The research centre houses two large collections which preserve the heritage and history of the villages now belonging to the community of Zonnebeke. The documentation centre of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 covers a range of First World War reference books and archives, particularly about the Third Battle of Ypres (1917). You can consult the inventory here.
The second collection contains the library and archives of the Zonnebeke Heemvrienden dedicated on local customs and folklore. It holds both general and periodical works on local history. The online catalogue can be consulted via the ‘documentatiecentrum’ tab on their website
Apart from our extensive library, the collection contains photographs and maps, including trench maps and aerial photos from our own and external archives. The collection focuses on Zonnebeke and its sub-municipalities.
The collection of the Zonnebeekse Heemvrienden and the digital inventory lists of photographs and maps as well as aerial photographs in GIS can only be consulted in the research centre. An overview of the photographs and maps in the museum collection can be consulted via the online collection catalogue.
The catalogue is not yet complete and will be replenished.
Due to the catch-up movement, the cards and photos are currently not freely consultable. Please make an appointment in advance via kenniscentrum@zonnebeke.be or T 0032 (0)51 77 04 41