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Bornholm, which is strategically located in the Baltic Sea, has throughout history been partly in Danish and partly in Swedish hands. But after the end of World War II, it was actually in Soviet hands for 11 months. It wasn’t until 5 April 1946 that peace came to the Danish island.

Celebrated the peace

While the rest of Denmark celebrated peace in May 1945, the Danish island in the Baltic Sea was bombed and later occupied by the Red Army.

What actually happened is actually a bit unclear. Some claim that there was a lack of clarity between the allies about who was to liberate Denmark and Bornholm, some say that the Danish government was exceptionally awkward vis-à-vis the Soviet Union, others claim that Bornholm was part of Stalin’s strategic plan. The island is very strategically located at the mouth of the Baltic Sea, between Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Germany.

Whatever the reason. These 11 months became a great nightmare for the local population.

The bombing of Bornholm

On 7 May, the two largest cities on the island were bombed by Soviet aircraft. Large parts of Nexø and Rønne. The German general on Bornholm had been ordered to surrender to British forces. He also wanted to evacuate the German soldiers for fear of the Red Army’s revenge.

The bombings were pointless as Denmark had already received the German capitulation on 4 May. The German general was just waiting for British forces to take control of the island as per his orders from Germany. But the British forces were slow, too slow.

The towns of Nexø and Rønne suffered extensive damage. The bombing continued the next day as well, but by then the towns had been evacuated. The German general had won a couple of days to evacuate the German soldiers. On 9 May, Soviet forces landed on the island. The Soviet Union now had control of Bornholm for 11 months.

Raped the local population

At the start, it was soldiers from the eastern front who took Bornholm. These were soldiers with trauma from their experiences in the war, most of them young soldiers. The story tells of rape by the local population. A population that lived in fear.

Eventually, the young soldiers were replaced by veterans. These were quieter and the locals got on better. It seems that these soldiers actually fit in well with the local environment on Bornholm. But the big question for the local population was how long the Soviets would occupy the island and whether they would actually withdraw. Many feared that they would become part of the great Soviet empire.

The fear did not diminish when the families of the soldiers moved to Bornholm. It was seen as a sign that the Soviet Union would never withdraw from the island. But on 5 April the Danish Prime Minister announced that they had reached an agreement with the Soviet Union on withdrawal from Bornholm.

Today, peace is celebrated in Bornholm on April 5. The day the Soviet Union withdrew.

Sources:

Wikipedia: Bornholms besættelse

Bornholm info: 2 verdenskrig på Bornholm