Alsace-Moselle Memorial
The building of an historical interpretation centre telling the story of the people of Alsace and Moselle was the resultat of an initiative of Jean Pierre Masseret, then Secretary of State of Former Soldiers and War Victims, and supported by regional elected officials such as Philippe Richert, Alain Ferry and Frederic Bierry. In 1999, Philippe Richert and Jean-Pierre Masseret decided the construction of the Memorial Alsace-Moselle and decided to build it in Schirmeck.
Located midway between Strasburg and St-Dié-des-Vosges, Schirmeck is at the crossroads of the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Vosges French departments. Schirmeck was the site of an internment camp opened by the Nazis in August 1940. Moreover, the site of the Memorial faces Struthof, the former concentration camp, as well as the European Centre of the Deported Resistance Members, located on the other side of the valley. The proximity of these two sites, as well as their complementary tour visits, makes the memorial a must-see for anyone visiting Alsace.
On 18 June 2005, the Memorial opened its doors to the public. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, inaugurated it on 3 November of the same year.
Lieu dit du Chauffour
Allée du Souvenir français
67130
SCHIRMECK
Visit to the Alsace-Moselle Memorial
Immerse yourself in the history of Alsace and Moselle from 1870 to today with faithful reconstructions. You’ll feel just like you're there! Let you go in the heart of a historic and interactive course in the meanders of the fate of a region border, Alsace-Moselle of 1870 in our days, with a particular lighting on the World War 2, the totalitarian system and a space dedicated to the French-German reconciliation and building Europe. Movies, documents, film sets to cross the wall of History, to exchange, to think…
The Alsatians and Moselle changed nationality four times between 1871 and 1945. Through an immersive and dynamic scenography, the Alsace Moselle Memorial reveals the particular history of these territories, from 1870 to the present day, particularly during the Second World War.
From 1940 to 1945, Alsace and Moselle were the only part of France to be annexed to the Third Reich and to experience the extreme violence of a totalitarian regime.
This situation cannot be understood without going back to the traces of a region that was disputed for a long time by France and Germany, and today is rich in the cultures inherited from this long struggle.
This place offers a history lesson of universal scope that teaches us the need to unite Europeans in their diversity and in respect for the dignity of each one to offer them peace and freedom. The final space is dedicated to the construction of Europe.
Opening hours
The Alsace-Moselle Memorial is OPEN every day from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., including public holidays (except: 1 May 2025, 24, 25 and 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026).
Public price
Adult : €13.00Kid : €10.00
Price with the pass
Adult : FreeKid : Free
Exhibition ‘A very marked Alsace-Moselle. 1939-1945: the testimony of history and postal marks’.
From 11 February to 30 May 2025
Mémoire
FreeTo mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation, from 11 February to 30 May 2025. In collaboration with the Association des spécialistes en marques postales et oblitérations d'Alsace-Lorraine (SPAL). Letters, envelopes, postal forms, postage stamps and postmarks bear witness to exchanges and their times, often reflecting the daily lives of ‘little people’. Postal documents brutally highlight the Nazi takeover of Alsace and Moselle between 1940 and 1945. In a bid to erase all reminders of France, the Nazis created new postmarks with Germanised names and used their own postage stamps. Mail between Alsace, Moselle and the rest of France, as well as to and from other countries, was subject to strict French and German postal controls. Free admission.
Schirmeck
Allée du Souvenir Français
Allée du Souvenir Français
67130 Schirmeck
France
0388474550
contact@memorial-alsace-moselle.com
History by torchlight
From 13 May to 13 June 2025
Mémoire
FreeFor around an hour and a half, accompanied by a mediator-guide, plunge into the half-light of the Memorial's rooms to discover, in a different way, the tumultuous history of Alsace and Moselle between 1870 and 1945, as well as the construction of Europe. The absence of light highlights the scenography, which becomes more prominent. The senses are heightened, the sounds amplified, and our bearings in space altered. Only the beam of light from the guide's torch illuminates the documents and archives that bear witness to this history. This tour offers a unique experience for visitors, whose perceptions sharpen and evolve as the tour progresses.
Schirmeck
Allée du Souvenir Français
67130 Schirmeck
France
0388474550
contact@memorial-alsace-moselle.com
Guided tour "Vorbruck-Schirmeck, in the footsteps of a forgotten camp".
15 July 2025 at 08:45
Mémoire
Adult : €18.00 - Kid : €15.00
For 4 hours, an interpreter-guide will take visitors on a tour of the Schirmeck security camp, where 15,000 Alsatians-Mosellans were interned during the Second World War in resistance to the Nazi regime. The guided tour will take place in three stages: an evocation of the historical background to the creation of the camp, through a visit to some of the Memorial's rooms, lasting 1 hour; a presentation of objects and archives from the camp, exceptionally brought out of the Memorial's reserves, lasting 15 minutes; and a 5km walk through the communes of Schirmeck and La Broque, lasting around 2 and a half hours, to discover the camp's historic and emblematic sites.
Schirmeck
Mémorial Alsace-Moselle
Allée du Souvenir Français
67130 Schirmeck
France
+33 (0)3 88 47 45 50
contact@memorial-alsace-moselle.com
Accessibility
-
The Memorial is accessible to people with disabilities. For those with reduced mobility or those who are handicapped, as well as those who may have difficulty walking, the Memorial is accessible through an upper parking lot. - Physical disability
Access conditions
-
Schirmeck is served by the Strasbourg/Saint-Dié Line. (40 minutes from Strasbourg). From the train station and the town centre, the Memorial is a short 10-minute walk. -
The Alsace-Moselle Memorial is located at the crossroads of Alsace-Lorraine and the Vosges. By car, it is:
- 40 minutes from Strasbourg
- 45 minutes from Colmar and Saint-Dié
- 1 hour from Nancy
- 1 hour, 45 minutes from Metz
- 30 minutes from the Entzheim Airport