ETE: Diekirch museum offers WWII history

Published April 28, 2015
By Iris Reiff
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg has a long tradition of welcoming guests from all over the globe. Luxembourg is among the cultural capitals of Europe, attracting countless foreign visitors every year.

To many American, military members and their families, stationed in Europe, Luxembourg has also become quite popular to discover because of the rich World War II history it shares with the United States.

There are over 120 memorials, commemorative plaques, streets and squares dedicated to U.S. units that fought in Luxembourg from 1944-45. There are several museums, historical battlefield trails, and main sites and not to forget the impressive Luxembourg-American Cemetery, where General George S. Patton, JR., is buried.

One highlight attraction in Luxembourg, where WWII history is preserved in a very impressive way, is the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch. Founder and curator of the museum is Mr. Roland Gaul, who also conducts special guided tours of the facility for different audiences.

How the museum proudly presents the liberation of Luxembourg in 1944-45 by American and allied forces and the history of the "Battle of the Bulge", Gaul showed during a recent visit of a group of Spangdahlem Sabers.

It all started in 1982 with a handful of enthusiasts and volunteers who arranged a collection of military equipment items, found by farmers and residents throughout the country, where Battle of Bulge operations took place, according to Gaul.

Over the past 30 years the museum became a key attraction in the country for focusing on WWII and military history and remembrance, said Gaul.
People from all over the globe, including veterans and tour groups from the United States come to Diekirch now to experience the evidence of military history here, according to Gaul.

Some people claim the museum itself is perhaps the largest of its kind in Europe, extensively focusing on the "human dimension" of the "Bulge" in the Ardennes. Others believe that the museum is even the largest WWII museum in the world.

An interesting feature of the museum is the large number of great personal stories behind many of the pieces displayed. The museum has compiled personal statements from both American and Germans regarding their personal experiences of fighting in the area as well as the story behind the items they donated to the museum.

The Diekirch Historical Museum is located in the historic complex of the old brewery in Diekirch, right in the center of the town. It is the product of several years of intense research and dedicated work of a group of young enthusiasts, assisted by the Luxembourg Army and supported by the City of Diekirch and the Government of Luxembourg.

The museum was officially opened on September 23, 1984, with numerous personalities and some 150 American and German veterans attending. Since then, the museum has attracted several thousand visitors, especially tour groups of World War II veterans, and is rapidly gaining popularity far beyond its national borders.

The Diekirch Historical Museum calls itself an objective museum according to its main guideline to equally depict both sides of the military conflict in the Ardennes 1944-45 (U.S. and German) in addition to recalling the suffering of the local civilian population caught in the crossfire.

A series of more than 12 impressive and life-size dioramas, carefully selected and reconstructed after meticulous research, gleaned from interviews with veterans, accessible archive records and still photographs and footage, provides an impartial insight of the dramatic situations and tragic individual fates.

The museum's main objective is to leave a lasting impression on the visitor as it yields many opportunities through its realistic exhibits to identify oneself with certain situations.

In addition to the dioramas, the museum has an almost complete collection of small arms, individual and collective gear, communication equipment, ammunition, and other types of ordnance. It displays a great variety of striking original photographs and personal belongings of veterans, but also possesses a selection of typical American and German vehicles and artillery used in the Ardennes, as well as in Yugoslavia and Korea.

The museum has exhibits on more than 1,300 square meters on three floors, offering specific displays of artifacts, vehicles and an audiovisual room, where original documentaries can be viewed or audio interviews can be listened to.

The city of Diekirch, being a traditional garrison town with a rich military past, has the outstanding cooperation of the Luxembourg army (which has its military instruction center in Diekirch). Those were two key factors that led to a major extension of the museum including the "Battle of the Buldge" section. This facility was also turned into a museum of national military history covering various important periods from 1815 until present.

The Luxembourg Army Museum is also located in the same building and was built by dedicated volunteers in the same quality as the "Bulge section". It contains military history which is an important chapter of the national contemporary history.

