Knud Jespersen

Knud JespersenKnud Jespersen (12 April 1926 ) was a Danish politician. Jespersen served as chairman of the Communist Party of Denmark between 1958 and 1977 and was a member of parliament between 1973 and 1977.

Childhood Jespersen was born in Sulsted and grew up in northern Jutland.

In the Resistance During his teenage years Jespersen joined the resistance movement against the German occupation of Denmark. Both Jespersen and his stepfather were arrested and held in concentration camps. His stepfather, Christian Andersen, was arrested by the Gestapo in a raid on the family residence in December 1943. He died in the Neuengamme concentration camp a year later. Jespersen was scheduled to be transferred to Germany, but was released after the Liberation on 5 May 1945. He died a few days later. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was represented at Jespersen's funeral by Augusts Voss, secretary of the Communist Party of Latvia. Following Jespersen's death Jørgen Jensen was named new party chairman. In 1978 a Soviet merchant ship was named Knud Jespersen in his honour.