Self Analysis Report Antwerp

Self Analysis Report Antwerp donderdag 25 juli 2013 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. General Discription 2.1 Historical Development 2.2 Protective Statuses 2.3 Framework ‘Fortengordel rond Antwerpen’ 3. Continuation 4. Enabling conditions of re-use of sites 4.1 Theme heritage and landscape (case Fort of Oelegem) 4.2 Theme ecology and bats (case Fort 7 Wilrijk) 4.3 Theme mobility and accessibility (case Fort Lillo) 4.4 Theme program (case Fort 4 Mortsel) 5. Redevelopment models for multifunctional use of sites 5.1 Public property (case Fort of Duffel) 5.2 Private property (case Fort of Stabroek) 5.3 Public-private partnership (case Fort of Liezele) 6. Governance models 1 7. Report of the RSG-meeting 8. Literature 1. INTRODUCTION In 2009, the 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen' was selected as a strategic project in lign of the ‘Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Vlaanderen’ (the Spatial Structure Plan for Flanders). This selection provided financing from the Flemish government to support the preparation of the framework ‘Fortengordels rond Antwerpen’. The 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen' is part of the FLGP-project (forten en linies in grensbreed perspectief) which ran from 2009 to 2012 and was supported by the European program INTERREG IV A Flanders-Netherlands. Additionally, in the context of the Great War-project, supported by Europe, the Province of Antwerp will be looking for people and organizations who wish to undertake initiatives. The Province of Antwerp now wishes to aqcuire and share knowledge of dealing with cultural military heritage within the AT FORT-project, part of the INTERREG IV C- program. Specifically, the Province of Antwerp has three main objectives: a) To explore and research solutions and methods to reuse military heritage in an adapted way, and respectively to identify and improve them. b) To identify and research the potential for transfer of various existing redevelopment models for multi-purpose use of military heritage. c) To develop effective and workable policy models with innovative models for public-private partnerships, legal issues and models for marketing. The Province of Antwerp can rely on extensive experience as a result of various Flemish and European projects in which the province has participated. Given the large scale of the fort belts and the many forts of Antwerp: 35 forts, 14 entrenchments, 1 Anti-tank Canal and 1 Defensive Dyke (see figure below), the province is very familiar with various challenges. Several forts are currently already reused for culture, nature, business, recreation and tourism purpose. In this report, several case studies are presented according to different conditions for reuse (Fort Oelegem, Fort 7 Wilrijk, Fort Lillo, Fort 4 Mortsel) and according to the different redevelopment models (Fort Duffel, Fort Stabroek, Fort Liezele). In the figure below, the cases are indicated by a red star. Lillo 3 Location of the fort belts around Antwerp and indication of the cases. 2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 2.1. Historical development Throughout the centuries, various fortifications were built around Antwerp. The oldest sixteenth century ramparts of the city are lost. The largest fort belts around Antwerp date from the 19th and 20th centuries. In total, these fort belts around Antwerp consist of 35 forts, 14 entrenchments, 1 Anti-tank Canal and 1 Defensive Dyke. These military infrastructures are situated in circular structures around the city of Antwerp and extend far into the surroundings. The figure below shows the different parts of the fort belts categorized according to period in which they were built. Relics fort belts (Source: Kaderplan 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen') For a long time the first ramparts of the city (10th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th century) have had a guiding influence on the development of Antwerp. However, today these military infrastructure are mostly lost. Only along the Scheldt some forts are preserved: Fort Lillo, Fort Liefkenshoek, Fort St. Philip and Fort St. Marie. The current forts are mainly the result of later renovations of the fortresses. 5 The siege of the city of Antwerp, 16th century (Source: Wikipedia) Typology river fort – aerial photo Fort Lillo (Source: Kaderplan 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen', Vildaphoto) After the independence of Belgium in 1830, the country was imposed a strict neutrality. Given the political context the Belgians feared a invasions by one of the greater European empires. Since Belgium has no significant natural defense, it was decided not to defend the whole country but to opt for a 'National Reduit': Antwerp. The choice of Antwerp was motivated by strategic, political and economic interests. First the existing walls of the city were modernized, but later it was decided that new military infrastructures around the city had to be built. These military infrastructures resulted in two fort belts surrounding the city which are to this day very