IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Description

Essentials about the Imperial War Museum in brief

Those interested in army and war history should definitely combine a trip to London with a visit to the Imperial War Museum, as it is one of the most important military and war museums in the world. The collections focus on the two world wars in which Great Britain played a major role. In addition to the exhibition of weapons of all kinds, vehicles, aircraft and other military equipment, the military and cultural history of the two wars also occupies a large space. This is explained by means of uniforms and everyday objects as well as documents and photos. The Holocaust, which is dealt with in a separate exhibition, also plays an important role. Furthermore, the museum deals with other wars of the 20th and 21st centuries in which British soldiers were involved.

The history of the Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is the result of an initiative by private individuals who wanted to establish a war museum during the First World War. The British government took a favorable view of the idea, seeing the planned museum as a good opportunity for propaganda. In 1917, the museum committee, with the support of the British embassies and private citizens, collected material in a wide variety of countries. Since there was no more room for the museum in the Tower of London and the Royal Armouries did not want to include objects of modern warfare in the collection, the Imperial War Museum was given its own location.

The collections of the Imperial War Museum

From the very beginning, the plans went beyond a pure military museum. The Imperial War Museum was also intended to show how the war affected people of all social classes in all countries of the British Empire. For this reason, the exhibitions to this day document topics such as the work of the Red Cross or women’s work during the war. In addition, some artists were commissioned to document everyday war life directly at the front. Today, the museum has an enormous collection of over 15,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures. The Imperial War Museum in London has two other branches. The IWM North in Manchester and the IWM Duxford, where aircraft are exhibited. In addition, the museum warship HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms in London are also part of the Imperial War Museum.