Omaha Beach Memorial Museum, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France

The Omaha Beach Museum describes the history of the D-Day Landings on Omaha Beach in Normandy on 6 June 1944 during World War II. Located on Omaha Beach itself, 300m from the beach the museum showcases a large collection of uniforms, weapons, personal objects and vehicles. Dioramas, archival photographs, maps and thematic signs, as well as a film featuring veterans' testimonies, will guide you through the story of the D-day landings on Omaha and Pointe du Hoc.

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Omaha Beach Memorial Museum

User Reviews

Selim Selim (2 years ago)
Amazing experience. The museum is huge. It takes around two to three hours to visit. You can park your car easily. I learned a lot about WW2. Unique footage of the war and a lot of objects from WWI WWII and the cold War.

Orlando Andico (2 years ago)
Good exhibits of Allied and Axis equipment and ordnance. But otherwise not much going on here. Nice Pak 43 on the grounds.

Sumanta RoyChowdhury (2 years ago)
Vivid and very realistic layout, continuous battle sounds in the background, real fragments of the unfortunate war gives a sense of the damage to the humanity. The film at the end is very informative. Overall, an unforgettable experience.

Ella dd (2 years ago)
I love learning about the past and if you are interested in WWII I would consider going to Normandy to see the beaches and the museum's!

Bernard Simon (2 years ago)
Small museum presenting small scenes of the landing of the allies during the operation Overlord. The film at the end of the visit presents Operation Overlord and is very well done. It presents better than the scenes exposed the scale of the operation and the vision of the operation through testimonies of soldiers or nurses who participated in the operation. Enjoy this tour of the museum and the beach to better understand this battle and the importance it had to win the second world war and the sacrifices that were necessary.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

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Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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