Huis van het Belgisch-Franse Verzet
Private museum in Sint-Joris-Winge on the resistance in Belgium and northern France during the Second World War, centred on the Vandevelde collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum starts from the personal history of Calixte Vandevelde, who lived through the war at the age of seventeen in May 1940 and joined the Nationale Koninklijke Beweging, a royalist resistance group in the Hageland. In 2016 his grandson Jo Peeters, now curator, decided to turn the family commitment into a small exhibition space. In 2019 it received more space and a public character.
The collection was mainly assembled and kept in the years after the war as testimony, not as a collectors' item. It relates to the period from the mobilisation in 1939 to 1943, supplemented with items about the liberation. The objects include clandestine newspapers and radio sets, material from parachute drops, equipment for air-raid protection and a service vehicle of the Organisation Todt. They tell of sabotage and survival, of betrayal and collaboration, and of arrests and deportation.
In September 2026 the museum reopened after a thorough revision of the presentation. The display is more focused and rotates, is more accessible to visitors and expands the educational offer, including interactive stations and an audio system for pupils. Alongside the exhibition, the museum keeps its own archive and carries out research into war heritage.
Highlights
- Vandevelde collection on the resistance from the very beginning
- Objects from clandestine life: underground newspapers, radio, parachute drops
- Service vehicle of the Organisation Todt
- Extended guided tour by the curator
- Interactive stations and audio story for pupils
Permanent exhibition
- Collectie Vandevelde – Permanent exhibition on the resistance in Belgium from 1939 to the liberation, with authentic objects from the family collection.
- Founded
- 2012
- Operated by
- Familiale privécollectie (conservator Jo Peeters)
- Director
- Jo Peeters
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €10young people aged 12 to 17 |
| Children & teens | €5Children up to and including 11 pay €5; young people aged 12 to 17 pay €10. |
| Extended guided tour by the curator (about 1 hour 30 minutes) | €12Individually or per group of up to 15 people. |
Holders of a teacher card and supporting members (Kompaan van het Museum) enter free. Payment at the till can be made in cash (preferably exact change) or by scanning the QR code with your banking app; paying with a classic bank card is not possible.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The exhibition is on the ground floor and wheelchair-friendly. Please let the museum know in advance so that it can guide you well.
Kids & families
- Hands-on stations
Pupils aged 10 and over can listen to the story of Louise Rouma from 1943 via an interactive audio system.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photographs of the collection items are not permitted. For special projects or personal reasons, an exception can be requested. |
| Good to know | The tour is always given by the curator. Classes can book a guided visit with interactive stations and use the educational offer Histowijzer. Pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs. |
