Memorial Stone to Resistance Fighters in Tinglev
Memorial Stone to Carl Thomsen Nielsen and Leo Falk Simonsen
Two resistance fighters who gave their lives for the freedom of Denmark
This memorial stone was erected by Danes from the Tinglev parish in memory of merchant Carl Thomsen Nielsen (1909–1945) and photographer Leo Falk Simonsen (1917–1945). Both took an active part in the resistance movement during the German occupation and died in the Neuengamme concentration camp after being arrested and deported.
The stone bears the words:
“Yet when the struggle is for freedom, life and peace,
I put everything aside and join the fight.”
The words are a powerful testimony to the spirit of sacrifice and courage that characterised the Danish resistance.
Memorial stone to the resistance fighters in Tinglev, May 1945. Photo: Frihedsmuseet Photo Archive
Railway sabotage at Tinglev Station, April 1943. Photo: Frihedsmuseet Photo Archive
The Resistance Movement in Tinglev
During the occupation, Tinglev was home to an active resistance group with at least 18 members. The group was primarily involved in railway sabotage, gathering intelligence and helping to transport weapons and explosives.
The work was carried out in the strictest secrecy, but in October 1944 almost the entire group was arrested by the Gestapo. Many were subjected to torture at Staldgården in Kolding and deported via the Frøslev Camp to German concentration camps. Three members of the group never returned home.
Carl Thomsen Nielsen (1909–1945)
Carl Thomsen Nielsen was a merchant and grain and feed dealer in Tinglev, as well as a respected local businessman. He joined the resistance movement at an early stage and played an important role in the group's intelligence work.
Through his work and his extensive knowledge of the local area, he was able to gather information about German activities while also taking part in several railway sabotage operations. After the leader of the resistance group was arrested in 1944, Carl continued his work until the Gestapo arrested him on 10 October 1944.
Via the Frøslev Camp, he was deported to the Neuengamme concentration camp and later sent to the Dessauer Ufer labour camp, where he died on 10 March 1945.
Carl Thomsen Nielsen. Photo: Modstandsdatabasen
Leo Falk Simonsen. Photo: Modstandsdatabasen
Leo Falk Simonsen (1917–1945)
Leo Falk Simonsen was a trained photographer and opened his own business in Tinglev in 1943. He took part in both railway sabotage and intelligence work. When German soldiers brought films to be developed, he made copies that provided the resistance movement with valuable information about the activities of the German armed forces.
He was arrested together with Carl Thomsen Nielsen on 10 October 1944. After being held at the Frøslev Camp, he was deported to Neuengamme and sent to the Dessauer Ufer labour camp. He died there on 23 March 1945, weakened by dysentery and the inhumane conditions in the camp.
A Memorial to the Price of Freedom
The memorial stone commemorates Carl Thomsen Nielsen and Leo Falk Simonsen, but also the many local resistance fighters who risked their lives during the occupation. It tells the story of two ordinary people who chose to act when Denmark lost its freedom – and of the high price that some of them had to pay.
The memorial stone today, with its inscription commemorating those who fell.