Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Geschiedenis

The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke is a Belgian museum devoted to the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres), where in 1917 in only 100 days, almost 500,000 men were killed for only eight kilometers gain of ground. The museum is housed in the historic château grounds of Zonnebeke and focuses on the material aspects of World War I.HistoryThe history of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele starts in 1987. For the first time in history there was an exhibition about the Third Battle in Ypres, this exhibition consisted of never shown visual materials from the Imperial War Museum. It was a very big success, with 9000 visitors and a big ceremony on Tyne Cot Cemetery and battlefield tours.Because of this big success it was decided to put the château at the museum's disposal, with attention fixed on the war years but also the Zonnebeke Augustinian Abbey and local history. The museum opened in 1989.In 2002 it was decided to renew the museum. The museum gets 3 storeys and becomes a classic historical museum and a reconstructed dug-out is built. The renewed museum opened on Anzac Day 2004.In 2007, during the commemoration of 90 years of the 'Third Battle of Ypres', the MMP1917 organised six thematic exhibitions who took place on different locations. There are also three trails created.In 2013 the restoration of the former vicarage is completed to be used as 'Kenniscentrum'.