Emergencies and World Disasters
Nine Survived, Five Hundred Twenty-Three Never Returned: SS Donau
22 min•3 oktober 2026
Om avsnittet
Nine Survived, Five Hundred Twenty-Three Never Returned: SS Donau
The number nine versus five hundred and twenty-three is chillingly precise: historian Kristian Ottosen documented that nine people who boarded the SS Donau in Oslo on 26 November 1942 survived the war, while 523 did not. How did a refrigerated cargo ship built for refrigerated fruit and meat become the instrument of Norway’s largest single Jewish deportation-and who bears responsibility?
In this episode, we trace the Donau’s transformation from a 1929-built Norddeutscher Lloyd refrigerated cargo vessel into a wartime transport used by German and Norwegian authorities, and we follow the events on 26 November 1942 that sent 532 Jewish men, women, and children from Oslo to Auschwitz. What does the ship’s register and the documented arithmetic of names reveal about the mechanics of that deportation?
Person: Kristian Ottosen
Date: 26 November 1942
Location: Pier One, Port of Oslo
Ship: SS Donau
Survivors: 9
- The Donau was launched on 25 March 1929 and completed on 6 June 1929.
- The ship measured 521 feet in length and 63.5 feet in beam with over 42,000 cubic feet of refrigerated hold space.
- On 26 November 1942, Norwegian police delivered 532 Jewish men, women, and children to Pier One and handed them to the SS Donau.
- The operation was commanded by Untersturmführer Klaus Grossmann and Oberleutnant Manig.
- The Donau was scrapped in Bremerhaven in August 1952.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
The number nine versus five hundred and twenty-three is chillingly precise: historian Kristian Ottosen documented that nine people who boarded the SS Donau in Oslo on 26 November 1942 survived the war, while 523 did not. How did a refrigerated cargo ship built for refrigerated fruit and meat become the instrument of Norway’s largest single Jewish deportation-and who bears responsibility?
In this episode, we trace the Donau’s transformation from a 1929-built Norddeutscher Lloyd refrigerated cargo vessel into a wartime transport used by German and Norwegian authorities, and we follow the events on 26 November 1942 that sent 532 Jewish men, women, and children from Oslo to Auschwitz. What does the ship’s register and the documented arithmetic of names reveal about the mechanics of that deportation?
Person: Kristian Ottosen
Date: 26 November 1942
Location: Pier One, Port of Oslo
Ship: SS Donau
Survivors: 9
- The Donau was launched on 25 March 1929 and completed on 6 June 1929.
- The ship measured 521 feet in length and 63.5 feet in beam with over 42,000 cubic feet of refrigerated hold space.
- On 26 November 1942, Norwegian police delivered 532 Jewish men, women, and children to Pier One and handed them to the SS Donau.
- The operation was commanded by Untersturmführer Klaus Grossmann and Oberleutnant Manig.
- The Donau was scrapped in Bremerhaven in August 1952.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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