Yannick is one of the volunteers at Bevrijdingsmuseum Maastricht. He has been interested in the Second World War since childhood and knows a lot about it. 

"In 2004, Maastricht celebrated 60 years of liberation. At that time, as a 13-year-old boy, I was allowed to show my collection to visitors in Hoeve Lichtenberg on Sint Pietersberg. Pierre was also there with some of his Second World War vehicles.”

A fascination with the Second World War

Yannick's fascination with the war began at an early age. "My grandparents used to tell me stories about the war. Some friends at primary school shared my interest and so my collection grew from a few knick-knacks to a room filled with all kinds of special items from the Second World War."  

Yannick went to secondary school, his interests changed, but his fascination with the Second World War remained. In 2018, he reconnected with Pierre and thus became one of the volunteers of the club working on Bevrijdingsmuseum Maastricht.

Young and old working together

For Yannick, coming to the shed on Wednesday evenings is really relaxing. "It is so nice that all ages are involved. It is wonderful that the younger generation is included in this as well."

"The strength of our volunteer club is really that we are all left to our own devices. We all have our own talents and backgrounds. We learn from each other, laugh with each other and create something beautiful together.”

The knowledge to create a realistic museum

"I am not technical at all, I mainly do some manual labour. Thanks to my extensive knowledge of the war, I help think about the details and whether the furnishings, for example, fit the image of the time. We really built and conceived the scenes together. There is so much to tell about the war that I think we will soon have a good storyline. And certainly also themes that are still relevant today."

For Yannick, the museum also holds special significance. One of the scenes will soon feature furniture from his grandparents' farm. He himself now has a nice collection items from the Second World War, some of which may be displayed in the museum in the future.  

Keep telling stories

"When the museum is finished, I really hope that young people will get something out of it. That we can give them something to learn from. That they talk about it at home, at school, among themselves. Stories get lost if we don't keep telling them, and that's a shame. Hopefully, future generations will learn from the mistakes of previous generations. So that one day there will be a generation that thinks."

Will you help us?

Like Yannick, do you have special items from the Second World War that you would like to make available or donate? Or can you help us with materials or a cash donation?

Please let us know!