1940 Denmark Census
Following the German invasion on April 9, 1940, the government of Denmark faced an impossible situation. Unable to mount a reasonable defense, and facing certain annihilation by the German army, Denmark capitulated with little resistance. As a result of their quick surrender, and Denmark’s strong agricultural industry, Adolf Hitler considered Denmark a protectorate and allowed the Danish government to retain most of its autonomy. Critically, the police and judiciary remained under Danish control and King Christian X remained on the throne, becoming a symbol of resistance for the Danish people. While relations with the German government were strained, local and national affairs proceeded on as normally as possible and the Danish government continued with the planned census in November.
The Faroe Islands, which had the status as a proper county of Denmark in 1940, and Greenland, a tightly controlled Danish colony do not appear to have participated in the 1940 Denmark Census due to their individual wartime statuses. Both of these territories were considered of high strategic and military value during World War II. The British occupied the Faroe Islands just four days following the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940 to prevent these important North Atlantic islands from becoming German military outposts. After the German invasion of Denmark the United States exerted tremendous diplomatic pressure with the Canadians and British to hold Greenland as a neutral and American protectorate which lasted until the United States entered the war in December 1941.
The majority of the 1940 census information was recorded by individual householders, not government census workers. This is reflected in the images as you will notice that each householder filled out their own census packet, enumerating every individual currently residing in their home. Householders filling out the census forms themselves leads to more variation in how the information was recorded, particularly in residence fields.
Users should note that the Danish administrative jurisdictions of parish municipalities, market towns, and counties were extensively restructured and consolidated in 1970 as part of the “1970 Danish Municipal Reform”. This census uses the historical administrative jurisdictions in place in 1940.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Danmarks_administrative_inddeling_1945.png" class="green">Danmarks administrative inddeling 1945