German Occupation Museum

About the museum

The German Occupation Museum began with a schoolboy collecting spent bullets in the fields after the plough had passed. Richard Heaume, born in 1944 and brought up on the farmland that had been a Luftwaffe firing range, began to display his collection in June 1966, when his parents let him use the cottage opposite their house. He still owns and runs the museum today.

The small farming cottage has been extended bit by bit. In 1976 a transport corridor and tea room were added, and in 1987 followed the Occupation Street, with re-created shop fronts of a street in St Peter Port between 1940 and 1945. A further extension in 2001 contains a prison section with information on the islanders who were deported, including the story of a Jewish woman taken to Auschwitz.

The museum is now a large collection of original Occupation items and documents, among them rare pieces, uniforms, weapons, signs, letters and an Enigma machine. Dioramas show everyday scenes such as an islander’s kitchen in late 1944 with the family listening to the news on a hidden crystal set, and larger exhibits include an anti-tank gun, a tank turret and a horse-drawn ambulance. The same owner also looks after the Fort Hommet casemate and the Pleinmont observation tower.

Highlights

• Occupation Street with re-created shop fronts of 1940–45
• Dioramas of everyday life, such as an Occupation kitchen
• Original 4.7 cm anti-tank gun and a Renault FT-17 tank turret
• Enigma cipher machine and original uniforms, weapons and documents
• Prison section on the deportation of islanders

Permanent exhibitions

• Occupation Street – Re-created shop fronts depict a street in St Peter Port between 1940 and 1945, with many original objects on display.
• Dioramas and fortifications – Reconstructed scenes such as an Occupation kitchen of 1944 and a 4.7 cm anti-tank gun installation show daily life and the island’s defences.
• Deportation and prison section – A prison cell reconstruction with information on the islanders who were deported during the Occupation.

Founded

1966

Operated by

Richard Heaume

Admission & discounts

Cash only: debit and credit cards are not accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

An access guide is published on the AccessAble website.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 1 km from Guernsey Airport, roughly a 10-minute walk, and about 15 minutes by car from St Peter Port.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Refreshments are available from the tea room and gardens.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit