaneously functioned as political leader for that part of European Jewry residing in the neutral countries (i.e. the Nordic countries and Switzerland), and heads the international relief-work operations rendered to East-European Jewry during the war. All correspondence pertaining to the lot of the Jews in Eastern Europe prior to the outbreak of the war, and during the ongoing hostilities, was filed by David Simonsen with utmost care. The archive also contains letters and documents relating to his rabbinical and research activities.

Keywords

• Rabbis
• Jews -- Denmark
• World War, 1914-1918
• Archives
• International relief
• Jews -- Poland