The new owners discovered secret World War II rooms in their house

The house's new owners, Line and Christoffer, discovered three secret rooms during renovation work. One of them was hidden behind a wooden decorative element, the other was under a built-in wall shelf, and a larger space - carpeted - behind a sloping wall in the bedroom.

The discovery prompted the couple to take a closer look at the building's history dating back to World War II, when the resistance movement against the German occupation was active in Denmark.

Secret activity in the home garden

The villa is located in the affluent district of Hasseris and was built by entrepreneur Alfred Springborg. According to the preserved information, his family maintained close contacts with the local resistance movement - he was involved in, among others, Springborg's eldest son.

The entrepreneur himself allegedly helped members of the underground by providing shelter to people wanted by the occupiers, as well as offering fictitious employment in his company. The family's secret activities began during a major renovation of the house in 1940, shortly after German troops entered Denmark.

According to the findings of the Danish DR television, in 1943 Poul Ib Gjessing, one of the leading activists of the local resistance movement, moved into the farm building located in the garden. The small facility became his secret headquarters and, among others, explosives and hand grenades.

Gjessing was arrested by the Gestapo in February 1944 and executed in Copenhagen a few months later, in the summer of the same year, at the age of 35.

"I love our house and our city even more"

The discovery of the building's war history made a great impression on the current owners. Christoffer admitted in an interview with the Danish website LigeHer.nu that learning about the house's past made it even more important to them. Line also recognized the emotional dimension of the discovery.

I am deeply moved by what we have learned about the history of our home. Since we learned its secrets, I love our house and our city even more. Now we know how important events took place here during the occupation, she told LigeHer.nu.

The Germans entered Denmark in April 1940

The history of the house is related to one of the most difficult periods in the history of Denmark, when on April 9, 1940, German troops entered the country. The Danish government abandoned armed resistance after just a few hours, wanting to avoid further fighting and bombing.

Initially, the authorities in Copenhagen cooperated with the occupier, wanting to maintain as much autonomy as possible and limit repression against the civilian population. At the same time, the Danish resistance movement was gradually developing - its activities included, among others: publishing and distributing illegal press, maintaining secret communications and carrying out sabotage actions.

Private houses and apartments played an important role and served as hideouts, meeting places and transfer points. Weapons and explosives dropped by the Allies also found their way to Denmark.

Help for Danish Jews and brutal repression

Resistance members and civilians also became involved in rescuing Danish Jews. In 1943, approximately 7,200 were transferred to Sweden. Danish Jews and nearly 700 people who are not Jews but are related to Jewish families.

The occupation also brought brutal repression. In Ryvangen near Copenhagen, the German security police set up an execution site on the premises of a former barracks. 95 people were shot there.

The rooms discovered in Aalborg are not only an extraordinary remnant of the former inhabitants of the villa, but also remind us of the period when private houses were a shelter for people involved in the fight against the occupier.