The Mémorial d'Alsace-Moselle sits on a hillside above Schirmeck and is one of the most thoughtfully designed historical museums in France. It covers the period from 1870 to 1945, when the Alsace-Moselle region was passed back and forth between France and Germany — twice annexed, twice liberated — and the impact of that on the people who lived there. The exhibition is largely in French and German, reflecting the region's dual heritage, with some English material available.
The building itself is architecturally striking — a large, angular structure that sits partially into the hillside. Plan at least two to three hours; the permanent collection is extensive and the subject matter deserves time. The memorial also covers the Natzweiler-Struthof camp in some detail, which provides useful context before or after a visit to the camp itself, about 10 kilometres south.