Caen Memorial
"Peace is not a gift from God to man, but a gift from man to himself." --Elie Wiesel
Main facade of the Caen Memorial for Peace. Photo
hiytel.
Sculpture entitled "Non-Violence." Photo
Philippe Berdalle.
Glass tower at the Caen Memorial. Photo
Philippe Berdalle.
Museum lobby, with WWII fighter plane. Photo
Alessio Milan.
World War II artifacts from both sides. Photo
Carlos Eduardo Seo.
Re-creation of a wall during WWII French Resistance. Photo: GFDL.
Nazi artifacts. Photo
Carlos Eduardo Seo.
Debris from the 9/11 attacks on the USA. Photo licensed under GFDL.
Memorial gardens. Photo
Neil.
Established in 1988 and dedicated to peace, the Caen Memorial (Le Mémorial de Caen, un musée pour la paix) is regarded as the best World War II museum in France.
Located on the northern outskirts of Caen in Normandy, the Caen Memorial also includes guided tours to the D-Day beaches and exhibits on other failures and triumphs of peace, such as September 11th and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
History
Built on the site of an old bunker, the Caen Memorial was inaugurated on June 6, 1988 (the 44th anniversary of D-Day) by President François Mitterrand. It was later expanded by President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
What to See
The Caen Memorial is a stark rectangular structure located 10 minutes from the Pegasus Bridge and 15 minutes from the D-Day beaches.
The museum is entered through a small door in a long flat facade, which symbolizing the Allies' breach of the "impregnable" Nazi Atlantic Wall. Inscribed in French across the facade are the verses:
"Pain broke me; brotherhood lifted me.
From my wound sprang a river of freedom."
This opens into a spacious lobby, where the award-winning amenities of the museum are located: a large bookshop, library, cafe, children's play area, and more. Above the lobby hangs a 1941 Hawker Typhoon used by the RAF.
The museum itself is entered via a descending spiral staircase - symbolizing the descent into the hell of war - lined with photographs illustrating the rise of Nazi power.
Inside, the main exhibits include: spectacular video presentations of D-Day or Jour J (showing the events from Allied and German perspectives on a split-screen); models of bunkers, battleships and battlefields; artifacts from the French Resistance; and a tribute to the Holocaust.
A new wing added in 2002 houses exhibits on the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the development of the atomic bomb and the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Caen Memorial was the first museum outside of the United States to display artifacts from 9/11.
The last section visitors encounter in the museum, added in 1991 and housed in an old bunker, is dedicated to the ongoing movement for peace. It includes a Gallery of Nobel Peace Prizes, celebrating such figures as Andrei Sakharov, Elie Wiesel and Desmond Tutu.
The museum includes extensive tranquil gardens, which commemorate the Allied forces and wordlessly illustrate the ideal of peace: the Garden of Canada; the American Garden; and recently the British Garden, donated by Prince Charles in 2004.
Overall, the Caen Memorial provides a thought-provoking meditation on the evils of war, the importance of learning from past failures and successes, and the difficulty but necessity of finding lasting peace.
The museum also runs daily, eight-person minivan guided tours of the D-Day beaches, which begin at the museum or the Caen train station.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Caen Memorial; Mémorial de Caen |
| Dedicated to: | Peace |
| Location: | Caen, Normandy, France |
| Category: | Museums |
| Status: | museum |
| Date: | 1988 |
| Architect: | Yves Devraine |
| Architecture: | Modern |
| Size: | 14.000 sq m on three levels with 5600 sq m of permanent exhibition |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 49.197322° N, 0.383985° W (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | Esplanade General Eisenhower B.P. 55026, 14050 Caen Cedex 4, France |
| Phone: | (0)2 31 06 06 45 |
| Website: | www.memorial-caen.fr |
| E-mail: | resa@memorial-caen.fr |
| Hours: | Daily 9am-7pm Open until 8pm mid-July to mid-Aug Closed Jan 1-30 and Dec 25. |
| Cost: | €16 adults; €14 reduced; free to World War II veterans, those with war disabilities, war widows, and children 9 and under |
| Photography: | Permitted |
| Accessibility: | Handicapped accessible. |
Travel Resources
- Caen Map - our detailed interactive map of Caen, plus hand-picked links to more
- Caen Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, then book at the guaranteed lowest rate
- Caen Car Rentals - get the lowest rate by comparing multiple car companies at a glance
- Caen Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Caen tourism
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Caen Memorial. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Caen Map.
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Le Memorial de Caen - official website
- Mémorial - Fodor's France
- Mémorial de Caen - French Wikipedia
Article last updated: 08/23/2009.
