SHARING HISTORY YPRES HISTORIC A L E XHIBITION 4 OCTOBER JANUARY The Battle of the Yser The First Battle of Ypres

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1 SHARING HISTORY HISTORIC A L E XHIBITION E The Battle of the Yser The First Battle of Ypres YPRES YSER Death of Ypres, Seen through the eyes of Robert and Maurice Antony 4 OCTOBER JANUARY 2015 YPRES

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3 HISTORISCHE HISTORICAL EXHIBITION TENTOONSTELLING The Battle of the Yser The First Battle of Ypres YPRES Death of Ypres, Seen through the eyes of Robert and Maurice Antony 4 OCTOBER JANUARY 2015 YSER YPRES/YSER 1914: 100 years after the first war-time winter. During the commemorative years , the In Flanders Fields Museum will shed light on the chronological order of historical events in a series of historical exhibitions dedicated to the centenaries of the great battles. Between 4 October 2014 and 4 January 2015, you can visit the first exhibition in a series of five. This exhibition looks at the Battle of the Yser, the First Battle of Ypres and the winter of 14-15, including the Christmas Truces. We will follow the retreat of the Belgian army behind the Yser after the fall of Antwerp. The exhausted army intended to make one more stand there, aided by French and colonial troops. If they failed, all Belgium would be occupied. The flooding of the Yser plain prevented this at the very last minute. Holding this small piece of land between the Yser and the French border ensured the preservation of Belgium s sovereignty.

4 HISTORISCHE HISTORICAL EXHIBITION TENTOONSTELLING The Battle of the Yser The First Battle of Ypres YPRES Death of Ypres, Seen through the eyes of Robert and Maurice Antony 4 OCTOBER JANUARY 2015 YSER Death of Ypres, seen through the eyes of Robert and Maurice Antony. After the German advance was halted, Ypres was the last gap in the line, as a German breakthrough towards the canal harbours still seemed possible. This raised the stakes even higher. For the British, Ypres became a symbol, a small piece of hallowed ground, as almost their entire professional army fell there. Using photos from a collection recently acquired from the Antonys, a family of photographers from Ypres, we tell the story of the destruction of Ypres and life in the besieged city, seen through the eyes of Robert and Maurice Antony.

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6 HARING ISTORY Sharing history. During these years dedicated to commemorating the Great War, the In Flanders Fields Museum will be placing the story of the First World War in a contemporary context. Ypres and the Westhoek will become a meeting place in the next four years, even more so than in the past years. A place where people of from around the world come to research the history of their forefathers or their country of birth. A place with the time and space to reflect on both History with a capital H and on the many personal stories of the soldiers, nurses, local population... These stories endure and incite us to search further, dig deeper, and ultimately, to share across generations and borders. The IFFM is thus not only a meeting place, but first and foremost a place of exchanges. A place where - more than ever before - it becomes clear that people from around the world were literally part of the same story a hundred years ago. And that story is still being written... and shared today.

7 Personal stories. The In Flanders Fields Museum has always emphasised the personal stories in the larger story of a conflict that co-defined world history. In particular, the museum will focus on the story of the common man, and exhibits hundreds of authentic objects and images in an innovative, experienceoriented way. Lifelike characters and interactive installations confront the contemporary visitor with his/her peers in the war, a century ago. The mirror of history. In a country where war has raged, it will linger, even if the war is a century behind us. For each of the 600,000 dead who fell in our country, for each of the more than 425,000 graves and names on memorials and hundreds of other traces and relics in the front region, for each of the millions who were affected, there is a story of sorrow, pain and ordeal somewhere in the world. The In Flanders Fields Museum confronts the visitor with the consequences of The Great War. It confronts young and old with life and death in the Ypres front region. It holds up a mirror and makes us reflect on how we deal with our past and that of all other countries involved. People came from more than fifty different countries and cultures to fight in the war in Flanders. Today, the museum welcomes visitors from around the world and confronts them with the universal nature of an Armageddon that occurred 100 years ago.

8 The List of Names: commemoration and remembrance of a shared history. On 4 August years after the German invasion of Belgium the centenary commemoration was placed on permanent display to all visitors to the In Flanders Fields Museum. Every day for the next four years, the names of the people who died on Belgian territory on that day because of the First World War will be projected. We intend the List of Names to be a global and inclusive list, a register of ALL victims of the war in Belgium: civilians and soldiers, friends and former enemies, Belgians who died in their own country and people of other nationalities who died or were fatally wounded here. Because every name leads to places to this today (a place of birth, origin, death and commemoration), the List of Names turns the past into a shared history. We will also share this virtual commemoration with people all over the world through our website. After all, commemoration is remembering and remembering is connecting.

