The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial in Caen, commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen.
The memorial is dedicated to the history of outstanding conflict in the 20th century and particularly World War II. The museum was officially opened on 6 June 1988 (the 44th anniversary of D day) by the French President François 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 Prize 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.
· In 1994, marking 50 years since the liberation of Europe, the American Garden was officially opened. With a fountain at the centre, symbolising life, plaques of the fifty American states have been erected nearby.
· In 1995, it was the Canadian Support Committee’s turn to create its own garden. Designed by twelve students of architecture from the universities of Montreal and Ottawa, the Souvenir Garden encourages reflection.
· In 2004, Prince Charles inaugurated the British Garden. Various sculptures evoking the participation of the various forces in the conflict: the Royal Air force, the Royal Navy and the 15 British divisions are represented by cypress trees planted alongside a colonnade in bloom.
· An extension focusing on the Cold War and the search for Peace was opened by President Jacques Chirac in 2002. It comprises neutralized warheads, planes and a fragment of the Wall of Berlin.
© M Quemener/Caen Memorial