Verdun Memorial

What Verdun Memorial does

Verdun Memorial (M\u00e9morial de Verdun \u2013 Champ de bataille) is a French public cultural institution (EPCC \u2013 \u00c9tablissement Public de Coop\u00e9ration Culturelle) that operates the M\u00e9morial de Verdun museum and the Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux battlefield sites, plus ancillary battlefield locations including Bois des Caures. Founded in 1967 to commemorate the 1916 Battle of Verdun and renovated in 2016, the institution serves individual tourists, school groups, corporate event clients, and academic researchers. The core product is an immersive museum experience built around a unique collection of over 2,000 historical objects, exceptional audiovisual devices, and a virtual reality installation that convey the lived experience of French and German soldiers.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and public subsidies. Earned revenue streams include admissions (non-guided \u20ac8.50 at the Memorial and \u20ac3 at each fort; guided visits add a \u20ac50 set fee), venue rental of an auditorium, education room, and cafeteria for corporate and private events (\u20ac300-700 per session), guided tours, an online and on-site bookstore (librairie.memorial-verdun.fr), children's programming (\u20ac9 per child for ages 7-10), and historical evocations (\u20ac5-7). Donations and sponsorships are accepted via HelloAsso and the Friends of Fondation de France (US 501(c)(3)). Operating revenue is materially supplemented by the French State, the D\u00e9partement de la Meuse, the R\u00e9gion Grand Est, and corporate patrons including Banque de France, Total, SANEF, and Cr\u00e9dit Agricole.

The institution is led by Director Nicolas Barret under the chairmanship of J\u00e9r\u00f4me Dumont (President of the Meuse Departmental Council). Operations are organized around four departments \u2014 Administration/Finance/HR (Eve de Pazzis), Visitor Services (Isabelle Bergot), History/Collections/Visitor Experience (Nicolas Czubak, who also serves on the Comit\u00e9 d'Orientation Scientifique), and Reception/Technical (Jonathan Sanhagi) \u2014 staffed by approximately 30-40 personnel. The technology stack is conventional for a mid-sized French public institution: online ticketing via Tickeasy, donations via HelloAsso, documentation center access via the Canop\u00e9 e-sidoc portal, GDPR consent via Cookiebot, and spam protection via Google reCAPTCHA. The institution is not a venture-backed company and discloses no revenue figures.

Name

Verdun Memorial

Legal name

Mémorial de Verdun – Champ de bataille

Website

https://memorial-verdun.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

French public cultural institution (EPCC) operating the M\u00e9morial de Verdun, Fort Douaumont, and Fort Vaux to commemorate the 1916 WWI battle through immersive museum exhibits, guided tours, educational programs, and corporate venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum and War Memorial Site

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (71211), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG), Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

Keywords

• Historical museum site
• Wwi memorial museum
• Battlefield heritage tourism
• Guided battlefield tours
• War remembrance exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: The museum generates revenue through ticket sales for visiting the Mémorial de Verdun, Fort Douaumont, and Fort Vaux. A unified ticket provides preferential pricing for multiple sites.
2. Private Event Rentals: Rental of education room, auditorium, and cafeteria for corporate events, seminars, cocktail parties, dinners, and team-building activities. Pricing varies by venue and duration (half-day or full-day rates).
3. Museum Shop and Bookstore: Online boutique selling books, objects, and commemorative items related to the Battle of Verdun
4. Guided Tours: Fees for guided visits of the memorial and forts, including a set fee plus per-person rates
5. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations accepted from individuals and organizations. Major donors and patrons support renovation projects and ongoing operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verdun Memorial operates a First World War museum and battlefield complex comprising the Mémorial de Verdun, Fort de Douaumont, and Fort de Vaux. The institution sells admission tickets for immersive exhibits featuring over 2,000 historical objects and audiovisual displays, offers historian-led guided tours of the Verdun battlefield, delivers school and educational programs, rents its auditorium, education room, and cafeteria for corporate and private events, and operates a museum shop selling books and commemorative items.

