War Heritage Institute in the works for Brussels

The federal government has announced plans for a War Heritage Institute (WHI), which will bring together the current Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire (pictured) with several organisations, including National Institute for Veterans and the National Memorial Fort Breendonk.

The purpose of the WHI, said federal health minister Maggie De Block and defence minister Steven Vandeput, who co-announced the formation of the institute, will be to honour war veterans and educate visitors on the conflicts that have occurred on Belgian soil as well the country’s contribution to conflicts abroad.

The new institution, which Vandeput says will attract visitors from around the world, would be located in the Royal Military School, also in Parc du Cinquantenaire. Although the Museum of the Armed Forces would become part of the new construction, it’s not yet clear how the co-operation with other organisations will happen.

The government is currently exploring public-private investment opportunities and plans an infrastructure study. The timeline for the project has not yet been announced.