Museum of the Order of Liberation

It was during the Second World War that General de Gaulle established the Order of Liberation, of which he became the grand master. In 1967, the order found a home in the Pavillon Robert de Cotte of the Hôtel national des Invalides, and it was in this prestigious setting in the heart of military and historical Paris, that the second national order of France, which aimed to perpetuate the memory of the Companions of the Liberation, gave birth to its own museum.

Its collections today trace the history of those fighters for a Free France and of the Internal Resistance movement, and for those who were deported for having resisted Nazi oppression. Over 2,000 artefacts, unique in their rareness and symbolic value, testify to the commitment and ordeals experienced by the Companions of the Liberation or their families, and retrace the history of Free France from 1940 to 1945.

Exceptional collections

Of note amongst the pieces on display are items of clothing that belonged to Jean Moulin and Commandant – later Marshal – Leclerc, pennants taken from the enemy on the battlefields of Africa and Europe, weapons, insignia and emblems of the Companions of the Liberation, the first Free France naval flags, original drawings produced in concentration camps, tracts, newspapers and clandestine radio transmitters.

General de Gaulle

One room is dedicated to the founder of the Order, presenting all his French and foreign decorations, his last military outfit and some of his most important war manuscripts, including the original manuscript for his “To all French people” appeal poster, of which the 80th anniversary was celebrated on 18 June 2020.

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