CLAP 006 – MUCAP: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MUSEUM TRAIL…

For almost two years, in parallel with the architectural design and scenographic proposals, a major effort to collect archives in France, Europe and the United States has been building the future MUCAP (Museum of War Captivity). The presentation of the archives – documents and objects – is based on a common thread that runs through the entire tour: the economy of the few.

Portraits of German prisoners on banners used in the set design

Beyond the site museum, the aim is to highlight the theme of wartime captivity, from D-Day to the final repatriations and returns of prisoners to their respective countries.

The aim is also to give a voice to all those involved in the conflict, to cross the points of view of both the defeated and the victors, the military authorities as well as the political and economic authorities. Lastly, it compares several captivity camps, in order to understand the living conditions of German prisoners in different regimes and territories.

This will enable visitors to grasp the complexity of the issues involved in ending the war, building Europe and (re)-building peace.

And to develop a critical approach to current affairs.

Careful selection of the archives has enabled us to build an attractive, lively and informative “on-board” tour. The tour is accompanied by headphones open to all voices and personalized languages, chosen at the start of the tour and automatically detected as the tour progresses.

This tour companion is available in two versions:

• a generic tour companion, offering visitors a choice of languages and taking charge of all sounds and comments, except for ambient sounds.

• an on-board “Young Audience” tour, offering all visitors aged 12 and over the chance to take part in a specially-adapted tour, also in three languages.

The museum’s total surface area (1,700^m2) offers visitors a 1,200^m2 space, including the reception area, the museum trail – which extends over almost 800^m2 – a mediation area and a temporary exhibition room.

Museum trail model

Four sequences follow one another, each focusing on a specific theme and comparing the four German prison camps in Europe selected, namely :

• the CCPWE19 camp at Foucarville (France), under American command,
• depot 152 at Aubagne (France), under French command,
• camp 18 – Featherstone park camp, in Haltwhistle (Great Britain) under British command,
• a camp in Upper Silesia (Poland), under Polish command.

Along the way, these comparisons between camps make it easy to grasp the disparity in conditions of captivity, as well as the way in which the different commands operated, and to better understand what was structural and what depended on those in charge at local level.

Right from the introductory sequence, ” Of Camps and Men “, the shock of capture, the context and the models of the various camps, allow visitors to enter another world, that of wartime captivity, set against the backdrop of the great upheaval that was the end of the Second World War.

Sequence 1 – Camp management – introduces the controlling authorities, the typology of prisoners and the four selected camps.

Sequence 2 – Detention conditions – looks at the challenges faced by the authorities in dealing with captives: surveillance, improvisation, resourcefulness, housing, food, care…

Sequence 3 – Life in the camps – looks at the daily life of prisoners: their feelings, relations with families and local populations, cultural and religious practices, denazification and re-education, work outside the camp…

Sequence 4 – The Return of the Prisoners – deals with the big story: the end of captivity and the war, Germany cut in two, the Cold War, the prisoners’ word 80 years later…

Sequence 1: Understanding the rights of prisoners of war

Several “voices” accompany visitors along the way:

• The ” Historian’s Voice “, which sets out the issues at stake with the distance of history, provides an objective context for each sequence, helping visitors to better grasp the themes addressed. These clear, synthetic discourses are matched by sensitive, evocative projections of the theme. The audiovisuals will be located at the entrance to each of the museum’s four sequences, making them easy to spot. In all, some thirty screenings animate the route.

• The ” Experts’ Voices ” section provides an opportunity to take a step back and gain an enlightened awareness of history: expert analyses shed multidisciplinary light through a broad contextualization that includes other ^19th- and ^20th-century conflicts, using prisms from different fields – sociological, philosophical, anthropological, etc. – in audio form , from “tiered” seats in the “Historical Echoes” and “Contemporary Echoes” areas. – in audio form, from “tiered” seating in the “Historical Echoes” and “Contemporary Echoes” areas.
• The ” Voices of Witnesses “, quotations from testimonies read out, give voice to crossed accounts extracted from archives, in order to embody the differences in points of view and treatments, from one camp to another, as well as the divergent viewpoints of the different protagonists – prisoners and officials, managers and control institutions, prisoners and civilian populations, and so on.

In all, there are 26 sound detection points on the permanent tour, including commentary triggers.

Patios punctuate the space between the 3 buildings, providing a breath of fresh air and a contemporary, artistic touch.

Patio: evoking the interior of a prisoner’s tent at night

The belvedere in the memorial garden at the end of the tour offers a view of the former Foucarville prison camp “from above”. Imagining the prison camp that housed up to 60,000 men becomes a reality. For those unable to reach the top of the belvedere, a “view from above” area is available in the heart of the museum.

Viewpoint overlooking the former Foucarville camp

The memorial garden, a haven of peace, provides a gentle transition between the closed world of wartime captivity and the outside world. The extensive landscaping, rest areas and tranquil setting encourage reflection.

The Memorial Garden: a space evocative of the line of tents, punctuated by trees and spaces for reflection.