Upon special request, the museum crating team also conducts combinations of guided museum tours and field trips or studies to several important sites of the 1944-45 battlefields.

It would take too long to describe all the different displays of the museum, but one very authentic scene, that deserves to be described is the "Thanksgiving Day 1944 diorama in showroom #2, where a pressurized gasoline-operated U.S. field stove is used by troops of the 109th U.S. Infantry Regiment to prepare a delicious and crisp "American style" Thanksgiving turkey dinner by the soldiers. The diorama shows a group of soldiers as they enjoy an appetizer meal of fresh fried eggs which they had just swapped against U.S. Army-type dehydrated powdered eggs with the local farmers, and who had never sampled those before.

The diorama further shows an assistant cleaning the mess kits,and a medic presenting a "Hershey" bar and chewing gum to the farmer's son. To many visitors this scene is very authentic and speaks volumes.

As of early November 1944, liberated Diekirch, like many other towns and villages in Luxembourg, served as rest and recreation areas for battle-weary troops, where the GIs could takes showers, eat good food and a enjoy the warm hospitality of the civilian populations there, that was liberated from four years of Nazi occupation.

In return, the locals were able to taste U.S. products they never knew before, such as peanut butter, dehydrated powdered eggs, corned beef, has, spam, lemon juice powder, corn bread, and others. This diorama was built with the help of many GI veterans and civilian eyewitnesses, focusing on passed- on, verbal history and personal recollections surrounding Thanksgiving Day in 1944, as well as "turkey dinner" stories from the time.

A variety of wood and canvas frame pack boards and special packs for carrying heavy loads of supplies or ammunition are also show in this room in addition to a thematic display of uniforms, memorabilia, photos, documents and personal belongings of GIs of the 26the and 35th U.S. Infantry divisions, who fought in late December 44-mid January 1945 in the Schumann crossroads sector around Wiltz.

The museum offers thematic exhibits, weaponry, vehicles, countless original photographs and many personal artifacts tell this story that must never be forgotten.

The museum's educational exhibits are rated very positively by all nationalities because of their impartiality and attention to historical accuracy and detail. A visit pays off and the museum staff recommends to plan for at least 2 hours for a visit!

A visit to the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg can be easily coupled with a "terrain walk" of a section of the former battlefield in the Luxembourg-German border area (pamphlets/maps are available) and a tour of a large range of American & allied WWII memorials in Luxembourg, as well as the Luxembourg-American cemetery (where General George S. Patton, Jr., is buried) and the German WWII military cemetery.

During the past years, this combination: museum - terrain walk(s) - visits of key memorials, the two military cemeteries and even remains of the German "Westwall/Siegfried Line" that can all be comfortably managed during one day, has gained increased popularity. More elaborate trans-border tours are possible over a weekend.

On the other hand - from an educational point of view, the visitor will also learn that - before there was a Battle of Bastogne, Belgium (made again famous because of "Band of Brothers and Easy Company" by Steven Spielberg), there was a battle of Northern Luxembourg and other parts of Belgium before the German troops reached Bastogne.

Numerous historians nowadays agree that the "Battle of the Ardennes" (Bulge) was actually "won" the first two days on the northern and southern shoulders, without taking away the credit of the U.S. troops who defended Bastogne. In addition, the Third Army, commanded by Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. (buried in Luxembourg) had to liberate town after town, village after village in Luxembourg in January 1945, way after Bastogne had been retaken.

The Diekirch museum is open 2-6 p.m. daily. Admission is 5 Euro for adults and 3 Euro for students and children, 10-18 years old. Children under age 10 get in for free.
The museum offers group rates for groups of 10 people and more who will pay 3 Euro per person in a group. Optional audio-guides in five languages are available at cost 2.50 Euro.

The museum is located on 10, Rue Bamertal, Diekirch, Luxembourg. There is a sign, pointing out the way to the museum, when entering the town of Diekirch.

To get to Diekirch, take the E29 to Echternach which is where the border is. Once you're in Echternach, follow the road signs as you approach Luxembourg city and look for signs to Diekirch.