Ebbe Rørdam (10 January 1925 – 16 March 1945) was a member of the Danish resistance killed by the German occupying power.
Biography
Rørdam was born 10 January 1925 in
Hvilsager
Hvilsager is a village of Djursland located in Hvilsager Parish and Syddjurs Municipality
Syddjurs municipality is a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Midtjylland in Denmark just north of Aarhus and is a part of the Aarhus area. It ...
as the second child of parish priest Johannes Holger Rørdam and wife Kirsten née Hansen and was baptized by his father in Hvilsager Church the Sunday before
Lent
Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...
that year. In 1939 on the first Sunday after Easter, Rørdam was confined by his father in the
Torkilstrup
Torkilstrup, also Torkildstrup, is a little village some southeast of Nørre Alslev on the Danish island of Falster. It is best known for Torkilstrup Church, one of the island's oldest churches, built before 1160. On 16 March 1945, Rørdam died in connection with the sabotage of an ammunition train.
After his death
After the liberation, Rørdam's remains were exhumed at
Ryvangen
Ryvangen or Ryvangskvarteret (English language, English: The Ryvang neighbourhood) is a neighbourhood of single-family detached homes in the northern part of Østerbro, on the border with Hellerup, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
History
The name Ryvangen ...
and transferred to the Department of Forensic Medicine of the University of Copenhagen. On 14 June 1945, an inquest at the University found that he died from a skull fracture. On 20 July, his father lead a memorial service for him in Grundtvig's Church On 29 August, Rørdam and 105 other victims of the occupation were given a
state funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...
in the memorial park founded at the execution and burial site in Ryvangen where his remains had been recovered. Bishop Hans Fuglsang-Damgaard led the service with participation from the royal family, the government and representatives of the resistance movement.