National War Museum’s 50-Year Celebrations Kickstarted – Open Day on Sunday

The National War Museum’s 50th anniversary celebrations opened with an official ceremony attended by members of its founding association and a public concert calling for peace. An open day on Sunday will finalise the programme, with visitors enabled to view the George Cross alongside the original letter from King George VI, exclusively loaned by the National Library of Malta for this special weekend.

A ceremony held on Friday night at Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum in Valletta marked the museum’s first fifty years, in the wider context of the 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. The ceremony kickstarted the ‘Malta Remembers’ initiative, organised by Heritage Malta, the National Festivities Committee and Festivals Malta to reflect on Malta’s wartime legacy.

The commemoration was attended by members of the National War Museum Association – a group of dedicated volunteers who, back in 1975, set the foundations of today’s museum with a modest display titled ‘The Gladiator ‘Faith’ and War Relics Exhibition’ in lower Fort St Elmo.  In the succeeding years, they collaborated with Heritage Malta’s predecessor, the Museums Department, and worked valuably towards the museum’s expansion and consolidation.

Addressing those present, Dr Owen Bonnici, Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government, reflected on how it was fitting to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of one of the most significant museums in the country. “For 50 years, the National War Museum has stood as a living testament to the courage, sacrifices, and history of a people who remained steadfast in the face of every challenge,” said Dr Bonnici. He emphasized that the presence of the George Cross and the original letter from King George VI on display adds symbolic and historical weight to the occasion.

Mr Mario Cutajar, Heritage Malta’s Chairman, said that: “Although part of this commemoration focuses on the Second World War, human history is steeped in wars and struggles, some of which were given titles such as ‘the war to end all wars’. Man himself does not allow this to really happen.” Mr Cutajar mentioned that, “Like every other museum and experience that Heritage Malta offers, in the coming years the National War Museum will continue to convey more stories about the people who experienced the brutal realities of war first-hand, and our own stories as a people who have shifted their history away from supporting wars, in favour of strengthening the security and quality of life for Maltese and Gozitans.

Whilst hailing the crucial work of the National War Museum Association, especially in the museum’s early days, Mr Noel Zammit, Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, remarked that: “In the past few years, Heritage Malta has invested considerably in the museum, which now features consistently amongst the agency’s top visited sites, with growing visitor numbers every year.”

He also emphasized the  crucial role of the National War Museum – “that of reminding new generations of the horrors of the darkest chapters in human history, so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated in future.”

Liam Gauci, Chairman of the National Festivities Committee, remarked that: “It is on such occasions that we must step back and remember the sacrifice of those who came before us. A sacrifice made for us to live in peace, ahieved only because our forefathers stood on the right side of history against Fascism.”

Three new books produced by Heritage Malta’s publishing house were officially launched during the ceremony: ‘World War II: the conflict that reshaped Malta’ – a comprehensive bilingual guide to the Second World War in Malta, ‘The National War Museum, 1975-2025: 50 Years, 50 Objects’ marking the museum’s 50th anniversary with in-depth excerpts on 50 artefacts from its collection, and ‘The George Cross: its untold story’ offering new curatorial insights on this iconic national award.

A commemorative plaque honouring the museum’s legacy was unveiled by Minister Bonnici. Later in the evening, ‘As One: A Concert for Peace’ was held at Fort St Elmo.

An open day on Sunday 1st June invites the public to explore the Fort and the National War Museum free of charge, with guided tours alternating in Maltese and English on the hour from 10:00 to 17:00.