Fort Giessen - VVV Biesboschlinie

Nature and education fort Giessen

Fort Giessen dates back to 1879. It is an outlier in the New Dutch Waterline: the fort stands outside the inundation area of Altena. This has a practical reason: the Land of Altena is less flat than it seems. There are quite a few height differences in the landscape. To prevent the land from flooding too far in other places, a dry piece of land remained around Giessen during inundation. Fort Giessen had to defend this access (entrance to the protected hinterland).

Fort Giessen during the World Wars

World War I

During World War I, Fort Giessen was fully manned, but the Netherlands remained neutral. The mobilized soldiers therefore filled their time with combat exercises, and laid out a trench arrangement with group shelters. You can still find some of these shelters around the fort.

Experience Fort Giessen!

Tour the trench and powder rooms, learn all about World War I in the area, or explore the special nature on and around the fort.

Hiking

Explore the fort and its surroundings with the walking tour Around Fort Giessen

Bikes

The 70 km Fort Tour takes you past Fort Giessen and the other forts of Altena.

Practical information

Fort Giessen opens on certain days. Check the fort's calendar to see when they are open. From September to April, the fort is closed to allow the bats their winter hibernation. A walk around the fort (outside the fort moat), is always possible, as is visiting the World War I Education Park.

Address:
Giessensesteeg 2
4283 HP Giessen

For information about, or to book tours for groups, classes for elementary or secondary schools or meeting rooms, please contact us through the website or with the administrator:

Mr. John Kollen tel. 0654284567 / j.kollen@casema.nl (if not available: Mr. Hans van Tilborg tel. 0610486712 / tilborgj@kpnplanet.nl)

World War II

In 1922, the fortification system was reorganized. Fort Giessen was isolated ahead of the line after that reorganization, and was therefore deemed unsuitable as a defensive structure. The government considered demolishing the fort, but the demolition costs proved much higher than the proceeds. So the fort remained standing. Its function as a fortification was discontinued, and the building was used by police, army and customs as a storage facility.

The fort was not mobilized by the Dutch army during World War II. It was used by the Germans for storage of ammunition, among other things.
Shortly after the liberation, land mines were stored in the fort. On June 21, 1945, one of the mines exploded as children explored the ammunition storage rooms. Unfortunately, the boys aged 12 and 15 did not survive this accident. The damage from this explosion is still visible in the fort.
After World War II, the fort served for several months as an internment camp/prison for NSB members and other political offenders.

Group shelter at Fort Giessen. Zandcee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bats at Fort Giessen

In the buildings of Fort Giessen, bats have found a home. In the fort they are sure of a frost-free hibernation place. It is humid, very important for bats, quiet and dark. During the 2016 renovation, special care was taken to ensure that these small mammals could maintain their wintering place. Humidity is at a constant level, and better entrances were made for the creatures. The bearded bat, brown big-eared bat, common dwarf bat, lake bat and water bat have been found at the fort.

Dwarf bat, Barracuda1983, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fort Giessen after 1951

After the New Dutch Waterline was dismantled in 1951, Fort Giessen took on a function as an ammunition depot. In the years that followed, wintering bats also took up residence there.
In 1972, the government transferred the fort to Brabants Landschap, which later also made the fort available to the nature conservation society Altenatuur and the archaeological society Het land van Heusden en Altena.
At the time of transfer, the fort was in terrible condition. Cellars were flooded, the floors were bad and the electrical system was in dire need of renovation. Members of the associations worked hard together with Brabants landschap to make the building livable, after which it gradually received its current function as an educational and nature fortified town.

Renovation

In 2016, Fort Giessen was thoroughly renovated. The masonry was repaired and the roofs were made watertight again. Furthermore, the housing for the bats has been improved. Finally, more attention has been paid to World War I: an exhibition area has been set up inside, and a park with an adjacent walking path has been created outside, in memory of this war.

During the renovation, the entire earthen cover was excavated. You can see what that looked like in the video below.