Fortress Brasschaat | military, place with historical importance, fortification

 military, place with historical importance, fortification

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Fortress Brasschaat is one of the 32 fortifications belonging to the 95 Km. long outer defending girdle around Antwerp.
Build in 1908 along with 10 new fortresses and 12 entrenchment as a new defense line to prevent that the city can be bombed by cannons with larger firing range.
Construction was finished in 1911, only it was already inferior to the German fire power.
After 3 days of shelling by the German artillery during WW I the fortress was abandoned.
During the inter-war years in 1934, the fortress is rebuild as infantry reinforcement, numerous pillboxes where places on top of the fortress.
In 1940 for a small period time used as infantry reinforcement.
In the ’70 unsuccessful attempts where taken to blow up the fortress,
this resulted that they decided to leave it like it was.
Since then it became a home to bats.
Today fortress Brasschaat is still military domain and one of the three best fortresses to house bats and therefore not accessible.