National Museum of Denmark Concept for the Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45 National Museum of Denmark Contents Contents .................................................................................................... 1 Prologue .................................................................................................... 2 Objective ................................................................................................... 2 Main approach .......................................................................................... 2 Target groups .......................................................................................... 3 Form of the exhibition ............................................................................ 6 Timeline and themes .......................................................................... 6 Prelude and atmosphere .................................................................... 7 Involvement ......................................................................................... 7 Contents of the exhibition ...................................................................... 8 Special activities ...................................................................................... 11 Beyond the museum walls ..................................................................... 12 Prologue Together with seven other members of the Hvidsten Group, the innkeeper Marius Fiil from the town of Hvidsten in Jutland was executed by a German firing squad in Ryvangen north of Copenhagen in late June 1944. His crime was that he had been actively involved in resistance activities. More specifically, he had been a member of a group that had received weapon drops and parachute operatives from Britain. Before 1943 Marius Fiil had been an ordinary law‐abiding man and now he was sentenced to death and executed. What had happened in the meantime? Marius Fill crossed a line when he became a member of the resistance movement. What made him do that? And what made the other men and women who joined the resistance movement cross the line between lawful and unlawful activity to oppose the German occupying power and its Danish henchmen, knowing that it might cost them their lives? These questions and the story of Danish resistance and the years of occupation will be the central themes at the new Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45. On 21 July 1945, just two and a half months after the liberation of Denmark, the Danish Freedom Council opened an exhibition in the Masonic Lodge in Blegdamsvej in Copenhagen. It was called Denmark Fighting and eventually led to the opening of the Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45, commonly referred to as the Freedom Museum. In 1957 the museum moved into a new building located at Esplanaden, surrounded by Churchill Park and its war memorials. On 28 April 2013 the museum burnt down as a result of arson. Fortunately, all museum exhibits and documents were saved and a new building will be erected at the same site to house a new Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45. Objective The objective of the new Museum of Danish Resistance is to engage people in the story of Danish resistance in 1940‐1945, enabling them to understand and reflect upon the choices made and the methods used. Some of the ways of doing this will be to:  prepare exhibitions including authentic objects  create an attractive building that encourages people to immerse themselves in the museum experience and to come back again  use information and interpretation methods specifically aimed at different target groups  let the voices of the past be heard  base the display on dilemmas and give the narrative an edge  make the subject relevant and interesting to both present and future visitors General approach The resistance movement came into being during the German occupation because some Danes decided to cross the line and resist the occupying forces. They crossed the line of lawfulness and what Danish politicians willing to collaborate called ‘loyal conduct’, and also went against what most Danes felt was the right thing to do after Germany had occupied Denmark. This decision to go against the grain will be the overall theme of the exhibitions, user involvement and architecture of the new Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45 to show visitors that the decision to become active in the resistance movement could mean crossing the line in both personal and political terms. In personal terms because the risk in becoming involved in the resistance movement could be severe punishment, loss of normal life (if it became necessary to go underground) or loss of standing. Resistance activities were illegal, and a criminal conviction could carry great stigma in the 1940s. The ultimate outcome of such a choice might be death. In political terms because, in the first few years of German occupation, Denmark was ruled by a democratically elected government that was opposed to any form of resistance. This government sought to convince the population that Denmark had to follow the instructions of the occupying power in order to emerge from the war unscathed. Most resistance activities would be detrimental to that strategy, so anyone engaging in such activities would be opposing official Danish policy. Together, these aspects should make museum visitors