The Lange Max Museum (LMM) is devoted to the German
38 cm SK L/45 "Max" gun and the German occupation of
Koekelare and the nearby area in
World War I. The focus on the German side of the war makes it a unique museum in
Belgium. The museum is named after the nickname of the German gun "Lange Max", which was one of the biggest guns in the world in 1917, and is located in
Koekelare.
The museum was opened in October 2014 by the
Minister-President of Flanders,
Geert Bourgeois. It is located on a domain called
Site Lange Max, which includes a farmyard. The site includes other protected monuments such as a bakehouse, the artillery platform and a former German
mess.
The museum provides information about the "Lange Max" gun that bombarded
Dunkirk and also
Ypres in 1917 . Dunkirk is located at about ± 45 km from Koekelare. The information is available in four languages: Dutch, German, English and French. Audio guides in Dutch, English and German are also available.
Notable visitors
During the
Interbellum, the
Pommern battery was one of the most successful attractions in battlefield tourism in Belgium. It was featured in the
Michelin Guide "L'Yser et la côte belge". Notable visitors to the
Site Lange Max over time include:
Temporary Exhibition 2016 (2016-2017): "The effect of the inundation on German warfare" (Dutch: "De gevolgen van de onderwaterzetting voor de Duitse oorlogsvoering")
Temporary Exhibition 2017 (2017-2018): "The III. Flandernschlacht in our region" (Dutch: "De III. Flandernschlacht in onze regio")