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On 9 April 1940, Nazi Germany launched Operation Weserübung and invaded Denmark. While the country initially experienced a relatively cooperative occupation, growing resistance and sabotage by 1943 pushed the Gestapo to rely increasingly on Danish collaborators to hunt down opponents of the regime.
One of the most feared was Ib Birkedal Hansen, a Danish Gestapo informer who led a powerful network of collaborators in Copenhagen known as the Birkedal Group. Through torture, intimidation, and a wide network of informers, Hansen and his men were responsible for an estimated 60 percent of arrests in occupied Denmark.
After the liberation in May 1945, Hansen went into hiding but was eventually captured and brought back to Copenhagen to face justice. Convicted of numerous crimes committed during the occupation, he ultimately paid for his actions.

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“Gestapo Informer Behind 60% of Arrests in Denmark: Ib Birkedal Hansen”

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00:00Hansen advanced quickly within the Gestapo and soon gained authority over a permanent circle
00:07of trusted collaborators who became known as the Birkedal Group. As their leader, he used them to
00:13hunt down Danish resistance members and to decide whether captured individuals would be interrogated
00:19or killed. Hansen built a reputation for harsh discipline and for demanding absolute obedience
00:26from the men who served under him. He also became known for the extreme brutality he used during
00:33interrogations, which made the group fear to cross Copenhagen. Hansen carried out torture in a direct
00:41and primitive manner. He forced victims to lie bent over a table while he beat their back and buttocks
00:47for as long as he believed necessary. Discover the full story on worldhistory.tv
00:56For more information, visit www.fema.org.
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