reflect upon the reasons why some Danes decided to cross those lines at the time – while others did not. The objective is to give Danish visitors, international tourists and others visiting the museum a better understanding of the Danes who actively resisted the German occupying power, as well as those who tried to live within the boundaries of what was defined as good behaviour by the authorities. Target groups Everyone will be welcome at the new Museum of Danish Resistance. However, to make it possible to target the exhibitions and attract as many visitors as possible, a number of target groups have been defined whose interests the museum will in particular seek to cater to. These target groups are:  Visitors with some relationship to the resistance movement  International tourists  The education sector: intermediate level, lower secondary level and upper secondary level Other target groups:  Knowledge seekers  Experience hunters  Hosts (including hosts in the company of children) The first three target groups (visitors with some relationship to the resistance movement, international tourists and the education sector) were chosen on the basis of knowledge about the main categories of users at the former museum and a wish for the new museum specifically to cater to the interests of these groups. The other target groups (knowledge seekers, experience hunters and hosts) were chosen on the basis of a quantitative user survey conducted by the market research company Wilke. The target group categories are the same as those used in the annual national user surveys conducted by the Danish Agency for Culture. They are based on extensive studies by the American researcher John Falk of the motivations and needs of museum visitors, which are commonly used in museum circles. Visitors with some relationship to the resistance movement Members of the resistance movement and their descendants are a priority target group because they have a personal interest in seeing, remembering, reflecting or understanding. Members of the resistance movement, merchant seamen in active service during the war and others with some relationship to the period will not be discussed in further detail in this document. The National Museum will regularly involve and inform the members of this group. International tourists The market research company Wilke has conducted a special survey of the expectations of international tourists in relation to the new Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45. It presents a number of recommendations as to how such tourists can be attracted to the museum. Recommendations:  A focus on who the members of the Resistance were  A focus on military action and sabotage during the German occupation  Information about the escape of Jews to Sweden  Information about everyday life during the occupation  Opportunities for identification and insight  Display of objects typical of the time The education sector Over the years, school classes have made up a large proportion of regular visitors to the Museum of Resistance. At the new museum, pupils and students – especially in lower and upper secondary classes – will also be a priority target group. Recommendations:  Consideration of school curricula in the choice of exhibition themes and objects  Space for school classes in exhibition areas and for the teaching of classes  Physical setting suitable for introduction to and follow‐up on exhibitions  Good facilities for visiting school classes: toilets, cloakrooms, areas where school classes can eat packed lunches  Inclusion of expertise and teaching aspects in the timeline display and in changing thematic zones. Other groups Knowledge seekers Knowledge seekers are visitors who focus on learning. They are frequent museum visitors. They do not seek out a specific subject matter but are interested in broadening their horizons. New exhibitions and the possibility of seeing rare or unique exhibits appeal to them. Recommendations  Multi‐layer exhibitions that enable visitors to immerse themselves, confirm their pre‐
existing knowledge or acquire new knowledge  Multimedia exhibitions: text, film, audio, objects, photographs, tactile exhibits, etc  Interactive elements that enable visitors to test their knowledge, skills or abilities (how does a weapon work, how is it assembled, is it possible to break codes, who is an informer, is the rumour true?) Experience hunters A typical experience hunter seeks a completely unique experience. Experience hunters are not necessarily motivated to visit a museum by a specific museum collection or the overall theme of the exhibitions, but rather come to see or experience something important or to have been somewhere important. For them, the entire experience counts: from exhibition to museum shop and café. Recommendations:  A focus on iconic objects and stories (eg the fishing vessel ‘Ternen’ and the rescue of Jews)  A focus on a combined experience comprising outdoor areas, the building, the shop, the exhibition and the café  An emphasis on subjects and angles that seem relevant to international tourists or visitors from areas outside Copenhagen Hosts Hosts are motivated to visit museums by the needs of others. They go to museums to give others, for example children (and through them also themselves), a good experience. The actual themes of the museum displays are less important than the opportunity to share a good experience with