Creation of the museum

Harrie van Daal, a civil servant from Overloon, was deeply moved by the devastation of his village during the Battle of Overloon, one of the fiercest battles fought on Dutch soil. When he walked through the forest full of military wrecks after the liberation, he realized that this place deserved a lasting memorial. He proposed building a museum in honor of the liberators. Thus, on May 25, 1946, the first war museum in Western Europe opened its doors.