Petersen Harald

Petersen, Harald In 1943, the farmer Harald Petersen saved the life of a Jewish couple, Richard and Erna Hausmann and their one and a half year old son, Herman. Richard and Erna escaped Germany shortly before the outbreak of war in 1939. At first they went to Sweden but since their residence permits could not be renewed there, they left for Denmark, and together with other Jews found work on farms in south Zealand. For a short period, Richard Hausmann was employed on Petersen’s farm in the parish of Kongsted. Later, the Hausmanns found work at another farm where their son Herman was born. In 1941 Harald Petersen and his wife Agnete, moved to a farm in Risby, Herstedvester, outside of Copenhagen. Once again the Hausmanns found employment with the Petersens, with Richard working as a herdsman. In October 1943, when the Germans wanted to arrest all the Jews, Petersen offered to drive the Hausmanns in his car to Copenhagen, from where they could try to escape to Sweden. Since he had no gasoline, as it was strictly rationed, he filled his tank with kerosene. Arriving in Copenhagen, for three days the Hausmanns tried to find a fisherman willing to take them to Sweden. Petersen was the man who found a suitable fisherman and he also came up with the money needed to pay the fisherman. He said that the money, DKR 3,000, came from a benevolent woman who wanted to remain anonymous. Petersen risked his life to arrange the Hausmanns’ escape. The Hausmanns maintained contact with their rescuer after the war and visited him a number of times. During one of these visits, Petersen admitted that he was the man that put up the money for the escape. Harald Petersen died in 1994. On March 28, 1990, Yad Vashem recognized Harald Petersen as Righteous Among the Nations.