Historial de la Grande Guerre - Péronne

In the heart of the Somme, the Historial de la Grande Guerre, in its two museums in Péronne and Thiepval, offers a historical and cultural perspective focused on the human dimension of the terrible first world conflict. In Péronne, the Historial tells the story of the conflict in a different way, from its origins to its consequences, by presenting the warring societies of the three main belligerent nations of the Western Front: Germany, France and Great Britain. It sheds light on the historical and sociological dimensions of the conflict and invites visitors to reflect on the mechanisms and impacts of the war. Thanks to the rooms which treat the conflict chronologically, the visitor switches, like the contemporaries of the time, from the world before 1914 to the world of the war - a world which is constantly expanding, from room to room. The "pits" on the floor present the uniforms, as well as the military and personal objects of the soldiers. At their periphery, the showcases evoke the impact of war on civilians and societies. Numerous works of art also illustrate the representation of war, daily life near the front or in the rear, death and mourning. A particular example is the series of fifty-one engravings by Otto Dix, "Der Krieg", unique in French public collections, combining the horrors and traumas of war. Thanks to a unique collection of 70,000 items and a striking scenography, the Historial shows, explains, restores and compares the realities and experiences of war, thus contributing to the understanding of the history of this global explosion that was the First World War. Thematic guided tours, mediation courses and digital tools, constantly renewed, provide visitors with keys to understanding the museum and thus make it ever more accessible.