The International Museum of World War II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The International Museum of World War II

Founder(s)	Kenneth W. Rendell
Established	1999
Location	Natick, Massachusetts
Website	http://w.museumofworldwarii.org/
Dissolved	2019

The International Museum of World War II was a special museum in Natick, Massachusetts. It was located near Boston and focused entirely on World War II. The museum was created over 50 years by its founder, Kenneth W. Rendell. He was famous for finding and checking old letters and documents.

The museum's collection showed the history of the war. It started from the end of World War I with the Treaty of Versailles. It went all the way to the trials where war criminals were judged, like the Nuremberg Trials. The museum wanted to keep the true story of World War II alive. It also aimed to teach people important lessons from history. In 2016, its name changed to "The International Museum of World War II." This was because it had a unique collection of items from all over the world.

Sadly, the museum closed on September 1, 2019, without much warning. A lot of its collection was sold to a rich person named Ronald Lauder. The plan to keep the museum open while a new home was found ended.

A new museum with the same name opened in Rhode Island in 2019. It is not connected to the old Natick museum. However, it does show some of the items from the original collection.

The Natick museum displayed over 7,000 real items. It also had 103 mannequins dressed in full military uniforms. Every single item was real. This included letters written by Franklin D. Roosevelt and uniforms worn by people in concentration camps. The collection had important letters and papers from many famous leaders. It also included items from soldiers, prisoners, and regular people. You could see original letters from Adolf Hitler, Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Joseph Stalin, and even Anne Frank's family.

Many people praised the museum for how much it showed. Kenneth Rendell once said that if visitors felt amazed by how big and complicated the war was, he had reached his goal.

Amazing War Items and Stories

The museum had many incredible items that told the story of World War II. These included important papers and objects.

Key Documents from World War II

Some very important documents were on display. These included:

• An original copy of the Treaty of Versailles announcement. It had Adolf Hitler's first handwritten notes against Jewish people.
• Hitler's early plan for the Munich Agreement. It had notes from both Hitler and Neville Chamberlain.
• The first message that warned the U.S. Navy about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Full German plans for invading England.
• General George S. Patton's letter from 1942. It announced American landings in North Africa.
• General Bernard Montgomery's speech to British troops before the Battle of El Alamein.
• Patton's map for the invasion of Sicily, with his own notes.
• Complete plans for the Allies' D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
• General Douglas MacArthur's draft of the Japanese surrender terms.

Special Objects from the War

The museum also had many unique objects:

• Hitler's SA (Stormtroopers) shirt.
• His first drawing for the Nazi flag.
• His reading glasses.
• General Patton's battle helmet.
• General Montgomery's beret.
• Copies of Mein Kampf that belonged to Hitler, President Roosevelt, and General Patton.
• Six different Enigma code machines. One was a rare ten-rotor T-52, with only five known to exist.
• An American Sherman tank from the North African Campaign.
• A German Goliath tank used at Normandy.
• One of the few remaining landing craft (LCVP) from the Pacific War. It was almost in its original condition.

What the Collections Covered

The museum's collections were set up in order of time and place. They included items, papers, and printed materials about:

Museum Archives

The museum also kept a huge collection of historical records. These archives included:

• Over 500,000 photos and documents. There were also about 750 photo albums showing military and civilian life during the war.
• More than 10,000 propaganda leaflets. These were dropped by planes over Europe and the Pacific.
• Fake items like money, stamps, newspapers, and ID papers. These were used to trick the enemy.
• A collection of French newspapers, posters, and documents from the German occupation.
• Materials about the German invasion of the Soviet Union. This included invasion maps and bombing plans.
• Many diaries from prisoners of war in Japanese and German camps. It also had escape tools and fake documents from Colditz Castle.
• Documents about General MacArthur's life and actions during the war.
• Detailed plans for the D-Day invasion.
• Personal items owned by Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, Eisenhower, and many others.

Exhibitions and Displays

Items from the museum's collection were shown in many famous places. These included the Imperial War Museum in London and the National Archives. They were also displayed at West Point and various U.S. presidential libraries. The museum's items helped illustrate many books and documentaries.

One exhibition in 2014, "The Power of Words and Images in a World at War," was highly praised. It showed how everyday items like posters and letters could bring the past to life. These items offered clear glimpses into the strong feelings and experiences of the war.

In 2016, another important exhibition opened. It was called "The Power of Anti-Semitism: The March to the Holocaust, 1919-1939." This show helped people understand how hatred against Jewish people grew before the Holocaust.

The museum also created its own special exhibitions. These included shows about Rudolph Hess, the Resistance, Enigma code machines, and the attack by Hitler. The last special exhibition was about the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

Other Museums About World War II

There are many other museums around the world that teach about World War II. Some of these include:

• Imperial War Museum - London, England
• Museum of the Second World War - Gdańsk, Poland
• The National WWII Museum - New Orleans, Louisiana
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Washington, DC