Mémorial de Caen
Encyclopedia
The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial
in Caen
, Normandy
, France
commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen
. The building and grounds are located in the northern suburbs of the city of Caen on the site of an old blockhouse. The architect was Jacques Millet and the original curator was Yves Degraine.
The memorial is dedicated to the history of conflict in the 20th Century and particularly World War II. The museum was inaugurated on 6th June 1988 (the 44th anniversary of D day) by French President Francois Mitterrand. The original building deals primarily with World War II looking at the causes and course of the conflict.
The museum was subsequently extended:
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....
. The building and grounds are located in the northern suburbs of the city of Caen on the site of an old blockhouse. The architect was Jacques Millet and the original curator was Yves Degraine.
The memorial is dedicated to the history of conflict in the 20th Century and particularly World War II. The museum was inaugurated on 6th June 1988 (the 44th anniversary of D day) by French President Francois Mitterrand. The original building deals primarily with World War II looking at the causes and course of the conflict.
The museum was subsequently extended:
- In 1991 a gallery dedicated to the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
was added - Three memorial gardens, The American Garden, The British Garden and the Canadian Garden were dedicated to the three main allied nations involved in liberating France
- An extension focusing on the Cold War and the search for Peace was opened by President Jacques Chirac in 2002