Jørgen Haagen Schmith

Who was Jørgen Haagen Schmith?

Jørgen Haagen Schmith, better known under the codename Citron, was a fighter in the Danish resistance movement during the German Occupation of Denmark of 1940-45.

Just before the war, Schmith found work as a concierge and stage manager at Zigeunerhallen music hall in Copenhagen. Following the German invasion, Schmith performed spectacular operations together with fellow resistance fighter Bent Faurschou Hviid as members of the resistance group Holger Danske.

In July 1943, Schmith sabotaged a Citroën garage. Six German cars and a tank were destroyed. It was there that he acquired his nickname.

On September 19, 1944, Faurschou Hviid and Schmith disguised themselves as policemen. However, on that same day the Germans arrested the entire Danish police force. Both were captured but, despite the fact that they were highly sought by the Gestapo, were not recognized. Schmith jumped a fence to escape, but was shot while doing so. Miraculously, he was rescued by an ambulance. Faurschou-Hviid slipped away during the confusion.

Schmith then moved to a safe house in Jægersborg Allé. Despite the fact that Faurschou-Hviid relocated to Jutland following their escape, he left all of his weapons under Schmith's bed. A month after their escape, German soldiers arrived at the house to arrest or kill Schmith. He fought for hours against an overwhelming force of enemy troops killing 11 and wounded scores of other before the house was set on fire and he was shot attempting to escape the flames.