Memorial 40-45 Kapelle

About the museum

The Memorial 40-45 Kapelle commemorates the battles of the French armed forces in the Netherlands, especially in Zeeland, during the Second World War. The focus is on the little-known "French Battle" of the May days of 1940; other deployments of French soldiers are also shown, such as the commandos during the liberation of Vlissingen in 1944 and the paratroopers in Drenthe in 1945. Added to this are the history of the only French honorary cemetery in the Netherlands, in Kapelle, and the stories of village residents about the occupation.

The core of the collection consisted of uniforms, helmets, weapons and medals gathered by Minus Goud from Krabbendijke. Andries Looijen took them over in 2011, converted the barn at his house into an exhibition space and founded the Stiftung Vitality in 2012; the museum was at first also called Vitality. In 2019 it received the name Memorial 40-45 Kapelle, and in February 2020 it moved to its present location on the Goessestraatweg, which was intended to be temporary.

The exhibition goes chronologically through the war years. On display are, among other things, mannequins in the uniforms of French regiments, weapons, papers, and the uniform of a Red Cross nurse who cared for wounded French soldiers. Visits are combined with a guided tour; on request, also with a visit to the honorary cemetery or a "Battlefield Tour". The museum works with schools, researches the life stories of the buried soldiers in the project "Faces to Graves", and organizes the commemoration week "Toujours Kapelle" in May. In the long term, a larger new building is to be constructed next to the honorary cemetery.

Highlights

• The "French Battle" in Zeeland in May 1940
• Uniforms, weapons and letters of French soldiers
• Guided tour with a visit to the French honorary cemetery possible
• "Faces to Graves" project on the buried soldiers
• Battlefield tours on request

Permanent exhibition

• Die Französische Schlacht in Zeeland und das Leben unter der Besatzung – Chronological exhibition on the deployments of French troops in the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945, supplemented by stories from Kapelle during the occupation.

Founded

2012

Operated by

Stichting Vitality

Admission & discounts

Admission includes a free guided tour of 1 to 1.5 hours. Holders of the Veteranenpas and the Defensiepas have free admission; there is a special rate for schools.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

School classes are regular guests; the museum does not list special offers for families.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located at Goessestraatweg 6 and is easily reachable by car.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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