Hof der dingen - The memorial chair from New Zealand

World War I left deep scars — especially in West Flanders. In Belgium alone, people from more than 120 different nations lost their lives. Soldiers from more than 120 different nations lost their lives here on the battlefields. In each of those countries, countless homes were left with empty chairs — belonging to family members who would never return. 

The In Flanders Fields Museum collected one chair from each nation as a symbol of loss and mourning. Together, they make those emotions — both painful and poetic — tangible and universally understood. The chairs formed part of the major commemoration marking 100 years since World War I. The wooden and simplistic chair standing in front of you is from New Zealand. 

New Zealand was hit hard by the Great War — more than 5,000 New Zealanders lost their lives in the Battle of Passchendaele alone. While these chairs are connected to World War I, they also stand as a testament to all victims of war, past and present. 

Our thanks to the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres for making this chair available to us.