Exposition 40-45 is a small-scale private museum with an impressive and diverse collection from World War II. The museum is open by appointment only.
The museum Exposition 40-45 was opened in 1984, 40 years after the liberation of this area, and contained the joined collection of Harry Linders and Wim Weijs. Both started collecting in the 1970s. The museum is located in a farm near the Maas, which was owned by the parents of Wim Weijs. In 1944 they had to leave and English soldiers moved into the farm, using it as a checkpoint over the Maas. When Weijs’ parents returned in 1945, sandbags were still against the walls.
The collection has been growing for years and no longer fits entirely in the museum. In 2008, the paratroopers’ exhibition opened in the neighbouring War Museum in Overloon. This part of the collection has been brought together by Wim Weijs and can be seen in the War Musuem.
The dioramas in this museum are of high quality. While the dummies used to be hand-made, almost all of them have meanwhile been replaced by mannequins. The dioramas deal with the rise of fascism, D-Day and Market Garden, among other subjects. An English checkpoint has been recreated to give visitors an idea of what life was like at this farm towards the end of the war.
In addition to the dioramas, many personal belongings are on display as well. Most of them have been received from families of veterans or local residents who have experienced the war. Every object has its story, and the owners willtell everything about it.
Visitors should make an appointment in advance as the museum does not have regular opening hours. On the plus side, this means that at least one of the owners will be present and can tell you everything about every object in the museum. It will bring the museum to life even more with each object having its own history.
Address: Veerweg 14, 5863 AR BLITTERSWIJCK
The free Venray Remembers app shows the past as you have never seen it before. Download the app, take the car or bicycle or go on foot and follow a beautiful route in De Peel. Follow the instructions in the app to project an augmented reality video at the indicated locations and become part of the story that happened there.
View the war past from a different perspective and through this unique app. A modern way to let young and old relive the past in a positive way. Let’s keep remembering!
The free Venray Remembers app shows the past as you have never seen it before. Download the app, take the car or bicycle or go on foot and follow a beautiful route in De Peel. Follow the instructions in the app to project an augmented reality video at the indicated locations and become part of the story that happened there.
View the war past from a different perspective and through this unique app. A modern way to let young and old relive the past in a positive way. Let’s keep remembering!
