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Key figures

Origin and history

The museum Albert's Somme 1916 is a historic space dedicated to World War I, built in a 250-metre-long subterranean that served as an anti-aircraft shelter during World War II. Located 10 metres underground, its entrance is close to Notre-Dame de Brebières Basilica. This unique museum plunges visitors into the living conditions of soldiers during the Battle of the Somme, through trench reconstructions, scenes of daily life and exhibitions of military objects.

The initiative to create this museum was born in 1991 under the leadership of the Municipality of Albert, leading to the founding of the Association Somme 1916. Under the direction of Thierry Gourlin, then head of the city's main rescue centre, an insertion site allowed to renovate and adapt the existing underground. Inaugurated on July 1, 1992, the museum welcomed 10,000 visitors in its first year, a figure that rose to 90,000 in 2014, with a majority of Anglophone tourists. Each year, its collections are enriched with new pieces and its presentations are improved.

The museum route revolves around a 250-metre central gallery, bordered by fifteen alcoves reconstructing various scenes: German, British, French, Australian and Canadian trenches, an infirmary, rest spaces, and an attack scene. The explanatory panels, written in French, English, German and Dutch, guide visitors through these realistic reconstructions. The visit ends with the "Gallery of the Heroes", highlighting prominent figures from the Battle of the Somme, such as composer George Butterworth, doctor Lucien Laby, or nurse Marcelle Senner.

The museum also offers animations, such as screenings of documentary films about the Great War and demonstrations about soldiers' equipment. At the exit, visitors access a public garden through the Ancre River, under the vestiges of Albert's old ramparts. These elements complement the immersion in local history and the memory duty associated with this major conflict.

The museum's collections are based on authentic objects: weapons, military equipment, posters, newspaper articles and period photographs. These artifacts, combined with the reconstructions, offer a tangible vision of the realities of war. The museum thus plays a key role in the preservation of collective memory, attracting an international audience and contributing to historical education about the First World War.

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