To mark the centennial anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, a new war museum is set to open in Thybøron in west Jutland.

The Sea War Museum of Jutland has been started on the initiative of Gert Normann, a west Jutland businessman, Jyllands-Posten reports.

Normann calls it the "only museum of its kind in Denmark” and sees it on a par with other historic sites like the beaches of Normandy and the museum at Pearl Harbour.

”Both places have a huge number of visitors every year, and like our upcoming exhibition on the Battle of Jutland, it's a story and attraction that never gets old,” Normann said.

The Battle of Jutland took place in the North Sea on 31 May and 1 June 1916, between British and German ships, killing nearly 9,000 sailors. The battle was the largest naval battle in World War I and the only full-scale clash between battleships in the war.

Funds secured
The museum has been trying to get on its feet for a while, but last week the project received funding guarantees from various backers and the approval of Lemvig Municipality where the museum will be located.

The municipality has allocated 3.1 million kroner to the establishment of the museum along with 240,000 kroner per year to its annual costs. Additionally, Realdania will contribute 4.25 million kroner and Normann himself will be putting up 1 million kroner to complete the project.

The museum will be housed in the Red Barracks, the former home of the Coastal Authority, and will feature many artefacts found by Normann's diving company, JD-Contractor.