Abstract. We consider a variational model for damaged elastic materials. This model depends on three small parameters, which are related to the cost of the damage, to the width of the damaged regions, and to the minimum elasticity constant attained in the damaged regions. As these parameters tend to zero, our models Γ-converge to a model for brittle fracture, for fracture with a cohesive zone, or for perfect plasticity, depending on the asymptotic ratios of the three parameters.