Fortress Kessel

 park, recreation area / ground, place with historical importance, fortification

Fortress Kessel 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 Antwerp could be bombed by cannons with larger firing range.
Construction was finished in 1912, only it was already inferior to the German fire power. WW I the fortress was pounded heavily by the artillery of the Germans, the 330 soldiers fled to the nearest forrest.
After WW I, several families lived in the fortress.
During the inter-war years the fortress is rebuild as infantry reinforcement.
May ’40 Belgium soldiers flee from the fortress and Germans take over.
From 1952 till 1974 it is used again as a family house.
1973 municipal Kessel is purchasing the fortress and reformed it in a recreation domain.