Knud Jespersen

[5] During his teenage years Jespersen joined the resistance movement against the German occupation of Denmark.

Following the 'police action' against the Communist Party on 22 June 1941, the entire household joined the underground resistance.

[4] His stepfather, Christian Andersen, was arrested by the Gestapo in a raid on the family residence in December 1943.

However, during the 1968 Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia he did express certain reservations (albeit no outright condemnation) of the Soviet actions.

However, in 1973 the party experiences something of a short-lived revival during the run-up to the referendum on the European Economic Community.

The party regained parliamentary representation and Jespersen was elected to parliament from the Bispeeng constituency in Copenhagen.

[5][7] Due to health reasons Jespersen was replaced in the party leadership by Ib Nørlund, who took over as acting chairman and parliamentary faction leader, on 26 November 1977.

[2] Jespersen had endured torture during his captivity during the war, and his health had never fully recovered from those episodes.