Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels, Belgium. Author Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History often abbreviated to MRA, is a military museum that occupies the two northernmost halls of the historic complex in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark in Brussels, Belgium. The park is set on the continuation of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, which starts at the end of Brussels Park before the Royal Palace.

1. It Is Easily Accessible Due To Its Central Location

 Due to its central location in Cinquantenaire Park, It’s easy to get to the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History by public transportation, with plenty of busses serving the area. Trams 61 and 81 also stop nearby. The nearest metro stop is Schuman to the west of the park or Merode, to the east (both are on lines 1 and 5 of the Brussels Metro). This makes it a must see for those who happen to be in Brussels at any time.

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2. It’s A Good Attraction To Visit Rain Or Shine

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels, Belgium. Author Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany. Wikimedia Commons

It’s a good attraction to visit rain or shine and makes a perfect stop for history and military enthusiast. Check to see what temporary exhibits might be on display if you have some flexibility planning your visit dates.

As you enter the museum, you will find collections comprising more than 10 centuries of military and technology history, ranging from suits of armor, antique firearms and swords to armored vehicles and airplanes. As you get more inside, you will also see numerous paintings, sculptures, decorations, and military uniforms bring back to life the military history of this area. Admission is free.

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3. The Construction Of The Museum Was Faced With Numerous Challenges Before Completion

Part of the information that you will be provided with will include temporary structures that were erected on the site for the International Exposition of 1897. You will also gather that the construction of buildings was put on hold in 1890 for lack of funds and was eventually stopped by the architect’s death in 1904. A year later, work resumed under the direction of the French architect Charles Girault who did not see the project to its completion. He was replaced by King Leopold II. The triumphal arch that had already been planned was amended and expanded to meet the king’s wishes.

 Five years later, at the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, a section on military history was presented to the public on the same premises, and was met with great success. The enthusiasm showed by the people during this event made the authorities to make a decision to create a military museum within the international context of extreme tension which led to the Great War.

4. The Architecture Of The Museum is Amazing

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History. Author Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany. Wikimedia Commons

It is said that the museum was created by virtue of a royal decree issued on 28 November 1911, and was originally installed on the site of La Cambre Abbey, in the former premises of the Royal Military Academy.

The architecture is quite beautiful. It has a rectangular plan, marked at each corner by a projection. Its unique features also include; the masonry structure, its imposing iron frame forming a single-span structure composed of eight vast arches. Overall, they are supported on the side facades by cast iron buttresses with arcades on masonry buttresses. At the top of the roof is a saddleback skylight of which only the thin vertical walls are glazed.

However, a fire destroyed the south wing of the complex in 1946, part of the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH). Luckily, the collection pieces were saved, and the burnt wing has since been rebuilt

5. It is Home To Numerous Collections

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. Author Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany. Wikimedia Commons

The museum’s collection originally consisted of approximately 900 pieces. This was through the effort by the officer Louis Leconte following World War I. Leconte collected considerable equipment abandoned by the Germans in 1918. This was later heavily enriched by legacies, gifts and exchanges.

As the years progressed, major milestones were witnessed. These included the opening of three new Departments of Technology, Scientific Documentation and Research in 1976. It was followed by the armored vehicle section in 1980, the move of the armors collection from the Halle Gate to the northernmost hall in 1986, and the opening of the naval section in 1996. Quite a remarkable achievement in the history of the museum.

In addition to the above, the museum displays uniforms, weapons, vehicles and military equipment of all ages and all countries. Since 2004, the European Forum on Contemporary Conflicts has also had its headquarters in the museum.

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6. It Is A Pride Of The Belgian People

The Belgians also pride themselves for hosting the museum. It provides a historical glimpse into the military heritage, with heroic accounts of bravery and sacrifices from those who have fought to maintain the freedom that is now being enjoyed. They insist that the exhibits are well worth a visit with hundreds of genuine artifacts, military relics, photographs and memorable accounts by former soldiers.

 It is important to point out that this is a museum only in the sense that military items are displayed here. The main goal is to pay tribute to those who served while preserving our history and reaching out to help educate our youth. We do recognize the future of our great country is in the hands of our future leaders and these leaders are in the classroom today … They are our legacy tomorrow!

7. It Also Features A Number Of Military-Related Pieces

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. Author Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany. Wikimedia Commons

Situated in Brussels’s expansive Parc Cinquantenaire, the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History features a number of military-related pieces. These include; old armor, armored tanks, and aircraft. As a military enthusiast you also have an opportunity to do some research in the library, complete with military files and photographs and a collection of trench maps.

8. The Exhibits Are Also Arranged In An Organized Manner

Take a walk inside this museum and you will find permanent exhibits sorted by theme or geography, with Dutch and Russian galleries, a tank area and an aviation hall, and a special gallery devoted to World War I. Occasionally you might catch a themed temporary exhibition. To save time and money, you are also advised to consider visiting in conjunction with the other attractions at Parc Cinquantenaire. . Numerous paintings, sculptures, decorations, and military uniforms bring back to life the military history of this area.

9. The Museum Is Also Among The World’s Largest And Most Important Military Museums

We cannot pass without mentioning that the museum’s diversity and the importance of the objects make it one of the world’s largest and most important military museums. It offers an overview of what takes place in the military and its impact on society.

10. It Houses The Bordiau Gallery

This Gallery is dedicated to the large 20th century conflicts. For a tourist, it would be important to note that It focuses on the last months of the Great War, on the antebellum and on the Second World War. Next to outfits and arms of key figures from these periods, it also presents numerous personal belongings of anonymous soldiers and civilians.

In the coming months, the permanent exhibition in the Bourdiau Gallery is to be completed with new presentations about the German occupation of Belgium (1940-1944), the liberation (1944-1945), the nazi-ideology and race policy (1933-1945) and the war in the Pacific (1937-1945).