Inauguration of Der-Chantecoq lake 3 janvier 1974 (≈ 1974)
Watering the lake, swallowing three villages.
1999
Creation of the museum
Creation of the museum 1999 (≈ 1999)
Preservation of the memory of the missing villages.
1er juillet 2014
Change of name
Change of name 1er juillet 2014 (≈ 2014)
Become the Village Museum of Der.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Origin and history
The Der Museum Village, formerly known as the Der Country Museum, was created in 1999 to preserve the memory of the three villages that disappeared during the watering of the Der-Chantecoq Lake: Nuisement-aux-Bois, Chantecoq and Champaubert. This lake, inaugurated on January 3, 1974, was intended to regulate the floods of the Marne and the Seine. The museum exhibits collections illustrating life in wet Champagne, including traditional crafts, arts and typical buildings such as the Nuisement church, saved from the waters.
The museum consists of several wood-paned buildings, each dedicated to a specific theme. Among them, the barn Lardin offers a film depicting the expropriation of the inhabitants and the creation of the lake, while the barn Machelignots houses a model of the missing buildings. Reconstituted scenes evoke daily life around 1900, with occupations such as lavender or cartons.
The former town hall-school was preserved with a period classroom and a town hall. Part of the building also houses a "House of Nature", including an aquarium and an exhibition on the willow. Around the buildings, thematic gardens (cured garden, insect garden, vegetable garden) complete the visit, offering an immersion in the local heritage.
The museum officially changed its name to the Der Museum Village on July 1, 2014. This place not only bears witness to the history of the engulfed villages, but also to the economic and tourist development linked to the lake, while valuing the Champagne traditions.