9 The poppy bracelet. To increase the experience even more, every visitor receives a personal poppy bracelet on arrival. The microchip in the bracelet automatically sets the language choice and enables the visitor to discover 4 personal stories throughout the permanent exhibition. Multimedia and multidisciplinary. The In Flanders Fields Museum has a high reputation to uphold for multimedia presentation methods. The scenography also gives ample attention to the most recent museum applications. Touch screens, the interactive poppy bracelet, video projection, soundscapes... everything contributes to an intense experience and an authentic immersion in life at the front. The museum goes further than a purely historical or military narration of the facts. In addition to historical (practical) objects, diary passages and artifacts, there is also room for personal impressions of soldiers and artists, both by early 20th century and contemporary poets, authors, painters, photographers and sculptors. Their artistic interpretation always provides a personal and touching confrontation with war... but also with the hope for peace.

10 Educational function. Now that the last witnesses of the war to end all wars have died, the In Flanders Fields Museum is more than ever a portal to the First World War in Flanders. In the museum, students can discover and experience the stories of WWI more intensely. Their personalised Poppy bracelet will confront them with four personal stories. In combination with a guided tour in the Ypres region, the museum visit becomes completely personal when young people stop in the places where those stories took place. After a visit to the museum, a qualified guide will lead the school group along the traces in the landscape or the city. Among other things, the following themes from the Great War will be explored: the First World War and literature, the multicultural aspect of the war, the reconstruction, refugees, and executions during the First World War. Discover the educational package on (under Educational Service). There is an extensive programme for the secondary and primary education (from the 4th class).

11 Delve deeper in the Research Centre. The In Flanders Fields Museum houses a Research Centre. Here, each visitor can delve even deeper into this dramatic period in the history of the world. You can search for specific aspects of the large, global background story, as well as extremely personal or local stories. Climb the bell tower. The current landscape is one of the last tangible witnesses of the war history and is therefore an important theme in the scenography of the museum. The museum trajectory also gives you the chance to visit the belfry. After climbing the 231 steps, you are rewarded with an exceptional view of the city and the surrounding battlefields. The visit of the bell tower is optional and costs 2 EURO extra. The portal to WWI in Flanders. In the In Flanders Fields Museum, visitors can also find information about the city and surrounding battlefields. There is a tourism centre with a regional exhibition about Ypres and the Westhoek. www The site is the ideal way to prepare a visit or talk about it afterwards. You will find all practical info about the museum, as well as downloads and personal stories there. You can also consult our catalogues and the List of Names.

12 The YPRES SALIENT, landscape as witness. The war is still present, and not only virtually. The traces in the current landscape testify hundredfold to the war of a century ago. There are both clearly visible relics in the landscape such as bunkers, trenches, mine craters, etc., as well as countless underground, archaeological traces. In addition, hundreds of cemeteries and monuments were installed after the war, and many hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists visit the former front region. Almost all of them bring their own war story (family, local). That s why the Westhoek is still a living witness, a current war landscape, where the war never truly ends. After you have learnt about the history of the First World War in the West Flanders Front, you can visit the scene of these events. There are 3 key zones in Ypres (South, Mid and North), each with numerous relics of the past (Hill 60/Caterpillar/The Bluff/ Bellewaerde Ridge/Caesar s Nose/Pilkem Ridge). The zones are connected to each other by walking and cycle routes.

13 Landscape and aerial photography. The war was present everywhere in this region. An excellent way to visualise this is through the aerial photography that was invented as a systematic observation method during the war. In an application in the museum, but also in the centre for aerial photography in the knowledge centre, we bring hundreds of aerial photos together as an additional time layer. With a simple click you can compare today s landscape to that of the war period, and find unexpected or disappeared traces.

14 NEW from 2014/15 Landscape and Trees of Memory. Countless traces in the contemporary landscape landmine craters, cemeteries, and monuments still bear witness to the devastating effect of the war that raged throughout Europe a century ago. The Trees of Memory project was created to give both local residents and visitors the opportunity to better understand and experience the war landscape of the Ieper Salient. The trees were planted to serve as markers defining the first trench or frontlines that defined no man s land almost continuously between 1915 and The simple use of colour a blue line on the top of the fence placed around a tree denotes the allied front line while red marks the German front line shows us today how the front criss-crossed the landscape one hundred years ago.

