The Occupation Museum (

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

: ''Besættelsesmuseet'') in Aarhus,

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is a history museum dedicated to present the history of Aarhus during the German occupation in the Second World War. The museum is situated in the historical centre, the

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...

, in Midtbyen and shares the building of the Women's Museum. The building is a

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

structure and it is the former city hall and police station of the city, constructed in 1856-57. In the later part of the war it served as the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

headquarters for

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after the university buildings - where the Gestapo previously resided - were destroyed during an air raid by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. The museum is a part of The Old Town in Aarhus, despite not (tilterally) physically being moved there, which is the case with all houses in The Old Town. The museum was originally established in 1982 with the name "MUSEET FOR BESÆTTELSEN I AARHUS, 1940-45" (THE MUSEUM ABOUT THE OCCUPATION IN AARHUS, 1940-45) but was simply referred to as the Occupation Museum by people. For the first year they borrowed premises in the Barracks on Langelandsgade, but moved to their current location in 1983 The focus of the museum is major events in Aarhus during the war especially the

Aarhus Air Raid The Aarhus Air Raid took place on 31 October 1944, when 25 Mosquitoes from 140 Wing Royal Air Force (RAF) of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, bombed the Gestapo headquarters at the University of Aarhus. After the Second World War, the RAF called the m ...

, the 1944 explosion in the

Port of Aarhus The Port of Aarhus (Danish: Aarhus Havn) is a deep-sea port located in the city of Aarhus. It is the largest container port in Denmark, handling more than 50% of country's container traffic. The Port of Aarhus shipped roughly 8.4 million metric ...

, the activities of the prolific informant Grethe Bartram and the

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

in general. The museum exhibition make use of the history of the building as a place of interrogation and torture to tell the story of the events of the war. The cells are furnished with original items and equipment and the torture implements used at the time are on display. The exhibition features an extensive array of items from the 1940-45 period such as uniforms, weapons, mines, tools, passes and German, English and Danish propaganda. The Occupation Museum is run by volunteers and the only revenue comes from ticket sales and donations from private individuals and organizations. In 2003 the museum went into a partnership with the museum ''Bymuseet'' and in 2008 the museum administrations were merged. In 2010 Bymuseet moved to The Old Town and had a total renewal in 2017, moving underground in a "time travel" journey through Aarhus history called "Aarhus Story". The Occupation Museum contributed with the exhibition "Occupied 1940-1945" The Occupation Museum . From 2018 till late August 2020, the museum was closed while going through a thorough renovation and renewal. The new museum focusses on the

ethical dilemma In philosophy, ethical dilemmas, also called ethical paradoxes or moral dilemmas, are situations in which an agent stands under two (or more) ''conflicting moral requirements'', none of which ''overrides'' the other. A closely related definition c ...

s everyday citizens were faced with during the occupation, but presented in a way that engages the visitor.

References

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* {{Coord, 56, 9, 26, N, 10, 12, 41, E, region:DK_type:landmark, display=title Museums in Aarhus Museums established in 2001 2001 establishments in Denmark