The Somme: The Objects of a Battle. Life Stories (1916-2026)

    From June 28 to December 6, 2026
    In Péronne

    To mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, the exhibition will present one of the deadliest battles of the 20th century through its “material remains”. By this we mean the objects it left behind: tangible and authentic traces that tell the story of the conflict from the inside.

    Through these material objects, the journey will offer an intimate approach to the war, conveyed through three perspectives: that of the soldiers and the craftsmanship of the trenches, that of the families marked by the objects of mourning, and that of the belligerent societies, which have produced a multitude of objects of representation and memory to this day.

    Together, these witnesses reveal the profound emotional and cultural impact of the battle, more than a century after the events.

    Curators:
    – Stéphane Audoin-Rouzeau, Director of Studies at the EHESS and President of the International Research Center of the Historial de la Grande Guerre
    – Victorien Georges, Director, Department of Culture and Heritage

    General coordination / museography: Christine Cazé, Victorien Georges

    Scientific Committee:
    – Caroline Fontaine, Director of the International Research Centre of the Historial de la Grande Guerre
    – Christine Cazé, Head of Collections Management and Development, Historial de la Grande Guerre
    – John Horne, Philippe Nivet, Nicolas Beaupré, Franziska Heimburger, historians at the International Research Centre of the Historial de la Grande Guerre

    Multimedia:
    – Yves Gland
    – Aurélien Roger