Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, located in Bayeux, is dedicated to the 77 days of fighting that took place from June 7 to August 29, 1944. Placed in the first town liberated after the Disembarkation, it is on Fabian-Ware Boulevard, a road built by British engineers in June 1944 to facilitate military travel. Nearby is the British military cemetery, strengthening its historic anchor.

The museum was inaugurated on 14 July 1981 on an initial surface of 1,000 m2, after a temporary exhibition presented in 1978 during the visit of American President Jimmy Carter and French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing inspired its creation. In 1986, its surface was doubled and a further extension of 300 m2 took place in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the Disembarkation. The current scenography dates from 2006.

The museum houses a collection of uniforms and military vehicles, as well as a 25-minute documentary film directed by Dominique Forget, composed of archival images of the battle. It is one of three museums managed by the City of Bayeux under the Bayeux Museum brand, alongside the Bayeux Tapestry and the Baron-Gérard Museum of Art and History.

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