The Lange Max Museum (LMM) is devoted to the German 38 cm SK L/45 "Max" gun and the German occupation of Koekelare and the nearby area in World War I. The focus on the German side of the war makes it a unique museum in Belgium. The museum is named after the nickname of the German gun "Lange Max", which was one of the biggest guns in the world in 1917, and is located in Koekelare.
Lange Max Museum
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Lange Max Museum
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  Near Koekelare, Belgium | |
| Established | October 2014 |
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| Location | Site Lange Max, Clevenstraat 2, B 8680 Koekelare, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 51°07′01″N 2°58′56″E / 51.116893°N 2.982338°E / 51.116893; 2.982338 |
| Type | World War I Military Museum |
| Director | Rudy Willaert |
| Curator | Gerdi Staelens |
| Owner | vzw Lange Max |
| Nearest car park | On site |
| Website | www.langemaxmuseum.be/ |
The museum was opened in October 2014 by the Minister-President of Flanders, Geert Bourgeois. It is located on a domain called Site Lange Max, which includes a farmyard. The site includes other protected monuments such as a bakehouse, the artillery platform and a former German mess.
The museum provides information about the "Lange Max" gun that bombarded Dunkirk and also Ypres in 1917 . Dunkirk is located at about ± 45 km from Koekelare. The information is available in four languages: Dutch, German, English and French. Audio guides in Dutch, English and German are also available.
During the Interbellum, the Pommern battery was one of the most successful attractions in battlefield tourism in Belgium. It was featured in the Michelin Guide "L'Yser et la côte belge". Notable visitors to the Site Lange Max over time include:
Media related to Lange Max Museum at Wikimedia Commons
51°07′01″N 2°58′56″E / 51.1169°N 2.9823°E / 51.1169; 2.9823