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Somme 1916 Museum, Albert, France | |
| A fascinating museum that gives a true sense of World War I conditions. | ||
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The Somme 1916 Museum strives to create a sense of what life in the trenches was like. The entrance is just behind the Basilica and leads to a tunnel that dates back to the 13th century. The tunnel served as an air-raid shelter during World War II, and since 1992 it has been the home of the Somme 1916 Museum. All the exhibits are below ground. You enter the exhibits by going down 63 steps into a long gallery. Use your 3D glasses (provided at admission) to watch the short video and get some context for your visit. After the video, you will wander through the tunnels, which are lined with display cases and dioramas showing soldiers in the trenches. Displays of weapons and "trench art," statues, vases, and other sculptures made from bombs and shell cases. Some are beautiful and stand in stark contrast to the horror that created them.
Many exhibits focus on individual soldiers and include memorabilia, letters, medals, photographs, etc. that make the soldiers come to life. Displays show the variety of weapons used and also allow you to see the evolution of weapons during the war. Models of tanks represent the significant impact this technology had on the war. Toward the end of the museum you'll come to a closed door and a sign that says, Dear Visitors, You will cross the passage "sound and light." Thank you for staying calm and not running. This corridor aims to recreate, in some small way, the sounds and sights of the trenches at night, during bombing. That short passage is a sobering reminder of what the soldiers went through day after day, month after month, during this long war. Finally, when you enter the museum you will be offered a card with a name on it. Each card represents a soldier—British, Australian, or German. As you leave the museum you will have the opportunity to read about the background and experiences of "your" solider. I happened to get John Ronald Tolkien, better known later as the author JRR Tolkien. He was a reluctant soldier, delaying joining until he had finished his degree. He fought at the Battle of the Somme but after several months was sent home with trench fever. Although it is hard for us today, 100 years later, to imagine the horrors of World War I, the Musée Somme 1916 creates a picture of what life was like for the soldiers, and provides some glimpses into who they were and how they lived. It is both sobering and fascinating. As you leave the museum, having traveled 250 meters (820 feet) underground, you will find yourself in a garden, with reminders of the resiliency of life, even after a great war. For those interested in learning more about World War I and life in the trenches, the recently-opened Thiepval Museumprovides another view of this unique time in history. More...
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Above, Entrance to the Somme 1916 Museum, just to the right of the Basilica.
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