Francis Weyl acquired his first helmet at the age of 15. Today, 60 years later, it has its own museum where incredible objects, originals, which illustrate the Second World War and the liberation of Alsace are exhibited.
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He did not experience the Second World War, but wants to understand… To understand what happened and it is through the thousands of objects found or purchased that he achieves this. A collection he started 60 years ago.
“This is my first helmet, an American helmet.” Today, he has a good hundred. Helmets, photos, posters, uniforms… Over the years, Francis Weyl has found or purchased over 7,000 objects on the internet. All are carefully displayed in this old barn. “There, there are the French soldiers. Here the Germans with the Hitler Youth, the National Socialist Transport Corps, the police uniform, etc. In this window, the belongings of my father, an alpine hunter. He was a Despite Us.”
A large part of this private museum, open at certain times, is naturally devoted to the Liberation and the Americans. There are parts of planes, radios, there are everyday objects used by soldiers. “Everything you need for shaving, polishing shoes, brushing your teeth, etc. There, going out outfits. This uniform, number 103, was worn by soldiers who liberated Sélestat. This special helmet completes the outfit, I found it in the USA.”
Francis spends hours researching the history of these original objects. Example with soda bottles. “Coke arrived in Germany in 1920 after the First World War. In the 1930s, there were 23 companies manufacturing this soda in Germany. A real hit. And there are bottles of Fanta. It is written there: protected brand. This is lemonade with a fruit flavor. When the Germans started attacking the French, the Americans stopped deliveries of coca liqueur. We had to find a solution so as not to close the factories.” And this is how this yellow soda was born, 100% German made.
Anecdotes that Francis would like to pass on. He would like his collection to be preserved. “You should not throw these things away. We are not allowed to throw them away. Without past, there is no future.”
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