Museum Weekend 2008
On 26 and 27 April 2008, the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 is organizing its fifth annual museum weekend. This year's events and exhibitions will be focused on the role Belgian troops played in 1918, exactly 90 years ago.
‘Brave Little Belgium'
In 1914, the Belgian Army was saved from total annihilation only by its flooding of the Yser area. Further south, on the heights between Ypres and Passchendaele, French and British forces saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. ‘Les petits Belges' are mostly remembered for having spent four quiet years behind the river Yser.
By the end of the war, however, the Belgian Army's situation had changed completely. As was the case in 1917, the opening of the liberation offensive was once more focused on the village of Passchendaele. After its capture by Belgian Grenadiers and Carabineers, the world reassessed this small but outstanding army. The cost was enormous - in the following weeks, the Belgian Army lost one third of its total war dead and the sobriquet "Brave Little Belgium" was born.
Exhibition
In the new exhibition ‘Brave Little Belgium', the Memorial Museum breaks with a number of clichés about the Belgian soldier of the First World War. The exhibition offers unique material from the ‘Photographical Service of the Belgian Army' and rare pieces from the collections of the Royal Army Museum in Brussels. Some of these pieces have never before been on public display. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the famous Belgian trench mortar named ‘Van Deuren'.
The focus of the exhibition is on the events of the final advance to victory and will be visualised by way of a balanced overview. The exhibition opens on April 25 and runs until November 15 this year on the ground floor of the Memorial Museum at the Zonnebeke Chateau.
The New Zealander Heather Charlton (piano) and the Australian Wendy Quinlan (flute) will perform at the opening of the exhibition for some 400 invited guests.
Living History
This fifth museum weekend also features, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 of April, more than 150 World War One re-enactors from eight different countries who will set up a camp in the grounds of the Zonnebeke Chateau. The extensive entrenchment with Allied and German positions will be unique this year. A walk among first aid posts, field kitchens, artillery and cavalry will carry you back to 1918 - a unique experience for young and old alike.
Crypt
While the British dead remain buried on or close to the World War One battlefields where they fell and have not been repatriated, the Belgian Government offered the relatives of its dead the opportunity to recover the remains and take them to hometowns. A massive wave of "repatriation" from military cemeteries to municipal cemeteries then took place.
A crypt in Zonnebeke, unique in the country, has 14 coffins of 10 victims from WW I, three from WW II and one war veteran from 1830. On April 26 and 27, a special 500 metre link between the park and the crypt will be available. Throughout the weekend, guides will be present to provide explanations for visitors to this rarely seen crypt.
Conference
On Saturday April 26, a one-day conference about the Belgian Army & the final advance to victory will take place in the Council Chamber at the Zonnebeke Town Hall under the chairmanship of Professor Etienne Rooms of the Belgian Royal Military Academy. Participation is €12.50 a person and lunch is included.
Concert
On Saturday evening there will be a classical remembrance concert in the large marquee in the grounds of the Zonnebeke Chateau. This concert is free of charge and is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice. The concert begins at 20.00 (8 pm) and attendance is limited to 400 people.
Field service - 1918
In accordance with tradition, there will be an ecumenical field service on the Sunday morning. Army Chaplain André Decock will celebrate Mass on Sunday April 27 at 10.00. Following the service, tea, rum and Tommy cake will be served to all from a British 1918 field kitchen.
Battlefield tours
The afternoon of Sunday April 27 provides a unique opportunity to visit the actual battlefield and gain an insight into what happened between September 28 and October 14, 1918, - the first phase of the liberation offensive.
The Zonnebeke crypt, the Belgian military cemetery at Houthulst, Stadenberg, the monuments to Adjutant Dresse and Lieutenant Dewinde, bunkers of the German Flandern III-line, the hamlets of Most and Roulers - all are included in the programme. Joining this professionally guided battlefield tour, including drinks and admission to the Memorial Museum exhibition is €10.00.
Educational project
In addition to the new exhibition, an educational project entitled ‘Too Young' is being established in cooperation with the Belgian Veterans Affairs department. All schools in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia will be asked to develop a project about Belgian casualties of World War One.
One suggestion is historical and biographical research into a fallen soldier in order to commemorate him in a special way. Youngsters can choose someone who is commemorated on their municipal war memorial, a family member or even a soldier with the same name as them. This personal approach is aimed at enabling young people to see and feel what World War One actually meant to families of the time.
All projects should be sent to Griet Brosens at the Belgian Department of Veteran Affairs, Regentlaan 45-46, Brussels, before 28 November. The winning schools will receive a special day out. By way of introduction to this project and in association with the new ‘Platoon Experience', a teachers' study day will take place on May 4, in cooperation with the journal Klasse.
New Front Map
For the first time, 90 years after the Armistice, a comprehensive map of all war heritage sites in Flanders will be published. The map covers the entire front - from Nieuport to ‘Plugstreet'.
The base for this map (1:35 000) is a new survey of current streets, forests, streams and topographic features. More than 50 historical trench maps were used to reconstruct an accurate projection of the German frontline on 22 November 1914, 25 May 1915, 10 November 1917 and 29 April 1918.
This is also the first time that the well-known flooding of the north can be seen on a map. The most important aspect is the pinpointing of more than 220 memorials, 170 war grave sites, the bunkers and trenches open to the public, name and demarcation stones, museums and the like.
When the list of war sites became very extensive, it was decided to produce a small guidebook in four languages with search indices relating to name and unit. Because of the town and street details, sites are easy to find, even with a GPS. For those who are less familiar with the region, we have described the most important sites by way of some 12 sub-themes such as "The Battle of the Yser", "First Ypres", "War behind the lines" and "Passchendaele 1917". Although the new map and corresponding guide are primarily a product intended for visitors, they will also prove valuable for researchers.
"The Great War in the Westhoek" is published by Roularta Books. The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 was responsible for all research and editing, while plc Aquaterra of Ghent provided the beautiful drawings and lay-out. The map and guide cost £8.50 and will be available in shops from April 25.
More information
Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917
Ieperstraat 7
8980 Zonnebeke
Tel.: +32 51 77 04 41
Evelyne Osaer: toerisme@zonnebeke.be