others. Recommendations:  Exhibition design that enables visitors to engage in ongoing dialogue about what they see and experience  Inclusion of tactile and sensory elements that encourage dialogue and shared experiences  A special children and families panel to help test and develop interactive activities, texts, etc  Special family trails where family members can compete and/or work together to find answers  Exhibition design that takes the needs of children into account (display cases at children’s eye level, special areas for children, etc)  A combined approach to the museum visit, including the café and other facilities Form of exhibition Timeline and themes The new Museum of Resistance 1940‐45 will work with two dimensions: a timeline dimension with time‐specific events and circumstances and a thematic dimension that covers cross‐cutting subjects that will often be relevant to the entire period of German occupation. Timeline dimension The timeline dimension will unfold in a permanent exhibition where events, conditions and sensory impressions from the war years are presented. This exhibition will make it possible for visitors to follow developments during the time of German occupation and reflect on the fact that a specific choice could have different consequences and that the situation might have been different had the choice been made at an early stage of the occupation rather than later. Recommendations:  Use of different layers in the narrative so that visitors with a particular interest can focus on details such as specific events, dates, years, etc, for example on computer screens  Stories about everyday life (rationing, blackouts, etc)  Possibility for visitors to find in‐depth information about selected members of the resistance movement and their destinies, including women  Communication of knowledge through texts, objects and photographs and also through films, sounds, atmospheres, interactive activities, etc Thematic dimension The other dimension consists of a number of thematic exhibitions or thematic zones that can be adapted or replaced on an ongoing basis. The thematic dimension focuses on fundamental issues relating to the Resistance such as ‘What is resistance?’ and ‘What were the effects of the Danish government’s collaboration policy?’ and on issues of a more temporary or situation‐based nature relating to current public debate or new research. The themes may be treated in two ways: themes that directly supplement and comment on the timeline exhibition and themes that are more loosely associated with that exhibition. Recommendations:  Thematic exhibitions that supplement and comment on the timeline exhibition  Thematic exhibitions based on visitor interests and requests as well as on current events and possibly requests from the education sector (book publications, films, new research, current events with which parallels can be drawn, etc) Prelude and atmosphere The prelude to the exhibition is what museum visitors experience when they enter the actual exhibition. It may be represented by the execution poles from Ryvangen where most executions of members of the Resistance took place or by a special exhibition setting. It could also be film clips, the sound of sirens or of people weeping, the purpose being to prepare visitors for the serious stories they are about to encounter. Throughout the exhibition, special atmospheres will be created by means of light and sound effects, transparency, symmetry or asymmetry, closed facades, mazes, etc. Involvement Visitors to the museum will generally wish to experience the world experienced by the members of the Resistance. Light, sounds and smells will be recreated as much as possible. Involving elements should be used in moderation, and variation of options and activities should be key in the new museum. Both digital and analogue methods should be used to engage and involve visitors and get them to take part in the museum experience. Analogue methods could be making it possible to try on clothes and equipment, take photos in special settings and face sensory stimuli and challenges. There should be assignments that visitors can carry out either alone or in groups. Involving elements can also appeal to visitors’ intellect. Visitors may be involved through questions that prompt reflection on and consideration of the choices that were made at the time and the methods that were used. The Resistance database should be an important and natural part of the exhibition. It will allow visitors to search for relatives and to continue their research at home if they want to. Recommendations:  Involving and interactive elements in the exhibition  Use of familiar technology to the greatest possible extent and of viable, long‐term technological solutions  A good balance of interactive activities, including in relation to the museum’s original exhibits 