15 EVENTS /10/ /01/2015: Ypres / Yser Antony d Ypres Historical exhibition - In Flanders Fields Museum _ 17/10/2014: Light front - Participatory remembrance project: The front line as of October 1914 lit up with torches from the beach in Nieuwpoort to the French border at Ploegsteert - Gone West - Province of West Flanders - _ The List of Names - Projection of all the war dead onto the three symbolic towers. Bell Tower Ypres, Yser Tower Diksmuide and Albert I Monument Nieuwpoort _ 18/10/2014: Käthe Kollwitz Vredesloop _ 26/10-16/11/2014: War Lace / Oorlog & Kant Exhibition - Kazematten/Bollingstraat 1 Ypres - _ 28/10/2014: National remembrance of the First World War in Nieuwpoort and Ypres International remembrance of the First Battle of Ypres and the flooding of the Yser. Evening concert by Wim Mertens - Voice of the Living in Saint Martin s Cathedral in Ypres. _ 07/11-10/11/2014: Remembrance march between Somme and Yser Four-day walking event between Albert (Fr.) and Ypres (09/11 third leg of Remembrance March - Walking Day Diksmuide - 10/11 fourth leg of Remembrance March - Walking Day Ypres) _ 10/11/2014: 11 November lecture Reflection on Armistice, cooperation with In Flanders Fields Museum, City of Ypres, Flemish Peace Institute and Cultuurcentrum Ieper. _ 11/11/2014: Remembrance concert The Great War remembered Remembrance 96th anniversary of Armistice - Org. Last Post Association - _ Peace Prize award ceremony _ 18/12/2014: Alan Stivell Concert to commemorate the Christmas truce - 8:00 pm - Boezinge Church - Tickets: (0) Ypres/Ieper Tourist Office _ 22/12/2014: Michael Morpurgo - The Best Christmas Present in the world Performance about the Christmas truce with narrators Michael Morpurgo and Virginia McKenna and music by The Voices at the Door. 8:30 pm - Saint Martin s Cathedral - Tickets VVK: ADD: (0) Ypres/Ieper Tourist Office _ 04/04/2015: Opening three new access points to the Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient is being made accessible with new walking and cycling routes at the Klein Zwaanhof farmstead in the north, Hooge Crater Museum in the centre and De Palingbeek provincial park in the south _ 11/04-30/08/2015: Second Battle of Ypres - Gas Attack / Castle parks, Westhoek Zuid Historical Exhibition - In Flanders Fields Museum _ 17/04/2015: Start of second edition of Gone West _ 22/04/2015: Remembrance of the First Gas Attack Memorial ceremony 100th anniversary of the First Gas Attack: partnership with City of Ypres, municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle and OPCW _ 23-25/04/2015: Conference about weapons of mass destruction Linked to literary programme of Gone West 2 _ 25/04/2015: Remembrance of ANZAC Day _ 30/04-02/05/2015: Ypres, as we remember The Koninklijke Harmonie Ypriana invites national and international artists for an exceptional concert. With Luka Bloom, Willem Vermandere, Patrick Riguelle, Wannes Cappelle, - CC Het Perron _ 22, 23 en 24/05/2015: Babel International dance performance by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in remembrance of the Second Battle of Ypres. Organisation of Gone West _ 04/07/ /01/2016: Artist in Residence - In Flanders Fields Museum _ 09/07/2015: An ode to the Ode - 30,000th Last Post Large participatory event led by Wim Opbrouck - be - _ 22/08/2015: Four Days of the Yser Final day in Ypres - _ 18/09/ /01/2016: A Group Photograph Exhibition - In Flanders Fields Museum/Andrew Tatham _ 10/11/2015: 11 November lecture _ 11/11/2015: Remembrance concert The Great War remembered Remembrance 97th anniversary of Armistice - Org. Last Post Association - www. lastpost.be Tourism Ypres is not responsible for any changes to the events calendar. For up-to-date information, please visit

16 Prices 2014/15. INDIVIDUAL * Adults Children 7 Youths 7 18 Youths Families (max. 2ad. + 3 chld.) MUSEUM + EXHIBITION YPRES/YSER 1914 (4/10/2014-4/1/2015) 9,00 FREE 4,00 5,00 20,00 ONLY EXHIBITION YPRES/YSER 1914 (4/10/2014-4/1/2015) 5,00 FREE 2,00 3,00 12,00 GROUPS * (min. 15 persons) Mixed groups Schools ( 26 years) Adult education ( 25 years) MUSEUM + EXHIBITION YPRES/YSER 1914 (4/10/2014-4/1/2015) 7,00 4,00 5,00 ONLY EXHIBITION YPRES/YSER 1914 (4/10/2014-4/1/2015) 4,00 2,00 3,00 Museum café. Before or after your visit to the museum and the bell tower you can take a break at the museum café, with more than 100 seats. In the unique setting of the cloth hall you can chat or just relax after the strenuous climb up the bell tower. The menu provides a wide choice of hot and cold drinks, local dishes, salads, sandwiches and desserts. ATTENTION: - Also visit the bell tower ( 2) - In order to benefit from the special group prices, you must reserve at least 14 days in advance. Museum shop. Opening hours 2014/15. 1 April» 15 November every day from 10 am to 6 pm * 16 November» 31 March from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm * * Ticket sales stop 1 hour before closing The museum is closed on 25 December, 1 January and from 5 January up to and including 19 January. You can quietly browse books about a wide variety of themes in the museum shop. There is a wide range of souvenir postcards, t-shirts, posters, cds, and car and bicycle maps... Cloth Hall - Grote Markt 34 - B 8900 Ypres - Belgium t. +32(0) flandersfields@ieper.be