Fort 6

Fort 6 lies in the town of Wilrijk, in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish region in Belgium.

After Belgium gained its independence in 1830, fears of a European conflict or invasion persisted, mainly from the Netherlands or France. Because Belgium had no significant natural defenses, it was decided not to defend the entire country, but to establish a 'National Redoubt.' For strategic, political, and economic reasons, the city of Antwerp was chosen as that Redoubt.

In 1859, the Belgian government decided to defend Antwerp by constructing a new rampart around the city, called the 'Big Rampart,' based on a plan by military engineer Capt. Henri Alexis Brialmont. This rampart consisted of a 15 km-long earthen wall with 19 gates.

It also included an advanced ring of eight nearly identical brick forts. These forts, given straightforward names like Fort 1 through Fort 8, were built approximately 2.5 km outside the city, spaced about 2 km apart, to shield the city from enemy fire. Each fort covered about 30 hectares and was equipped with a central reduit, caponiers, platforms, earthen walls for artillery, and was surrounded by a wide moat.

Although building the rampart and forts was a massive and costly project, it was completed in 1864. In 1907, the rampart and forts were modernized. The rampart was dismantled in 1960. The forts are now more commonly known as the Brialmont Forts. All forts except Fort 1 still exist today.

Currently, Fort 6 serves as a campus for Antwerp University. Large sections of the moat have been filled in, and several sports fields, along with modern university buildings, have been constructed on the fort's grounds. The central reduit still exists but is abandoned, flooded, and therefore inaccessible. The university grounds are open to the public.

It's a nice fort; too bad the reduit is flooded.

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