Wandelen - In de voetsporen van Charles Péguy

Officially inaugurated on 5 September 2004, the museum's collection brings together numerous objects discovered in recent years during excavations on various French battlefields: weapons, helmets, bowls, bottles...The museum also houses documentation on the Great War, including books, magazines, posters, postcards and photos, as well as a scale model of the battlefield with figurines. In 2004, following the 90th anniversary ceremonies and the many historic marches accompanied by 12 Moroccan officers, a replica of a complete Moroccan rifleman's uniform was donated by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. Another mannequin represents Charles Péguy, in his 276th Infantry Regiment Lieutenant uniform. The military canteen bearing his name was kindly donated by the Péguy family. On 6 September 2009, Michel Péguy, Charles Péguy's grandson, presented the museum with the kepi and epaulettes from Lieutenant Péguy's ceremonial uniform. The Musée 14-18 de Villeroy is a 5th category public establishment with a capacity of 19 people. The museum publishes books, which can be found on the website.

On 5 September 1914, only a few hours after the first Battle of the Marne started, poet and writer Charles Péguy was struck in the head by a bullet as he gallantly led his men in an attack on German positions.At around 4.30pm, in scorching heat, the 276th Infantry Regiment to which he belonged set off towards the Monthyon hillock, to cover the retreat of Moroccan riflemen who were fighting against the Germans. Out in the open, in a field that offered no shelter whatsoever, the men fell one after the other under German machine-gun fire. This memorial stone pays tribute to this monument to French literature, who fell on the field of honour in the first moments of the battle. At the base of the cross, some verses remind us of the work of this great author and his patriotic sentiments. "Blessed are those who died for carnal earth. Provided it was in a just war. Blessed are those who died for four corners of earth. Blessed are those who died a solemn death. Blessed are those who died in great battles. Stretched out on the ground in the face of God. Blessed are those who died for their hearth and fire, And the lowly honours of their fathers' houses. Blessed are those who died, for they have returned Into primeval clay and primeval earth. Blessed are those who died in a just war. Blessed is the wheat that is ripe and the wheat that is gathered in sheaves." Charles Péguy – Eve (1913) – Extracts

On 5 September 1914, the Germans were at the gates of Paris and fighting was raging in the countryside around Meaux.It was on the plain between Chauconin Neufmontiers and Villeroy that Lieutenant Charles Péguy led his men to the rescue of their Moroccan comrades who were fighting the Germans a short distance away. The fighting was fierce and many men were killed. Today, many of them are buried in the "Grande Tombe" (Great Tomb), not far from where they fell. After the war, the bodies were not repatriated to the military cemeteries. The Great Tomb is thus one of the last mass graves in France, where soldiers and officers are buried.

Een essentiële verzameling over de oorlog van 14-18.Met een collectie van bijna 70.000 voorwerpen en documenten over het dagelijkse en militaire leven tijdens de oorlog van 14-18 is het Musée de la Grande Guerre, dat op 11 november 2011 werd geopend op het terrein van de Eerste Slag om de Marne in Meaux, Europa's grootste museum over de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Op 4000 m² presenteert het een van de rijkste en meest diverse collecties over de Eerste Wereldoorlog in een aantrekkelijke en innovatieve scenografie. Het Musée de la Grande Guerre is de ideale plek voor een familiebezoek. Een ware schat aan educatieve middelen in de hele collectie: zien, horen, aanraken en handle.... Een leuke rondleiding voor kinderen vanaf 5 jaar: archiefbeelden, reconstructies van loopgraven, een videoruimte waar bezoekers worden ondergedompeld tussen de soldaten in de loopgraven of op het slagveld, spelletjes om de samenstelling van uniformen te ontdekken, de geluiden van de oorlog, de geografische evolutie van de conflictzones, enz. Verschillende audiotours zijn gratis beschikbaar op je mobiele telefoon of tablet. Vraag bij de receptie om instructies. Kom vanaf november 2024 een installatie ontdekken die nog nooit eerder in Frankrijk te zien was: een loopgraaf in de open lucht. Deze nieuwe ruimte op het museumterrein biedt een unieke, niet te missen ervaring die voor iedereen toegankelijk is. Laat je meevoeren naar het hart van de loopgraven van de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Educatief, toegankelijk en didactisch, deze loopgraaf is een uniek apparaat waar jij de acteur van de ontdekking bent. Als aanvulling op de permanente tentoonstelling en de collecties van het museum helpt deze scenografie je te begrijpen wat de mens kan meemaken in het hart van de tragedie, ongeacht zijn kamp of nationaliteit.