Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Reddition Museum, inaugurated in 1985 by the city of Reims to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, is housed in the former modern and technical college (now Franklin-Roosevelt High School). It was in this building, requisitioned by the Allies in 1945, that the first unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed at 2:41 am on 7 May, putting an end to the fighting on the West Front. The signature hall itself, preserved in the state, has been classified as a historic monument since December 1985.

The context of this surrender reveals geopolitical tensions. The Soviets, represented by Ivan Sousloparov, had not received the endorsement of Moscow to validate the act. Stalin demanded a second ceremony in Berlin on 8 May, relegating the Reims event to a preliminary status. Eisenhower, meanwhile, refused to participate, considering the rank of the German signatories (such as the Generaloberst Jodl) insufficient in relation to his. France, although present via General Sevez, was kept away from the negotiations.

The museum offers an immersive museography: reconstruction of the war room with its operating cards, exhibition of allied medals, and projection of a contextual film in four languages. The objects presented – uniforms, period newspapers, photographs – illustrate the military and diplomatic issues of May 1945. The absence of a French version of the act of surrender, as the secondary role attributed to France at the time of its signature, underline the complexities of this history page.

The building, designed by the architect Hippolyte Portevin, was initially a school establishment before being transformed into an Allied headquarters (SHAEF) in February 1945. Its location near the Paris-Metz line, a strategic axis towards Germany, explains its choice. After the war, the surrender hall was preserved, while the rest of the building regained its educational vocation, before building the museum in 1985.

External links