Books and magazines

The documentation centre has a rich library with some 300,000 volumes, as well as specialized magazines on military history and conflict history. The focus is on the 19th and 20th centuries (especially the Napoleonic era and the two world wars). The collection reaches well beyond the mere Belgian subject. A lot of attention goes to the military history of countries such as Great Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States,... as it is closely interwoven with Belgian history.

The library also contains a precious fund of old books (before 1850), especially the Brouwet collection about the Napoleonic era and the Wauwermans collection about fortifications.

Visitors can browse the book, magazine and newspaper catalogue through a database (“BibPro”) in the reading room, as well as online (login : visitor or Sign In as guest) 

Newspapers and illustrated papers

The collection of Belgian and foreign newspapers from the French Revolution till the present does not enjoy great fame, quite undeservedly.
The documentation centre also has an impressive collection of front press, both in French and Dutch.

Belgian press from both world wars (both clandestine and censored press during occupation) was digitalized and can be checked through:

http://warpress.cegesoma.be/en

The RMM was a partner in this project.

Some handy references:  

NAUWELAERTS N., 1982 : Repertorium van de nieuwsbladen bewaard in het Koninklijk Legermuseum. Travaux du centre d’histoire militaire, n°17. Musée royal de l’Armée.

BERTRAND F., 1971 : La presse francophone de tranchée au front belge, 1914-1918. Travaux du centre d’histoire militaire, n°8. Musée royal de l’Armée.

BULTHE G., 1971 : De Vlaamse loopgravenpers tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Travaux du centre d’histoire militaire, n° 7. Musée royal de l’Armée.