Falaise Bombings 1944 (≈ 1944)
Destruction at 80% of the city.
2011
Closing of the Museum August 44
Closing of the Museum August 44 2011 (≈ 2011)
Former private military museum closed.
2012-2013
Preliminary project studies
Preliminary project studies 2012-2013 (≈ 2013)
Launch of reflections for the new museum.
2014
70th Anniversary of Landing
70th Anniversary of Landing 2014 (≈ 2014)
Accelerating the museum project.
mai 2015
Start of work
Start of work mai 2015 (≈ 2015)
Upgrading of the former district court.
printemps 2015
Archaeological excavations INRAP
Archaeological excavations INRAP printemps 2015 (≈ 2015)
Discovery of the ruins of an 18th century house.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
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The source text does not mention any names.
Origin and history
The Falaise Memorial - Civilians in War is a unique museum, entirely dedicated to the lives of civilian populations during the Second World War. Located in Falaise, Calvados, it symbolizes the massive destruction suffered by Norman cities during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, paying tribute to the 20,000 Norman civilians killed. The city of Falaise, 80 per cent destroyed by the bombings, tragically illustrates this human and material tribute.
The project began in 2012 after the closing of the Museum in August 44, a private museum focused on military objects. Ported by the community of communes of the Country of Falaise, it takes shape in 2015 with the development of the former court of instance, a building of the Reconstruction. An architectural particularity marks the place: the immersive room overlooks the ruins of an 18th-century house, destroyed by a phosphorus bomb in 1944 and discovered during the excavations of INRAP in 2015.
The museum tour, organized on three levels, plunges the visitor into occupation, liberation and bombing. The ground floor, without natural light, evokes the difficulties of the occupation, while the upper floor contrasts with the joys and dramas of the Liberation. The immersive room, the organ of the visit, recreates the atmosphere of the bombardments thanks to sound and visual effects, integrating the archaeological remains visible under a glass floor.
The museum is financed by public funds (state, department, region) and local funds amounting to EUR 4.1 million and is based on the collections of the Caen Memorial. Its objective goes beyond the strict historical framework: it questions the fate of civilians in all past and contemporary conflicts. With economic benefits estimated at 1.3 million euros per year, he is a major cultural and memorial player in Normandy.
The scenography highlights various themes: Vichy's France, the German administration, the Resistance, the persecution of the Jews, but also the exodus and the Reconstruction. The museum is distinguished by its human and immersive approach, offering a sensitive experience of the realities experienced by civilians, far from purely military accounts.