Involving activities that do not feel like ‘add‐ons’ to the exhibition but are devised to blend in with the exhibition contents, supporting and substantiating the contents and the main points of the exhibition and allowing visitors to acquire knowledge in different ways Contents of the exhibition Timeline exhibition Period 1.The 1930s: Heading for new times This section will present Denmark in the context of the rest of the world in the 1930s and will give museum visitors insight into the reasons why Denmark came to be occupied and into the kind of Danish society that underwent the trials and tribulations of German occupation. The theme will complement the main approach of the museum by focusing on how rapid political and economic development in the 1930s encouraged groups and individuals to challenge the prevailing norms. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: A walk around City Hall Square with the illuminated news banner of the Politiken newspaper  Large key objects: Bicycle or B&W engine Period 2. 1939‐40: War in Europe This section will illustrate how developments in Europe led to insecurity and fear of war throughout Europe, including Denmark. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Living room with newspapers, a radio and Richs coffee substitute  Large key objects: Czech infantry gun captured by the Germans Period 3. 1940‐41: Keeping law and order This section will show that, in 1940, Germany was winning the war against Britain and France on the European continent. Political leaders in Denmark had to assess whether maintenance of some level of autonomy could best be achieved by showing restraint or by being proactive in relation to the anticipated German plans for a new order. The scenario they feared was having Nazis in the government. There was hardly any resistance in this period, and the little resistance seen was in the form of acts by individual people. The theme will support the museum’s main approach by showing that, at a time of dramatic development in Europe, Danish people sought to obtain as much news as possible about how the war was progressing and about Denmark’s position. Possible contents of the section:  Interior: A kitchen typical of the time  Large key objects: Part of a tram, Madsen 20mm machine gun (made in Denmark for the Wehrmacht) Period 4. 1941‐42: A war of attitudes This section will show that the first national opposition groups emerged in 1941. The collaboration policy of the government was criticised in particular by the Communists and the ultra‐right party Dansk Samling (Danish Unity). The section will support the museum’s main approach by showing how small groups tried to push the boundaries of what people could do in occupied Denmark. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Illegal printing room  Large key objects: Printing machine from illegal printing room Period 5. 1943: End of collaboration This section will show that, from 1942‐43, large groups of the population began to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. News about the defeats of the Axis powers encouraged young people in cities – and especially in industrial areas – to vent their dissatisfaction with the occupation by assaulting German soldiers. In addition, the sabotage activities of the resistance movement showed that the collaboration government was unable to control Danish territory. German reprisals following the many sabotage actions and assaults led to major strikes organised by the Danish Communist Party. Many Danes consequently took part in acts of resistance that crossed the boundaries of normal behaviour and, unable to maintain such normal behaviour and faced with German demands, the government eventually had to resign. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Changing room at the B&W shipyard  Large key objects: Lockers from the B&W shipyard. Workwear used by shipyard workers. Period 6. 1943: Escape After the Danish government resigned, the German authorities initiated several actions, including against Danish Jews. This section will focus on these actions and show that they eroded the trust many Danes had in the possibility of a civilised society under German occupation. As a result, many Danes who had not previously been actively involved in resistance activities crossed the line between legality and illegality and decided to help Jewish acquaintances escape to Sweden. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: The hold of a fishing vessel  Large key objects: The 8‐metre long fishing vessel ‘Ternen’ used to carry Jews to Sweden in 1943. Concentration camp clothing. Period 7. 1944‐45: Civil war This section will show that, in this period, the line between correct and reprehensible behaviour was fluid in Danish society. Clashes between resistance groups and members of the Danish Nazi Corps were frequent in Danish towns, and there was an increase in the number of liquidations and counter‐terrorism activities. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Street during a blackout with bricked‐up shop windows  Large key objects: HIPO uniform. Steel beam from sabotaged railway bridge. Illegal weapons workshop. Execution poles from Ryparken where the Germans executed members of the resistance movement. Mosquito aircraft. Period 8. 1945: Liberation Germany surrendered and millions of Danes rejoiced. Collaborators and girls who had fraternised with the Germans were assaulted. This section shows the joy shared by most people at the Liberation and illustrates how the boundaries of what had been acceptable behaviour before the occupation were once again challenged, this time in relation to the settling of scores with Danes who collaborated with the Germans. In this process, politicians and authorities decided to legislate with retroactive effect. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Passage with film clips from the years of German occupation  Large key objects: V3 armoured car, possibly visible from this thematic section through a glass panel, but located elsewhere in the museum building Period 9. 