“The Great War in pictures” – photographs, postcards and propaganda posters from the first world conflagration, in an exhibition that transports us in the front lines of the battlefield, after one century. Overwhelming feelings, compassion or pity in front of memorable war scenes, from the battles in the trenches to the celebration of Christmas in the heart of the first military conflict that shook the entire world.
The (un)rest before the storm
In a series of images and texts, the exhibition catches a glimpse of the most important aspects of the Austrian socio-cultural context from a century ago. The years before the First World War are called the calm before the storm. However, contrary to this cliché, Austria was going through a restless time heading fast-forward into modernism on all possible aspects: modern feminism was taking shape, Sigismund Freud was discovering the subconscious, music was leaving the foundations of harmony and painting was distancing itself from the concrete.
French and Romanians during the First World War
The itinerary exhibition “French and Romanians during the First World War” is made of 12 illustrated panels with French text. In each city or exhibition space these panels are completed by archive documents from the local collections. The accompanying cards in Romanian help the visitors with understanding the French texts.
The texts belong to the Communication and Audio-Visual Production Centre of Defense under the French Ministry of Defense. They describe, in a didactic and chronological style, the different stages of the political and military French-Romanian relationship during the First World War, from the moment Romania entered the war until the peace treaties.
Each panel includes a calendar that assists viewers with locating the great events mentioned in the text, portraits of historical figures (kings, generals, politicians) and descriptions of events and images of that time. The collection is completed with maps. The images come from public funds or personal collections. A large number belongs also to the National Military Museum “King Ferdinand of Romania”.