Living History
A brief background
Modern re-enactment in Britain started in 1967 with the formation of The Sealed Knot under the guidance of the late Brigadier Peter Young. Other societies formed in the late 60s and 70s, however the emphasis was very much on the recreation of battles.
The World War II Battle Re-enactment Association (the previous name of the WWII Living History Association Ltd., our parent organisation) was formed in 1978 and set out to recreate WW2 battles for both the public to watch, and for the members to undertake privately. In the mid 80s, the emphasis started to shift towards a new concept - displaying how people lived in the field, across all periods of history; living history, as we know it today, had started in earnest.
In 2000, English Heritage put on, what is still today, the largest event of its kind in Europe - well over 3000 participants from more than 100 groups, the vast majority of which were living in a period manner.
There are now a large number of suppliers who make everything from buttons and buckles to uniforms to weapons and replica armoured vehicles. Living history today is a multi million pound industry in the UK and is firmly engrained in the tourism and heritage sectors.
Living History and us
Our main aim is education; we do not claim that our display is 100% accurate – we are providing a snapshot of how things may have been based on photographs and interviews with German army veterans. Rather than seeing a number of items displayed on shelves, as one may do in a museum, visitors can see the items in an authentic setting; and in some cases still working. We are one of the few groups who openly invite members of the public into our tents so they can look closely at the equipment and allow them to try and use a field telephone or look through original instructional books.
For our members, it allows them to pass on their enthusiasm, interest and knowledge to other interested people, as well as giving them an insight of what life may have been like for the German soldier. It also allows them to meet like minded people, with whom they can exchange and discuss ideas. For some, they enjoy the research, others enjoy physically restoring or manufacturing items for our display – but we all enjoy sharing our common interest with others.