Geniemuseum - Vught - The Netherlands


Address: Lunettenlaan 102, Vught (See map)
Telephone: +31 (0)73-6881867
Website: http://www.geniemuseum.nl

Shop: no shop present
Restaurant/refreshments: not available
Size of the museum/site: medium
Year of visit: 2002, revisited in 2003
Overall rating:

Description: The "Geniemuseum" (Engineers Museum) is located on a military base ("Van Brederodekazerne") therefor you have to bring along a passport to visit it. In the future the museum will get its own separate entrance though. Over 250 years of history of the Engineers are displayed in the kitchen of "Kamp Vught", a former NAZI-concentration-camp.

A considerable part of the museum's exhibit is dedicated to the different units of the Engineers like the pontoneers, pathfinders, sappers, miners, and torps. An interesting fact to mention is that the corps also layed the foundation for the Royal Dutch Airforce and for the Liaison Corps. Another well-known part of the "Genie" is its former brass band, which was disbanded in 1995 after a tragic plane-crash. All is visualised with photographs, a lot of scale-models (bridges, pontoons), an extensive collection of mines of all sorts and more general equipment (chainsaws and other tools). If you have any questions there's a friendly guide around to answer them.

On the outside of the museum the 'heavy material' is displayed. Take for instance the Bailey bridge, bulldozers, cranes and a ferry/pontoon bridge.


Stained glass showing engineers at work.

A fully equiped diver of the engineers diving school, back in the old days.

Anti-personnel and anti-tank mines with cross-sections.

Member of the engineers' brass band.

Scale-model of a pontoon-bridge.

Caterpillar bulldozer.

Ferry which the engineers can construct in a very short period of time.

Crane truck called "Astrix".

Watchpost used at roadblocks or compounds.