WHEN you enter the Arsenal Palace in Vienna, which has now been turned into a war museum, one finds an emphatic short statement engraved on the side pillar of the grand entrance: ‘Krieg gehort ins museum’, which translates to ‘War belongs in a museum’. The galleries of the museum showcase the military history of Austria, which suffered from nearly every war fought in Europe during the past millennia.
A thousand kilometres away, in southern Netherlands, War Museum Overloon has also adopted the motto: ‘War belongs in a museum’, depicting the history of the Second World War, in which 50 million lives were lost. The surroundings of Overloon had witnessed a major battle involving the American Sherman tanks and the German Panther tanks in 1944.
Austria and The Netherlands were on opposite sides in the Second World War. However, both have reached the same conclusion — that war belongs in a museum, that peace is far more precious than victory over the rival. For seven decades now, the Europeans, including the Dutch and Austrians, have reaped the benefits of working together. Both countries are well-developed and prosperous, providing every conceivable facility to their citizens. Today, according to the IMF, The Netherlands’ GDP per capita is an impressive figure of $61,100, while Austria is not far behind at $56,800.