This past Thursday a group that I've joined the Belgium STUDS (Spouses Trailing Under Duress Successfully) took a trip to Liege area (actually Thimister-Claremont) to visit 3 very special places. Marcel and Mathilda are in the center of the picture.
Our first stop was the remember museum. I'm not even really sure where to beging with telling this story..
From their website:
"The Remember Museum opened its doors on June 12, 1994 and was inaugurated by Bennie Zuskin, veteran of the First US Infantry Division. That fact could have been insignificant and anecdotal if it wasn’t for an extraordinary human side of a very different trip, reared in your ears with the stream of words of Mathilde and Marcel Schmetz (M&Ms)as they are the creators of the project. Indeed, there is nobody going through the museum without one of them because each part of the displays (more than 70 mannequins !), each flag, clothing or items are part of a real story and are connected to people whose name, face and history can be seen in the museum. There are more than 500 frames of then and now of young soldiers in uniform next to their picture as grandfather. That’s why the Schmetzes are in touch with hundreds of American families who are giving on a regular base items attached to a story."
Although that does not really do it any justice.
All of the items are authentic WWII - most left on Marcel's family farm. After the 1st Infantry Divison liberated their village. 110 soldiers later stayed on his farm while taking a break from the front lines. When the soldiers were called back for the Battle of the Bulge they only took their gun and left everything else. Although Marcle was only 12 years old at the time - he gathered all of the times and kept them. These items are what started the museum.
One of the things that make this museum so special - is that none of the items were purchased. Every item was either left by one of these 110 1st Infantry men or donated by soldiers. Each item has a story and Mathilde knows every story. Most of the items even have the names of the soldier that donated them. All of the displays - including the manequins - are hand made by Marcel.
M&M regularly have many Veterans visit them - many have signed this cargo truck. They also open their home free of charge to any Veteran wish to visit. Mathilda said they can stay 1 day or many weeks.. as long as they care to and she asks nothing in return. Visitors have ranged from veterans wanting to visit their past, family members wanting to learn more about their parents to the Supreme Allied Commander and everyone inbetween.
You will notice that there are few few displays behind glass. M&M completely trust everyone that enters their museum and allows almost all of the items to be held and inspected during your tour.
They have a good collection of Nazi propoganda as well. The first a school book that was given to Marcel as a child during the German occupation - Nazi's trying to brainwash the Belgian children. The second is one of the pamphlets that were dropped on American soldiers. After a few weeks in a cold fox hole they were hoping to remove the soldiers morale. This one was trying convince them that while they were fighting in Belgium that their best friend was sleeping with their wife.
They have an immense collection of medals and insignia.
After our tour we were invited into their kitchen (their small home is attached to the museum) where Marcel brought out many cold beers and Mathilda found "real Belgian waffles", cookies and chocolates. There was no point in trying to say no to them - they have dedicated the remained of their lives to try to tell the story of what happened in their town and in Belgium- and from that love to share as much as they can with those that make the trip to visit their museum and hear their stories. The room we were in had the original kitchen table, benches and cabinet from Marcel's family farm - the same tables that no doubt many of those original soldiers came for meals.
An original Louisville Slugger commissioned by the US Army for the soldiers. On a trip to the US she toured the Louisville Slugger plant. During part of the tour she asked if they had bats from 1944 - which they do not. They could not believe she had two.
Watch out for the snipers...
After our tour we were invited into their kitchen (their small home is attached to the museum) where Marcel brought out many cold beers and Mathilda found "real Belgian waffles", cookies and chocolates. There was no point in trying to say no to them - they have dedicated the remained of their lives to try to tell the story of what happened in their town and in Belgium- and from that love to share as much as they can with those that make the trip to visit their museum and hear their stories. The room we were in had the original kitchen table, benches and cabinet from Marcel's family farm - the same tables that no doubt many of those original soldiers came for meals.
One could probably come back every day for a week and never see the same things or hear the same stories. I wish we had more time!
1 comments:
Sorry I missed this trip... You've got some lovely photos here.
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