Royal Military Museum in Brussels

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, also known as the Royal Military Museum, is a military museum located in Brussels, Belgium. The Military Museum occupies the North Hall of the historic complex in Parc du Cinquantenaire, next to the Art & History Museum and the Autoworld. This site is served by Brussels-Schuman railway station, as well as by the metro stations Schuman and Merode on lines 1 and 5. History A royal decree issued on 28 November 1911 created the museum. It was originally installed at La Cambre Abbey, in the former premises of the Royal Military Academy. As its collections expanded considerably, the institution moved to Cinquantenaire Park in 1923 and gradually occupied the various buildings in the northern part of the complex. King Albert I inaugurated the new Royal Museum of the Armed Forces on 22 July 1923. The museum occupies the curved galleries in the northern section of the hemicycle, as well as the metal halls west and south of the interior garden. Collection The museum’s collection originally consisted of approximately 900 pieces collected by the officer Louis Leconte following World War I. Leconte collected considerable equipment abandoned by the Germans in 1918. The collection was later heavily enriched by legacies, gifts and exchanges. Important developments in the 20th century included the opening of three new Departments of Technology, Scientific Documentation and Research in 1976, followed by the armoured vehicle section in 1980, the move of the armours collection from the Halle Gate to the northernmost hall in 1986, and the opening of the naval section in 1996. Nowadays, the museum displays uniforms, weapons, vehicles and military equipment of all ages and all countries. Since 2004, the European Forum on Contemporary Conflicts has also had its headquarters in the museum. Middle Ages The medieval collection presents an overview of the period’s offensive and defensive armament, and consists of an extensive display of weapons, shields, and banners, from the simple coat of mail to the full armour. Also included in the collection are a series of muskets and cannons, as well as a small battering ram. 19th century The main gallery covers Belgian military history from 1830 to the eve of World War I. It also displays paintings and busts of prominent military figures from the period. The technical gallery traces the evolution of firearms and manufacturing techniques. It displays numerous weapons used by the Belgian Army since its creation, particularly portable arms. World War I This section showcases a large concentration of uniforms, artillery pieces and vehicles. The aviation gallery displays aircraft from this war. It also houses a Mark IV tank named Lodestar III and a Medium Mark A Whippet tank named Firefly. Combat damaged the latter tank. Both vehicles have the original colours of the British Army during World War I and it is possible to see their interior. Alongside them is a Renault FT-17 from the same period. A collection of Christmas decorations bearing the image of Adolf Hitler and other Nazi symbols. World War II The Bordiau Hall houses collections relating to the interwar period and the Second World War across two floors. The exhibition is divided into twelve sections: the interwar period and the rise of extremism; the outbreak of the conflict; the war on land, at sea and in the air; the war on the Eastern Front; occupied Belgium; repression, persecution and genocide carried out by the Nazis in Europe; the war in the Pacific. Whilst the other parts of the museum deal predominantly with military history, and to a lesser extent with civilian history, the exhibition in the Bordiau Hall focuses on the social, political, economic and human consequences of the war. Aviation The north wing, built by Gédéon Bordiau, has been occupied by the Aviation Hall since 1972, when the Air and Space gallery was inaugurated. The collection includes various types of aircraft, both military and civilian, some dating back to the early 20th century. It includes surviving WWI aircraft like the Nieuport 17 and Sopwith Camel, whilst the most recent additions include an F-16 Fighting Falcon and Westland Sea King. The collection as a whole is one of the largest in the world. Armoured vehicles Several of the armoured vehicles that the museum holds are in WWI and WWII rooms. Displayed in this courtyard are, among others, an M24 Chaffee, an M41 Walker Bulldog, as well as various Leopard 1 models. One of them is equipped for deep wading. Opening hours and prices Open every day from 09:00 to 17:00, except Monday. Adults (+19): €12 Children (6-18): €9 Children (-6): free See also France travel guide Spain travel guide Catalonia travel guide Pyrenees travel guideThe post Royal Military Museum in Brussels first appeared on All PYRENEES.