WWII Museums in France

by Cindy K. Stewart

In January, I posted information about several WWII museums located in the United States, including a wealth of WWII sites in Florida. If you missed that post you can find it here.

Today I'm sharing information on several WWII museums located in France. Of course, there are many more than the five below, but, after researching, these museums stand out to me. I hope to visit all of them in the near future.

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Palace Les Invalides - Paris, France

"Located right in the heart of Paris in the prestigious setting of the Hôtel national des Invalides, the museum is home to one of the largest military history and art collections in the world, and offers a unique overview of the history of France."

"A remarkable site full of history, the Hôtel des Invalides was founded by Louis XIV to house veterans and wounded soldiers. It now forms the unique, prestigious setting for the Musée de l’Armée." --Information quoted from musement.

The Army Museum Invalides (also known by the two names shared above) contains three rooms dedicated to WWII.

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Museum of the Surrender - Reims, France

The Nazi's officially surrendered on May 7, 1945 at 2:41 AM at this location.

"Discover this historic event which took place, in secret, in the 'card room' set up in the modern and technical college (now high school Roosevelt), within the headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, commanded by General Eisenhower. Archives, uniforms and objects put the months leading up to the signing of the Nazi surrender in Reims into perspective. Relive the night that changed the face of the contemporary world, by entering the signature room, a major European memory, where the end of a tragedy also heralds the beginning of a long reconciliation."

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Caen Memorial Museum - Caen, Normandy, France

Many consider this enormous museum to be the best WWII museum in France. Although located in Normandy, its exhibits focus on all of WWII as well as D-Day.

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Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy - Bayeux, Normandy, France

                          

"Located just a few kilometers from the D-Day beaches, the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy shows visitors all the key phases of the fighting and the day by day advances of the forces involved. It is essential preparation for visiting the memorial sites of summer 1944."

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Falaise Memorial - Falaise, Normandy, France

Courtesy of Civilians at War Museum - Europe Remembers

This unique museum opened in 2016 for the purpose of sharing what life was like for the civilian population of Normandy during WWII. Testimonials of how civilians in this area of France lived and survived during the occupation, including their resistance, Jewish persecution, and the allied bombings are both informative and thought-provoking.

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Cindy Stewart, a high school social studies teacher, church pianist, and inspirational historical romance author, was a 2020 finalist for the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award of Excellence, placed second in the 2019 North Texas Romance Writers Great Expectations contest, semi-finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest, and won ACFW’s First Impressions contest in the historical category. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of thirty-nine years. Their married daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live only an hour away. Cindy’s currently writing a fiction series set in WWII Europe.