Le Musée Mémoire 39-45 de Calais

The 1939-1945 Memorial Museum in Calais is a witness to the memory of the Second World War. It is housed in the longest bunker built by the German army during the conflict.

The 23 exhibition rooms are full of numerous period objects, press articles and period photos. There are also many uniforms and weapons from the period. 

The 1939-1945 Memorial Museum in Calais is visited in chronological order and is punctuated with major events. The tour route therefore logically begins with the German invasion and the Battle of Calais in May 1940. There is also a room dedicated to the air war, in reference to the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. The 1939-1945 Memorial Museum in Calais exhibits engines from two emblematic aircraft of the Second World War, the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf 2. Among the other notable rooms, one is dedicated to the Resistance in Calais. The tour ends with the Liberation in September 109 by the Canadian army. Throughout the visit, the period of the Occupation is omnipresent. Multiple elements allow us to realize the difficulty and harshness of this dark period in the history of France.

The Calais 39-45 Memorial Museum is located in a huge German bunker in the heart of Calais, in the Saint Pierre park. The structure of the building (a long corridor leading to many rooms) is almost identical to the time of the Second World War. This German Navy Bunker was a telephone and administrative center.  

To note that : The Musée-Mémoire 39-45 in Calais has a room dedicated to Charles de Gaulle and Yvonne Vendroux. There you can see photos of the couple, their official visits to Calais and copies of official documents. The wedding of the (future) presidential couple took place in Calais in April 1921.