Museum of World Treasures Remembers Cyril Leuelling
May 25, 2021
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For more information contact: Kristin Martin
Phone: 316.263.1311
Email: kmartin@worldtreasures.org
(Wichita, KS) Cyril Leuelling, American World War II veteran and friend of the Museum of World Treasures, passed away on Wednesday, May 19th. Leuelling was the original collector and signer of a Nazi banner which was taken as a trophy by American soldiers during World War II and is now on display on the second floor of the Museum.
Leuelling and Museum of World Treasures' staff and volunteers built a great friendship over the last fifteen years. In 2006, a staff member reached out to Leuelling after finding his name signed alongside other American soldiers' signatures on a newly donated a Nazi banner. During that first phone call, Leuelling relayed that he and his cohorts had retrieved the flag a couple months after charging the beaches on D-Day and had signed it as a souvenir. Leuelling mailed the flag home, but it never arrived at its intended destination. Somehow, the banner survived and made its way through a series of collectors to the Museum of World Treasures' collection.
The weekend after that 2006 phone call, Museum staff drove the Nazi banner all the way to Illinois so Leuelling could see it. At Leuelling's request, the banner was returned to the Museum's permanent collection on the condition that staff and volunteers tell its story.
In 2013, Leuelling visited the Museum of World Treasures to tell his story in person and to attend an exhibit unveiling. To this day, video footage of this visit may be viewed in that exhibit.
The Museum of World Treasures has been extremely honored to know Cyril Leuelling. We thank him for his service and send his family our condolences during this difficult time.
View Cyril Leuelling's Obituary
Museum of World Treasures is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Kansas corporation and is able to provide a variety of educational programs, entertaining events, and inspiring exhibits because of the generosity of its donors. Our mission is to provide a gateway to the past that educates, entertains and inspires lifelong learning. To learn more visit www.worldtreasures.org or call us at 316.263.1311.