Product overview

Verdun Memorial – Battlefield (Mémorial de Verdun – Champ de bataille) is an EPCC (Établissement Public de Coopération Culturel) that manages three main heritage sites: the Mémorial de Verdun museum, Fort de Douaumont, and Fort de Vaux. The offering includes immersive museum visits with over 2,000 historical objects, guided battlefield tours, educational programs for schools, and venue rental services (auditorium, education room, cafeteria). Digital offerings encompass online ticketing via Tickeasy, a documentation centre accessible via Canopé e-sidoc, and digital resources including videos, MOOCs, and the 'Destins de Verdun' podcast series. The institution also organizes symposiums, temporary exhibitions, and cultural events including the annual 'Passeurs d'Histoire' festival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mémorial de Verdun Museum Visit The main museum site featuring a unique collection of over 2,000 objects, audiovisual displays, and immersive exhibits that bring visitors close to the experience of French and German soldiers during the Battle of Verdun. Open daily 09:30-18:30.
• Fort de Douaumont Visit The largest fortification of the Verdun fortified region, offering an authentic immersion at the site where thousands of soldiers lived and fought. Open daily 09:30-18:30.
• Fort de Vaux Visit A significant memorial site featuring a completely redesigned visit pathway with ambitious scenography, reopened in 2026 after major renovation.
• Guided Battlefield Tours Expert-led tours of the memorial, forts, and surrounding battlefield sites including Le Bois de Malancourt, Côte 321 aux carrières d'Haudromont, and La crête de Thiaumont. Priced at €8.50 per person plus a €50 set fee per group, maximum 30 people.
• Auditorium Venue Rental

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• République française (French Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Government patron supporting the renovation of the Memorial in 2016 and ongoing operations. Key institutional backer.
• Région Grand EstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Regional government patron contributing to Memorial renovation in 2016 and cultural programming support.
• Département de la MeusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Departmental council patron, including Diors Collection ownership and ongoing institutional support. Board member.
• Fondation du Souvenir de VerduncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Foundation representing Verdun veterans' memory, represented on Board of Directors.
• Fondation de l'Ossuaire de DouaumontcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Foundation managing the Douaumont Ossuary, partner in the battlefield site network.
• Le PointminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Media partner for Memorial events and exhibitions.
• Guerre et HistoireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Media partner providing editorial coverage and distribution of Memorial content.
• HistoireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016History magazine media partner.
• Communauté d'Agglomération du Grand VerduncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Local government community represented on Board of Directors.
• Connaissance de la MeusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Local association co-organizing Bois des Caures historical evocation and other events.
• La Contemporaine (BDIC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Archives institution providing loans of WWI photographs and documents for exhibitions.
• Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, DresdenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016German military history museum providing objects and perspectives for the bilingual French-German narrative.
• Historial de la Grande Guerre, PéronneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016WWI museum in Péronne, partner for loans and scholarly collaboration.
• Grand Hôtel de PéronneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner museum for WWI interpretation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr: German military history museum in Dresden, formal partner of Verdun Memorial providing objects and perspectives for the bilingual French-German narrative. Comparable in scale and mission but operating primarily in Germany.

Direct peers

• Ossuaire de Douaumont: Adjacent memorial site on the same Verdun battlefield, containing the Douaumont Ossuary. Operates as a partner foundation in the Verdun battlefield site network, with overlapping visitor flows and complementary offerings.
• Historial de la Grande Guerre: WWI museum in Péronne, France, with a similar bilingual international perspective on the Great War. Listed as a formal partner of Verdun Memorial for loans and scholarly collaboration.
• Mémorial de Caen: French WWII memorial and museum in Caen, Normandy. Operates a comparable institutional model — public cultural institution combining museum, archives, and educational programming — and serves a similar width of audience (school groups, tourists, corporates).
• In Flanders Fields Museum: WWI museum located in the Cloth Hall in Ypres, Belgium, on the Western Front. Direct competitor for WWI commemorative tourism and educational group bookings, with a similar scope of battlefield interpretation and visitor experience.

Broad incumbents

• Musée de l'Armée: Major French military museum at Les Invalides in Paris. Broader in historical scope (all French military history) but serves an overlapping audience of military history enthusiasts and school groups.
• Imperial War Museums: Multi-site UK national museum group covering both World Wars and conflicts up to the present day. Larger in scale and scope than Verdun Memorial, but engaged in the same British remembrance tourism and educational programming market.
• Australian War Memorial: Australian national war memorial combining museum, archives, and commemorative functions. Analogous institutional model as a national remembrance site with school education, exhibitions, and public ceremony programming.
• National WWI Museum and Memorial: Premier United States WWI museum in Kansas City. Comparable commemorative mission and educational outreach, with the American Society of the Memorial of Verdun already linking the two institutions for US donor engagement.

Others

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Manages military cemeteries and memorials worldwide, including at Verdun. Not a direct competitor but shares the remembrance mission and visitor audience for those tracing military ancestors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/memorial-de-verdun

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Verdun Memorial