Peter Rochegune Munch - The Rostock Myth

The Rostock Myth

A point of lasting controversy about P. Munch is a visit he allegedly paid to the German town of Rostock just a few weeks before the German occupation. During this visit he would have met with several Nazi dignitaries, Heinrich Himmler among them. According to the myth, Munch had been warned in advance about the German intentions towards Denmark, and had agreed to making the occupation happen as peacefully as possible. This would supposedly account for the limited Danish response on April 9, 1940, and Munch's own willingness to surrender once the invasion was under way.

Munch's refusal to be drawn on this topic while he lived fed this version of the story. Later historical research has conclusively shown, however, that the accusations are completely without foundation, and it has not been proven that such a meeting in Rostock even took place. Most historians classify the Rostock myth as a mere conspiracy theory. But that has not stopped the 'Rostock myth' from surfacing with regular intervals.

One of the proponents of the Rostock myth was the controversial Danish historian Jon Galster. His accusations against war-time Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning, foreign minister Munch and a number of civil servants led to his being sentenced to 8 months of prison for libel in 1958. In 1990 Galster published the book 9. april - en sand myte ('9 April, a true myth').