L'Historial de la Grande Guerre

In the heart of the Somme, the Historial de la Grande Guerre, with its two museums in Péronne and Thiepval, takes a historical and cultural look at the human dimension of the terrible First World War.
In Péronne, the Historial tells a different story of the conflict as a whole, from its origins to its consequences, presenting the warring societies of the three main belligerent nations on 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 sensitively on the mechanisms and impact of war.
Thanks to the chronology of the rooms, visitors, like their contemporaries at the time, can switch from the world before 1914 to the world of war - a world that expands from room to room. The "pits" on the floor display uniforms, as well as soldiers? military and personal objects. At their periphery, 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 prime example is Otto Dix?s series of fifty-one engravings entitled "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 the global explosion that was the First World War.
Constantly updated thematic guided tours, mediation courses and digital tools provide visitors with keys to understanding, making the museum ever more accessible.