Heroes between materiality and myth:The Memorial Grove for the Danish resistance as performative site

The most significant Danish warrior burial is arguably the Memorial Grove inRyvangen for members of the Danish resistance movement during World War II.This article places the memorial within Danish history and the reception of WWIIand argues for its particular qualities as a modernist re-working of a discreditedmonumental tradition with a particular focus on plain materials and a lowarchitectural scale. The memorial affords a heightened sense of materiality andnature as a practical example of a philosophy of presence. The park-likememorial can also be seen as a performative ground for instilling aspects ofidentity and collective memory for both individuals and Danish society. Futureuses of the site can either go in the direction of recreation or toward immersiveeducation