Christian Peter Kryssing became the first commander of the Danish Free Corps, a unit that fought alongside the Germans against communism. He was authoritarian and anti-democratic, but not a Nazi, and he believed he could build an independent Danish force. Things did not turn out as he hoped, and his choices cost him dearly, both professionally and personally.
In this talk, historian and author Thomas Harder traces the Danish lieutenant colonel's path from his 1941 assignment through his decision to stay in the Waffen-SS after being replaced, and the losses that followed. Harder has written several acclaimed books on the Second World War, including Anders Lassens Krig and Birk, so the evening rests on solid historical work.
