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Frantz Rabinowitz was Jewish and succeded to escape to neutral Sweden during the deportation of the Danish Jews in October 1943. His escape to Sweden in early October 1943 was unusual. After being hidden on a ferry headed for Bornholm he jumped overboard and as the boat neared the Swedish coast and swam to shore.

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During the early years of the German occupation, it became more and more difficult for a Jew to appear in public performances,  whether Opera, Tivoli, Odd Fellow Palaeet, or Danish Radio as the Danish authorities did not want to have a potential  issue with the German authorities about the so-called "Jewish question". 

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Rabinowitz suffered on that account - especially at the hands of the director of the Danish Symphony Orchestra, Bjørn Erichsen who was a close friend  of the German Ambassador and might have been pro-German in his political stance as well.  The wonderful  conductor of the Danish Symphony--(Emil Renssen) pushed hard against Erichsen's decision against Jewish performers, but to no avail, causing Renssen to cease his friendship with Erichsen. I also recall that for a time Franz Rabinowitz, whose mother's maiden name was "Wennerholm-Petersen", assumed the name "Franz Wennerholm" to avoid the Jewish identity--but to no avail.

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