Military History Museum Dresden

Paul and I have now visited this museum three times and each time we have left with mixed feelings. In 2008, the museum had quite a good display in a more or less conventional manner, but many exhibits were in storage because they didn't have the space to display them.

In 2010 the museum was closed due to a massive rebuilding program, which was very disappointing.

In 2013 the rebuilding is completed but the displays have been totally redone. The results are very disappointing for the military buff. It is though the museum has been redesigned by pacifists who see military history from a particular perspective. From my perspective, the results are bizarre and, although I think I understand what they are trying to achieve, the current display fails.

The architecture is adventurous but there is little hardware.

At what point one of the curators came over to chat and he told me that they rebuilding the stables behind the building to display all the gear they have and that will be finished in 2015. So I guess I will be going back!

Here are some of our photos from this interesting but unsatisfying museum.

The Seehund was one of a range of midget submarines built by the Germans in  the final year of the war, principally to attack Allied shipping. Although hundreds were built, they achieved little and suffered high casualties.

This is an interesting display of pikes and armour, of which the museum has a reasonable collection although much of it is not now on display.

I think this is a NATO 105mm mountain gun/howitzer, a modern, relatively  light artillery piece.

The 20mm turret of a Spahpanzer, the German standard armoured car, which bears a remarkable resemblance to its WW2 cousins.

The vehicle collection outside includes this very good looking Gepard, the air defence version of the Leopard with twin 35mm radar controlled guns.

This is a late model Leopard 1, with spaced armour.

This is a German Spahpanzer recon armoured car. This vehicle has a very sophisticated transmission.

The T-80 was the standard main battle tank of the East German  Army at the time of reunification. This immaculate copy features a range of defensive and fire-control aids.

This is the turret of the BMP-3 with a 30mm gun.

This display highlights the arms race between the Royal Navy and the Imperial Germany Navy. Tirpitz and his successors never understood that the Riskflotte strategy - basically have a "fleet in being" was likely to fail because Britain had to have a superior navy for survival. For Germany it was an expensive adornment which antagonised the British.

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This PZH 2000 is the German Army's standard 155mm self propelled artillery piece. Built on a Leopard hull, with an extra road wheel it is a very large, very capable but expensive vehicle.

The PzH 2000 from the front is an intimidating sight.

The little Weasel is the vehicle for supporting Germany's airborne forces. It has been surprisingly successful in service but it would be a deathtrap in a serious battlefield, akin to a Bren carrier.

Another shot of the T-80