Occupying the 13th-history château in the town of Péronne in the heart of the Somme battlefields region, the Historial de la Grande Guerre is a war museum with a difference – its focus is on the the suffering of all fighters, including Germans, and of civilians.
A great deal of thought has been put into this depiction of the social context of World War I, which was expanded in time for the centenary of 2016. For instance, some of the displays are inset into the floor, with soldiers’ and war workers’ uniforms laid out along with their weapons and private possessions such as letters to accentuate the fact they they were human beings who lived real lives and not just names on a list of the dead.
Battle of the Somme for kids
Even children were affected: displays of books, toys and games, including ‘trench football’ pinball, show how the conflict seeped into daily life and presented youngsters with an unquestioningly heroic vision of war.
You’ll also find a room devoted to the etchings of Otto Dix, an artist who served on the western front with the German army and subsequently denounced the savagery of the conflict in his macabre and powerful works.
Historial de la Grande Guerre
