THE INNKEEPER

 

Parents: innkeeper Niels Pedersen Fiil and his wife, Nicoline Mathilde, who had been at the inn since 1884. Marius married Gudrun Margrethe Kjul on 7 September 1917. They had one son, Niels, and four daughters, Kirstine, Gerda, Rita and Bitten.

 

Marius Fiil became famous as a resistance fighter. But he spent the vast majority of his life as the innkeeper of Hvidsten Kro. He took over the inn with Gudrun in 1925. Up until then, they had earned their living from Marius' bicycle shop, while Gudrun helped out in the inn. Marius was good at talking to people and Gudrun was good in the kitchen, ensuring that the inn thrived with continuous expansion. Marius did all the building work himself and several of the distinctive buildings still found at Hvidsten Kro were built by Marius. The materials he used were all recycled, obtained locally. The old-fashioned interior of the inn with its collection of items decorated with poppies was started by Marius, bearing witness to his interest in history.

 

Marius was not one of the team that received drops of weapons from British planes at Mustard Point, but he organised preparations from the inn. In addition to weapons and other materiel, the Hvidsten Group also took part under the leadership of Marius in helping illegal refugees or people persecuted by the Germans.

 

Marius was arrested by the Gestapo on 11 March 1944. He was sentenced to death by a military tribunal on 26 June 1944.