Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History

The entrance to the northern Bordiau hall.

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History (or simply the Royal Military Museum (RRM) is a museum that occupies the two northernmost halls of the historic complex in Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels, Belgium.^[1] The Dutch name is Koninklijk Museum van het Leger en de Krijgsgeschiedenis.

The building

In 1875, the Belgian architect Gideon Bordiau made a proposal to build flats on the site of an ancient marching ground of the Civil Guard.

The layout of the park was set in the suburbs of Etterbeek in 1888. Bordiau received the name of Cinquantenaire at that time in remembrance of the success of the Jubilee celebration of the independence of Belgium.

The construction of buildings, however, was put on hold in 1890 for lack of money and was eventually stopped by the death of the architect in 1904. Work resumed the following year under the direction of French architect Charles Girault and was completed with a new patron; King Leopold II. Arches that had already been planned were amended and expanded to meet the wishes of the King. The park is set on the continuation of the rue de la Loi / Wetstraat, which starts at the end of the Brussels Park before the royal palace.

A fire destroyed the south wing of the building in 1946.

History

At the exhibition of 1910, a section on military history was presented to the public and met with great success.

Given the enthusiasm of the population, the authorities formed a museum of the army within the international context of extreme tension which led to the Great War.^{[clarification needed]} The museum was originally installed on the site of the Abbaye de la Cambre and moved to the Cinquantenaire Park site in 1923.

Collection

The collection originally consisted of a set of exhibits collected by an officer, Louis Leconte. Approximately 900 pieces were brought together, the collection was later heavily enriched by legacies, gifts and exchanges. Leconte was particular in choosing from equipment abandoned by the Germans in 1918.

Today, it is possible to find uniforms, weapons, vehicles and military equipment of all ages and all countries.

Important developments include:

• 1980 — opening of the armour section
• 1986 — armour collection moved from the northernmost hall
• 1996 — opening of the marine section

Aviation hall

The North Hall hosts the permanent aviation exhibition.

The north wing, built by Gideon Bordiau, has been occupied by the aviation hall since 1972 when the Air and Space gallery was inaugurated.^{[citation needed]}

The collection includes various types of aircraft, some dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The collection is one of the largest in the world.

See also

• Cinquantenaire

References

1. ^ Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History, Away.com.

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 50°50′26″N 4°23′34″E / 50.84046°N 4.392833°E / 50.84046; 4.392833