Month: June 2025

The LRE Foundation is pleased to welcome the municipality of Miehikkälä and its Salpa Line Museum as members of its growing international network. Located in south-eastern Finland, the museum plays a crucial role in preserving and presenting the story of Salpalinja – one of Europe’s most impressive defensive structures built during World War II. 

Established in 1987, the Salpa Line Museum explores the history of the 1,200-kilometre-long Salpalinja (or Salpa Line), a land-defence line constructed after the Winter War to protect Finland’s eastern border. Covering several hectares of rugged, rocky terrain, the Salpa Line was originally constructed as the defence centre for an augmented company. Today, the open-air museum site showcases this legacy through a combination of bunkers, trenches and natural landscapes, offering visitors a powerful glimpse into Finland’s wartime past. 

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation, commented: 
“We are delighted to welcome Miehikkälä and the Salpa Line Museum. Their commitment to preserving Salpalinja brings a remarkable Finnish perspective to our network and enriches the shared narrative of Europe’s wartime heritage.” 

Katri Kotasaari from the Miehikkälä echoed this sentiment, highlighting the museum’s growing international focus: “The Miehikkälä Salpalinja Museum joining LREF is an important step in developing the museum’s and Salpalinja’s domestic and international cooperation and networking. We only joined this year, but belonging to the foundation has already shown to be effective.”  

Last month, LRE Foundation Managing Director Rémi Praud and Project Manager Emme Johnson visited Finland as part of a multi-day programme organised by local members. During the visit, they had the opportunity to explore the Salpa Line Museum in Miehikkälä firsthand and engaged with its dedicated team. 

Connecting with institutions across Europe—particularly in regions whose histories remain underrepresented in mainstream WWII narratives—is central to the LRE Foundation’s mission. The addition of the Salpa Line Museum not only expands the Foundation’s geographic reach but also deepens its ability to tell a more inclusive and diverse story of Europe’s wartime past. 

The LRE Foundation looks forward to supporting the municipality’s future initiatives and promoting the Salpa Line Museum across its international community. 

Last month, Managing Director Rémi Praud and Project Manager Emme Johnson from the LRE Foundation visited Finland for a multi-day programme organised by local members. The trip was part of the Foundation’s ongoing effort to expand its network in Northern Europe and highlight lesser-known but important aspects of Europe’s Second World War history. 

The visit focused on key museums and historical sites across eastern and southern Finland, offering both valuable insights into the country’s wartime past and opportunities for future collaboration. 

“It left a strong impression, both for the richness of its WWII history and its cultural sites with strong educational potential” said Emme Johnson, Project Manager. “It’s not a country that immediately comes to mind in the WWII landscape, but that’s exactly what makes it so interesting.” 

Highlights from the Visit 

Mikkeli, the starting point of the tour, was the location of Marshal Mannerheim’s wartime headquarters. The visit included: 

• A guided tour of the Muisti Centre of War and Peace, a modern museum housed in the original HQ building that focuses on the human impact of war. Muisti became a member of the LRE Foundation in 2023. 

• A visit to Mannerheim’s saloon car, used during the war and the site of a 1942 meeting with Adolf Hitler, for which the only known recording of Hitler’s conversational voice exists. 

• A guided tour of the Infantry Museum, with particular attention to its Winter War exhibition. 

Later, the group travelled east to Ilomantsi, near the Russian border, to explore the Battlegrounds Trail. The area marks the site of Finland’s last major land victory in 1944 and features preserved trench systems and outdoor interpretation. 

The tour also included visits to the Salpa Line Museum and the Bunker Museum, which preserve key sections of Finland’s WWII fortifications built to resist Soviet advances. These are located in Miehikkälä municipality which became a member of the LREF at the start of 2025. 

The programme concluded at the Lotta Museum, dedicated to the wartime work of the Lotta Svärd organisation, Finland’s women’s auxiliary corps. Discussions with the museum’s staff explored possibilities for future cooperation within the LREF network. 

Strengthening the Network 

The visit was part of the LRE Foundation’s broader effort to connect with heritage institutions across Europe, especially in regions whose histories are underrepresented in the mainstream WWII narrative. 

“Finland’s experience during the war was unique and deserves greater attention within our network,” said the Managing Director. “We’re grateful to our Finnish members and partners for their openness and hospitality, and we look forward to deepening our cooperation in the future.” 

The LRE Foundation will continue working with local institutions to explore joint initiatives, educational opportunities, and ways to integrate Finnish history more prominently into the wider European remembrance landscape.