Marius Fiil (21 May 1893 – 29 June 1944) was the inn keeper at Hvidsten Inn and a member of the Danish resistance that was executed by the occupying Nazis.

Marius Fiil
Marius Fiil
Born
Marius Anton Pedersen Fiil

(1893-05-21)21 May 1893[1][2]
Hvidsten Inn, Denmark
Died29 June 1944(1944-06-29) (aged 51)[3][4][5]
Ryvangen, Denmark
Cause of deathExecution by firing squad,[4] gunshot wounds to the chest
Resting placeBispebjerg Cemetery
Occupation(s)Inn keeper, Agriculture
Known forExecuted as member of the Danish resistance movement[4]
SpouseGudrun Fiil (married 1917-1944)
Children
Parents
  • Niels Pedersen (Fiil)
  • Nicoline Mathilde Pedersen
Website"Modstandsdatabasen" [Resistance Database]. Marius Fiil (in Danish). Copenhagen: Nationalmuseet. Retrieved 2014-11-20.

Biography

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Marius Anton Pedersen Fiil was born in the Hvidsten Inn on 21 May 1983.

During the occupation of Denmark, Fiil and his family became the center of a resistance group, the Hvidsten group. The group helped the British Special Operations Executive parachute weapons and supplies into Denmark for distribution to the resistance.[2]

In March 1944 the Gestapo made an "incredible number of arrests" including in the region of Randers the "nationally known folklore collector and keeper of Hvidsten inn Marius Fiil", his son Niels, his 17-year-old daughter Gerda, his daughter Kirstine and her husband brewery worker Peter Sørensen.[6]

The following month De frie Danske reported on Fiil again, that he along with other arrestees from Hvidsten had been transferred from Randers to Vestre Fængsel.[7] His group would also continue to receive British supply drops until their apprehension.[8]

On 29 June 1944 Fiil, his son Niels, his son-in-law and five other members of the Hvidsten group were executed in Ryvangen.[3]

Legacy

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On 15 July 1944, De frie Danske reported on the execution of Fiil, his son and son-in-law, the life sentence of his older daughter and the two-year sentence of his younger daughter and compared Fiil to Svend Gønge and Niels Ebbesen while lamenting the profound loss of Fiil's widow.[9] Six months later the January 1945 issue of the resistance newspaper Frit Danmark (Free Denmark) reported that on 29 June the previous year Fiil and seven other named members of the Hvidsten group had been executed.[5]

On 10 July he was together with the seven other executed group members cremated at Bispebjerg Cemetery.[citation needed]

In 1945 a memorial stone over the eight executed members of the Hvidsten group was raised near Hvidsten Inn.[4]

 
Memorial stone for the Hvidsten group in Hvidsten

Similarly a larger memorial stone for resistance members including the eight executed members of the Hvidsten group has been laid down in Ryvangen Memorial Park.[3]

 
Memorial stone in Ryvangen for resistance members including the Hvidsten group

Portrayal in the media

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  • In the 2012 Danish drama film Hvidsten Gruppen (This Life), Marius Fiil is portrayed by Jens Jørn Spottag.[10]

References

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  1. ^ MARIUS ANTON PEDERSEN FIIL (Inscribed Stone Monument) (in Danish). Ryvangen Memorial Park. 21.5.1893 * + 29.6.1944 +
  2. ^ a b "Modstandsdatabasen" [Resistance Database]. Marius Fiil (in Danish). Copenhagen: Nationalmuseet. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  3. ^ a b c MARIUS ANTON PEDERSEN FIIL (Inscribed Stone Monument) (in Danish). Ryvangen Memorial Park. 21.5.1893 * + 29.6.1944 +
  4. ^ a b c d MARIUS FIIL (Inscribed Stone Monument) (in Danish). Hvidsten Inn. 1944 DEN 29. JUNI
    FALDT DE FOR DE TYSKE KUGLER
    DYREBART ER DERES MINDE FOR DANMARK
    REJST AARET 1945
  5. ^ a b "29. Juni - 8 Frihedskæmpere henrettet" [29 June - 8 freedom fighters executed]. Frit Danmark (in Danish). January 1945. p. 9. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Utrolig mange Arrestationer" [Incredibly many arrests]. De frie Danske (in Danish). 18 March 1944. p. 10. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  7. ^ "ARRESTEREDE" [ARRESTED]. De frie Danske (in Danish). 23 April 1944. p. 10. Retrieved 24 November 2014. Kroejer Marius Fiil med flere fra Hvidsten er blevet overført fra Randers til Vestre
  8. ^ admin (2016-03-17). "The innkeeper, his family and their inspiring resistance". The Copenhagen Post. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  9. ^ "EN FOLKELIG SKIKKELSE, ET HISTORISK EKSEMPEL PAA JYLLANDS SEJGHED UNDER FREMMEDHEREDØMMET" [A POPULAR FIGURE, A HISTORICAL EXAMPLE OF JUTLAND'S TOUGHNESS UNDER FOREIGN RULE]. De frie Danske (in Danish). 15 July 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  10. ^ "This life / Hvidsten Gruppen - nogle må dø for at andre kan leve". dfi.dk. Retrieved 2016-12-04.

External Sources

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