The Final Hours

"The Final Hours" was first published in Denmark in 1946 (De Sidste Timer.)

It is a collection of the farewell letters of the Danish patriots executed by the Nazi occupiers. This is the only English translation of this collection of letters.

According to official records, 112 members of the resistance were arrested and executed by German court martial between August 28, 1943 and April 25, 1945. It is those resistance members, sentenced to death, who were allowed to write farewell letters on the eve of their execution.

The alphabetical register in the back of the original book contains 114 names. Eight of those are not otherwise mentioned in the book. They were active in the resistance, but their fates were not mentioned.

There are 28 names of members of the resistance who appear with photos and short bios, but did not have letters included in the collection.

That leaves 78 members of the resistance who were executed by the Nazis. Their letters, their last letters, are given here.