well preserved. Gallis Anvers, Vernacule Antwerpen, 1649 (Joan Blaeu) In 1859, only a few years after the old rampart was modernized, it was decided to create a new wall around the city. This new wall had to offer better protection for Antwerp in times of war. This wall, called the 'Great Ramparts', was designed by Captain Henri Alexis Brialmont. The 'Great Ramparts' consisted of a rampart, situated at the current ringroad, a more distant belt of 8 brick forts along the current Krijgsbaan and inundation fields in the north of Antwerp. The Great Ramparts with the North Castle, situation 1888 The rampart situated at the current ring, consisted largely of bare earth walls on a brick base, fronted by a moat. It had 19 gates, an arsenal and barracks. At the north of the city a new citadel was constructed: the North Castle. Little remains of both the wall and the citadel. The gates during demolition in 1959 (Source: www.fortengordels.be) South of Antwerp some more distant forts were constructed to protect the city from hostile fire. The forts were about 30 acres, situated at a distance of 2.5 km from the city and lay 2 km apart. They are all shaped identically and consist of a central redoubt, platforms, walls and batteries for the artillery and a broad wet ditch (see Figure 4.5 and 6). Only one of these forts, the fortress in Wijnegem, was later demolished. 7 Typology Brialmont fort – central réduit Fort Edegem – Aerial Wommelgem (Source: Kaderplan Plan 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen', Vildaphoto) Shortly after the construction of the 'Great Ramparts', the fortifications from 1859 were already outdated. Because new docks were constructed north of the city, the port of Antwerp was insufficiently protected. In addition, the range of cannons remained to increase. Therefore it was decided in 1870 to expand the Brialmontbelt on Linkeroever (the left bank of the River Scheldt): Forts Kruibeke and Zwijndrecht. Furthermore the Defensive Dyke and Fort-entrenchment Halve Maan were constructed. The Defensive Dyke was constructed in 1870 as a dyke for the inundation area in Melsele Polder. This embankment is an earthen wall with moat, a brick bridge and a concrete barrier. With the floods of 1953, part of the dyke was excavated to fill sandbags yet the dyke is still relatively intact. Finally, the brick fort of Merksem was built to strengthen the Brialmontbelt. This fort had to improve the defense of the north of Antwerp and was situated in a strategic location between the inundation area of the Schijnvallei and the polders. Aerial photo Fort Zwijndrecht and aerial photo Defensive Dyke and Fort-Entrenchment Halve Maan (Source: Vildaphoto) In 1906 the Belgian government decided to build a second, armored fort belt around Antwerp: the 'Buitenlinie' (outer belt) of the National Reduit. For this purpose, 11 armored forts and 12 armored entrenchments were built in a wide arch around the city: from Haasdonk to Stabroek. These forts and entrenchments were constructed in reinforced concrete and had to resist the most modern artillery. This was an extraordinary enterprise: 23 construction sites spread over 100 km and an estimated total cost of 14 million Belgian francs. left: overview of the two types of concrete armored forts right: overview of the two types of concrete entrenchments (Source: Kaderplan 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen') Fort Liesele and Entrenchment Lauwershoek (source: Vildaphoto) When Germany invaded Belgium in 1914, the start of the First World War, the construction of this second fort belt had been completed, but armening the fortress had only partially been completed. The fortifications were not able to fully stop the Germans but did contribute to a delay. The 'National Reduit' functioned from August to October 1914 as a safe haven. This delay of the Germans was important for the civilian population and the army, which in this time was able to retreat behind the Yser plain. The defense lines in 1914 9 After the First World War the defense concept thoroughly changed with the invention of the bunker, aviation and the development of new weapons like tanks. The military role of the fort belts was thus nearly finished. Moreover, some forts were heavily damaged. After the Great War, the army used the forts therefore only merely as a warehouse for materials and as trainingcenters. In this period, however, a final military infrastructure was developed: the Anti-tank Canal. This 33 km long canal was built between the Albert Channel in Oelegem (Ranst) and the River Scheldt in Berendrecht (Antwerp). It was built between 1937 and 1939 and was meant as an obstacle to hostile tanks. The Antitank Canal ran zigzagging through the landscape and was protected by numerous bunkers and lock bunkers, which also controlled the water level. This Antitank Channel is also part of the project 'Fortengordels rond Antwerpen'. Lock bunker Stabroek – aerial photo Anti-tank canal in Stabroek (Source: Vildaphoto) 2.2. Protection Statuses Few of the military infrastructures are currently owned by the Belgian army.

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