Fortress of Huy (Huy)

 citadel, fortification, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage

The fortress was contructed by Hollands (By a military enginner CAMERLINGH) in 1818 on a area where during the Middle Ages was placed a feodal castel. The building of the fortress was achieved in 1823.
The Fortress was build to prevent the Holland's territories against a new attack of the Emperor napoleon bonaparte who take a defeat in the Waterloo war in 1815.

Occuped by the germans during the 1st ans the 2nd world war, the fortress did not have a military role during the hostilies.
Indeed, during the first world war, the fortress was a prison for german soldiers who were bored to making war or who were againt the nazism. It was a diciplinary prison.
During the 2nd world war, the fortress was one more time a prison were the germans place civilian, intellectual and politic prisonners. Somes of them were relaxed after a more or less important time (between 24 hours and 4 years). The others were be convoyed to the german working and concentration camps. It was no less than 7000 civilians (in this number, the register showed that 200 women were placed in this prison, fortunatly no kid)who were maintained in captivation there
In 1944, with announcement of the arriving of the allied troups, german soldiers left the fortress.

Nowadays, the fortress is considered as a memorial and it is possible to visit it.Moreover, a museum especially dedicated to the concentration camps and the local resistance was made to present to visitors how the life during the 2nd world war was difficult in the nazi camps and how the resistance opered their operation in the area of the city of Huy.

It is possible to visit this place betweem may and the first week of october. Two way to go to the for : 1) by foot by the prisonners way (sharply rise to arrived to the main entrance and car are not allowed) and the cableway which can bring people to the fortress).

informations : www.pays-de-huy.be/attrac-fort-gb.htm