1945‐50: Peace and new threats In the post‐war years, some of the pre‐war norms were re‐established. One way of doing this was to create a fundamental narrative that partly blurred how extreme the resistance activities had actually been. The Communists continued to support the Soviet Union, which led to them being ostracised in Danish society. The right‐of‐centre parties and the Social Democrats were united in their support of NATO. Possible contents of this section:  Interior: Newspaper stand with news about new conflicts around the world after 1945  Large key objects: Newspaper stand Some of the objects that are to form part of the exhibition make special demands on the building design in terms of access routes and structures. These objects are:  The V3 armoured car which has been an iconic symbol of the museum since 1957 and should continue to be so. The V3 car should be located where it will be visible from the inside, for example through a glass panel or as part of the entrance area.  The rear end of a tram. During the German occupation, a tram conductor in Copenhagen wrote down all the rumours he had heard from passengers. The rumours could be recorded and played on the rear platform of the tram so that museum visitors can listen to the ‘latest news’.  The fishing vessel ‘Ternen’ (eight metres long). The vessel was bought by a Jewish family and was used to take them to Sweden in October 1943.  An open parachute under the ceiling. Through contacts with Britain, a number of specially trained SOE operatives came to Denmark during the German occupation in order to build up and professionalise the Danish resistance movement. This aspect could be illustrated by a figure hanging from an open parachute.  A full‐scale model of a Mosquito bomber (suspended, about 17x14m). The Royal Air Force made three pinpoint attacks on German headquarters in Denmark. The best known is the attack on the Shell Building, as some of the bombs accidentally hit the French School in the Frederiksberg district. Mosquito aircraft were used in all three attacks.  Parts of the facade of the old museum with the names of resistance groups. When the Museum of Danish Resistance opened in 1957, resistance groups could buy bricks in the facade on which they could have their names written. The bricks were sold to raise funding for the museum and to document its creation and its foundations. The facade could be incorporated into the exhibition or the building design. Special activities Centred around its exhibitions, the new Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45 will offer a range of different activities that go beyond ordinary exhibition visits. These activities will add to and substantiate the overall exhibition objective, while at the same time helping to reach very specific target groups and ensuring continual interest in the museum. It will be possible to arrange unique events and activities that supplement the museum exhibitions and themes, for example a blackout dinner in a time of rationing, liberation parties, performances of the music of the time, lectures and debates – if possible in collaboration with external partners. The tradition of having a special 4 May event will be maintained. Beyond the museum walls The Museum of Danish Resistance 1940‐45 will be an active cornerstone in the communication of information about World War 2, the Danish resistance movement and the German occupation, both physically and digitally. The information and interpretation activities will not be limited by the museum walls: the goal will be to reach people in the local area, in the city and throughout the country. A striking prelude at the entrance to the new museum could be an overturned locomotive, creating a reference to railway sabotage during the occupation. This could make museum visitors think of the massive scale of such sabotage activities, which would then be followed up in the actual exhibition with the story of the real significance of railway sabotage during the occupation. An air raid shelter from 1944 is located very close to the museum. It would be logical to incorporate it into the overall museum experience and use it to give visitors a unique insight into how the war and fear of air raids became part of everyday life in those years. Sitting in the authentic, cramped and dark air raid shelter listening to the sound of an air raid warning will be a special experience and a good supplement to the museum exhibitions. The green spaces in Churchill Park should be used as far as possible. A special playground for young children could be established with a model aircraft as a climbing frame. Provided permission can be obtained, the park could also be used in conjunction with special events, for example Liberation parties. Guided tours of Copenhagen based on various themes relating to the exhibitions in the Museum of Danish Resistance could be offered. In addition, the museum should be made visible around the city, for example by identifying and highlighting (in either analogue or digital form) places with relevance to the resistance movement. A digital interpretation strategy will also be prepared for the new Museum of Resistance, based on the Digital National Museum project, enabling digital users throughout Denmark to acquire knowledge about the years of German occupation.