The Rampart, The Traffic Artery, and the Park; Designing for the city regions of Antwerp

Figure 3.1 - previous page
Drawing of defence system of the
inner fortification belts. The map used
in this drawing is from Topotijdreis
(Topotijdreis, n.d.).
do see several forts on the polder, these were not built as a result of the city’s
role as National Redoubt. The wet moat and defensive dyke are the remnants
of a strategy of Napoleon during the French occupation of Antwerp, who
wanted to develop an entirely new city on the polder. It even seems that with
the coming of the train station in 1844 parts of the moat were already starting
to decay. (Schoofs, 2003a)
The Brialmont forts defended the none inundable parts between the canal and
the Scheldt. As mentioned before, the forts were placed 2 kilometres apart,
and at roughly 4 kilometres from the city to avoid bombing from long-range
artillery, and to have a place to position a field army. Three additional conditions
had to be met; the forts needed to follow a straight or convex line to
avoid attacks from the side; the forts needed to be autonomous because of
their solitary position; and they had to be connected by a military road that
intersected the different access roads to the city (Nagels, 2012, pp. 50-51).
The forts were planned out on site in 1859. The position of forts 1,
4, and 8 held key position in the design of the belt. Fort 1 had to be positioned
between the inundation areas of the Grote and Kleine Schijn. Fort 4
was important because it defended the railway structures leading to Antwerp.
The final fort, fort 8, needed to be placed right next to the Scheldt, to defend
against enemy ships (Nagels, 2012, p. 51). Interestingly enough, these three
forts were not the first to be built; fort 3, near the current airport, was the first
to be built. This is evident from its richer natural stone ornaments, and because
it is the only fort to be build according to the original design (Fortengordels, b).
The final
Once the Brialmont belt was completed, the notion started to rise that the
Borgerweertpolder was the weakest point in Antwerp’s defence system. It is
unclear exactly as to why this notion started to rise, this was probably due to
an increase in firing range of long-range artillery. The city therefore expanded
the Brialmont belt to the left side of the Scheldt. Two additional forts, one
lunette, and a defensive dyke were built to connect to Fort Sint-Marie, a 16th
century fort of the Scheldt’s defensive structure, that received a refurbishment.
As a final addition to the right bank, Fort Merxem was built between 1871 and
1882 to defend Deurne, and the plateau between the inundation areas on the
north side of the city. Both of these belts were made possible by the selling of
the Citadel of Antwerp (or Zuidkasteel; South Castle), which was to become a
new city district (Nagels, 2012, p. 29).
The Brialmont belt and the belt of the left bank of the Scheldt
The map on the previous spread gives a more detailed view of the three components
of Antwerp’s National Redoubt defence system: the Grote Omwalling,
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