"The Great War Museum of the Pays de Meaux is a museum dedicated to the First World War located in Meaux in France, 50 kilometers east of Paris, inaugurated on November 11, 2011.
The collection
The realization of a museum project dedicated to the First World War in the country of Meaux was made possible by the acquisition in 2005 of the private collection of Jean-Pierre Verney, a recognized specialist in this conflict.
Several exhibitions, notably 1914... Left for a summer re-run in 2004 at the Bossuet Museum in Meaux, allowed the richness of this collection to be revealed to the public. Without claiming to be exhaustive, through its diversity (uniforms, everyday objects, artillery pieces, newspapers, etc.) it allows us to address all aspects and talk about all the belligerent countries in this first world conflict.
Implementation
The museum is located northeast of Meaux near the Route de Varreddes (D405) and close to the sites of the two Battles of the Marne (1914 and 1918), two decisive moments of the First World War.
The first Battle of the Marne, which opposed a million and a half soldiers in the area around Meaux, left numerous traces still visible today: the French military cemeteries of Etrepilly and Chambry, the Great Tomb of Villeroy...
The museum is located at the foot of the Meaux American Memorial by Frederick MacMonnies, a colossal 26-meter statue donated by citizens of the United States in 1932, in memory of the soldiers who fell during the battles of the Marne.
Architecture
The 7,000 m2 building designed by architect Christophe Lab is built on 4.5 hectares of land between Meaux and Varreddes. Cantilevered from the base of the American monument towards the city center, it offers a panoramic view of the city from its roof terrace.
This new construction, costing 26 million euros, must respond to the current concerns of a museum by promoting its collections with an exhibition area of 3,300 m2, while taking into account the environmental dimension (efficient insulation , rainwater recovery, etc.). Organized on three levels, the museum benefits from an auditorium, educational rooms and a documentation center with more than 6,000 works (in 2011).
The museum project
The Great War Museum aims to transmit the history of this conflict to the general public. Visitors will notably discover the reconstruction of a battlefield with a French trench, a no man’s land and a German trench.
By comparing the two battles of the Marne, they will be able to assess the evolution of nations and men during these four years of war. However, the scale of the collection makes this new equipment a museum generalist on the First World War.
The interactive scenography (multimedia, soundscapes, objects to touch, etc.) allows all audiences to understand the Great War and in particular how this period shifted the belligerent societies from the 19th century to the 20th century.
In 2011, the Great War Museum launched an initiative on social networks (Facebook), presenting the daily diary of a furry man, Léon Vivien."