Passionate volunteers from the Devoir de Mémoire et Patrimoine association have, in 2024,saved from the closure of the Haute-Alsace Memorial in Dannemarie. Since then, this unique historic site has doubled its number of visitors (from 3,200 to more than 6,000). It invites the public to discover more than 8,000 period objects and an immersive reconstruction of the trenches of the First World War. For Roland Poitier, vice-president of the association, their mission is clear: to preserve and transmit Alsatian history in all its authenticity.
Preserve and transmit
The Haute-Alsace Memorial welcomes the public almost all year round. Roland Poitier and the volunteers of the association Duty of Memory and Heritage are fighting to preserve this museum and continue to make it survive: “The most important convictions of our association is to preserve and transmit the history that only this place can transcribe, it is indeed a symbol because thanks to a renewal, the museum was able to double its number of visitors and avoid bankruptcy. » During the visit to the museum, after having seen a summary of the history of Alsace before the First World War, the visitor can discover with the help of a passionate guide the course of life in Alsace during and after the Occupation.
More than 8000 objects
The museum has more than 8,000 objects such as rare pieces straight from the battlefields, helmets of French and German generals or a kepi worn by General de Gaulle. Finally, there is the centerpiece of the museum, a reconstruction of the front line: a real life-size trench, separating occupied and unoccupied Alsace. The volunteers thus recreated a real immersive trench, where we can see the unfolding of the lives of the soldiers who were at the front. In addition, the audio-visual game sets a particular atmosphere, such as the sound of grenade explosions or gunshots. What must be remembered is that the main duty of this association is to preserve and transcribe culture and history to future generations in order to avoid other tragic elements of this kind.
