Museum December 44 |
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The museum was established in La Gleize, in a historic building where the first aid center of the Waffen SS unit, commanded by Obersturmbannfuhrer Jochen Peiper, was stationed during the war. The museum is entirely dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge.
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It is believed that while the Americans won the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne, the Germans lost it at La Gleize. 800 surviving soldiers under Peiper, surrounded by US troops, abandoned 135 armored vehicles, including the largest tank of World War II, the Royal Tiger. Today, this tank is the most valuable exhibit of the museum established in 1989. 69-tons Royal Tiger is the only tank in Europe that participated in the fighting for the Ardennes and is on display where it fought.
Over 5000 artifacts related to the Battle of the Bulge have been collected on 1000 square meters of the museum. Lots of weapons, uniforms, maps, radio stations, war documents and private letters. The exhibitions describe not only the fights, but also the war crimes committed by German soldiers who shot civilians and prisoners of war. The largest massacre took place in the town Baugnez. The Germans shot 87 American prisoners there, leaving their bodies in the snow. The direct responsibility for this crime was borne by Obersturmbannfuhrer Jochen Peiper, who was sentenced to death after the war, later changed to fifteen years in prison. A monument commemorating this event stands in Baugnez.
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Address:
Rue de L'eglise 7b 4987 La Gleize |
Godziny otwarcia:
poniedziałek-niedziela 10.00-18.00 |
Ticket price:
7,5 Euro |