National Museum of Military History (MNHM), Diekirch

The MNHM was initially built by passionate history enthusiasts with the great support of the municipality of Diekirch and the Luxembourg army and has been continuously expanded.

In close cooperation with hundreds of veterans from both sides as well as countless civilian witnesses, the emotions as well as cautionary memories of the war generation have been preserved for posterity in the form of 50 unique dioramas.  This includes tens of thousands of exhibits and the museum's extensive archives for the international understanding of peoples in peace.

Educational programmes for schools and lyceums are continuously adapted and developed by a team of experts from the museum. The museum's specialised extensive military history library and internal archives can be made available for research work by university students.

On an exhibition area of 3,200 m2 on 4 floors, the centrepiece of Second World War  is the poignant portrayal of the 1944-45 ’Battle of the Bulge’.  This depicts the indescribable suffering of the civilian population, the desperate survival of the young soldiers amid a relentless battle of material with poor equipment in a freezing cold winter of the century.

The  exhibition includes  all types of weapons used on both sides in the ’Battle of the Bulge‘.  In addition to the diverse thematic areas of infantry weapons, the visitor is also offered a profound insight into the state of weapons technology at the time, from artillery to tank destruction.

More than 50 military vehicles and cannons from both sides can be admired in a spacious room. The areas of communication and secrecy are also thematised with a large number of radio sets, even a fully operative ‘Enigma‘.  Original parts of the ‘Vengeance weapons‘ such as the  V1 and V3 can also be examined.

Another important museum section is dedicated to the Luxembourg army. With countless exhibits, photos and documents, the history of development is portrayed over the epochs of the founding years (1815-1940), the reorganisation of the army within NATO and the Cold War (1945-1991), the period after that, especially with the peacekeeping missions of the United Nations and the modern challenges (1992-*).Each period within the museum is vividly explained with the respective infantry equipment, uniforms, weapons, vehicles, dioramas of the missions.

Each period within the museum is vividly explained with the respective infantry equipment, uniforms, weapons, vehicles, dioramas of the missions.

In addition, many specific topics are addressed, such as the Grand Duke's special institutional relationship with the army, military values, and tasks in the service of the country.

Multilingual group tours as well as additional information can be requested in advance of a visit at the museum.