Museum of History and ArchaeologyHarnes

Museum of history and archaeology of Harnes

Harnes, a town located in the Hauts-de-France between Lens and Courrières, has been the scene of bloody conflicts, particularly during the Great Wars.

These battles fought in Harnes are not passed over in silence. In honor of the soldiers of Harnes, the association of “Friends of Old Harnes” cultivates the memory of the missing in the Museum of History and Archaeology of the city. An interpretation center that immerses its visitors in a collection of memories, both rich and fascinating. From the Gallo-Roman era to the end of World War II, this interpretation center is a true portal to memory.

Getting there

To the meeting of Harnes...

The town of Harnes became an essential mining resource center for countries at war. The discovery of coal, essential to the production of weapons and ammunition, but also to the survival of soldiers and civilians during the winter of the First World War, is the object of all the covetousness of the warring nations.

Harnes, targeted during the Second World War, is occupied by Nazi Germany from the beginning of the fighting. The miners of the commune of Harnes will be among the first to take up arms against the invader. As early as January 1941, the White Eagle organization fought for this freedom. Very quickly, several surrounding communes in the Pas-de-Calais joined the battle against the repression that raged in these northern lands.

The History of Time

In 1926, the association of the “Friends of Old Harnes” began a quest for portraits to maintain the memory of those Harnesian soldiers and civilians who died during the Great War. The fruit of their collection, more than 238 enamelled medallions, is exposed on the second floor of the village hall. A “Remembrance Room” that will open its doors every year on November 11.

In addition to the photos and medallions, new legacies are collected by the association over the years. Donation after donation, the collection grows and settles in the House of Remembrance, property of Senator André Deprez, in 1972.

But, while the city is building up these War memories, 3 archaeologists, originally from Harnes, organize excavations as soon as the coal mining ends and new industrial areas are created. Their discovery is unprecedented: many pieces, remains of the Gallo-Roman era and the Middle Ages, then integrate the collections of the House of Remembrance, becoming from then on “Museum of History and Archaeology of Harnes”.

“Any permanent collection composed of goods whose conservation and presentation are of public interest and organized for the knowledge, education and enjoyment of the public.”

The way of the past

At the Museum of History and Archaeology of Harnes, the curious as well as the connoisseurs will be immersed in a past as painful as it is moving. Throughout the rooms of the museum, you will be immersed in the heart of the key events of the Great Wars, from the Occupation to the Deportation through the Resistance.

Between old photographs of Harnes and its neighborhoods from 1900 to 1950, medallions of soldiers, helmets, uniforms, objects of everyday life … The Museum of History and Archaeology of Harnes abounds with objects and collections, constituted thanks to the donations of private individuals, mostly Harnesians.

For visitors wishing to go further back in the history of Harnes, several rooms gather the objects discovered during archaeological excavations. Pottery, elements of crockery, coins, jewelry … From prehistory to the Middle Ages through the Gallo-Roman period, it is the distant past of the city that is highlighted before your eyes, the time of a memorable visit to the Museum of History and Archaeology of Harnes.