“Iron Harvest” now open at the National WWI Museum and Memorial

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the aftermath of World War I, the fields of northeastern France became the site of a dangerous legacy: the Iron Harvest. This Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the National WWI Museum and Memorial unveiled its newest exhibition examining war’s toll on the earth and its lasting environmental impact.
 
Artillery was the primary frontline weapon in WWI and by the time fighting ended on the Western Front in 1918, shelling had torn the countryside apart – forests were splintered, craters pockmarked the fields and whole towns were wiped out. Across the globe and during the four years of the Great War, over one billion rounds of artillery were fired. Iron Harvest refers to the unearthing of vast amounts of unexploded artillery shells, bombs, grenades and mines.
 
After the war ended, the destruction along the Western Front was so great that many people could not safely return. On April 17, 1919, the French government passed a law allowing it to buy lands considered temporarily or permanently unsafe. Much of this land had been farmland but 10 entire towns had to be abandoned entirely or reestablished away from the contaminated earth.
 
Despite clearing efforts, danger still exists. Nearly 30 percent of all shells fired during World War I failed to explode, and since 1918, the weapons of the Great War have killed more than 900 people in northeastern France and Belgium. Countless more have been seriously injured, chemically burned or poisoned from plants and animals exposed to dangerous decomposing materials. 
 
“The devastation that armed conflict brings to the land lasts for generations beyond the fighting itself,” said Dr. Chris Juergens, Curator at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. “Iron Harvest is a chilling reminder of war’s enduring impact.”
 
It is estimated that it will take another 300 years from now to completely clear the zone of unexploded ordnance – but this does not include the time needed to break down the poisons embedded in the soil. 
 
Iron Harvest is located in the West Lobby of the Museum and Memorial and admission is not required to visit. A variety of engaging programs will support the exhibition. Stay tuned to theworldwar.org/events for more information.

Iron Harvest explores the environmental legacy of World War I battles in the fields of northeastern France and Belgium. Photo credit: National WWI Museum and Memorial.