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ABSTRACT
Today’s war museums are large institutions that cater to a broad range of people and provide a number of functions. In recent years, activities and displays relating to the notion of ‘edutainment’ have been incorporated into their offerings. On the Great War battlefields of Europe, the war museums tend to address specific battles that were fought in the immediate area, and traditionally they attracted visitors with a familial or national connection to the site. An on-site survey at two battlefield war museums found that remembrance remains a primary function, but overall, visitors did not support the museums as places for leisure experiences. Personal connections, both familial and national, were important, and while a broader European connection was strongly supported, it was not unique to any particular group. Peace and anti-war appeared to be seen as distinct elements. The study reinforces previous work in the field that argues personal connection provides the initial motivation for visitation.
Acknowledgment
I am grateful for the support given to me by Mr Freddy Declerck, Director of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, and his staff.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Note on contributor
Dr Caroline Winter’s main research focuses upon the battlefields of the War (1914–1918) and how tourist activity helps to maintain and create social memory. Her work has involved a number of memorial and museum sites in France and Belgium, particularly military cemeteries, and in Australia. Caroline is also interested in the natural environment and sustainability, and her early research concerned values (intrinsic and instrumental) for natural places. Recently she has published on the use of domestic animals in the tourism and leisure industries.