Fort Ebersberg, also known as Fort Rüdlingen, was built between 1938 and 1940 in the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
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Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internati ...
Canton of Zurich
Canton may refer to:
Administrative division terminology
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland
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Arts and ent ...
to guard the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
against a German invasion at the opening of World War II. It is the only such position in the Zurich canton, located near the town of
Berg am Irchel. The fort was part of the Swiss
Border Line defenses, Swiss military designation A5438.
Description
The fort was built between 1938 and 1940, buried in sandstone on a north-facing slope. In 1978, the weapons were removed. The fort was decommissioned April 2003.
Ebersberg's primary weapons were two semi-automatic 75mm guns in separate blockhouses,
[Kauffmann, pp. 157-158] intended to hamper a German crossing of the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
.
Present situation
The surface installations at Ebersberg are accessible and have interpretive displays. The subterranean parts of the fort are not accessible to the public.
The site is maintained in preservation under a long-term lease by the Military Historical Foundation of the Canton of Zurich. Although the guns were removed, the remainder of the equipment remains. Public tours are available.
References
*Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R., ''Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II'', Da Capo Press, USA, 2002, .
External links
Festung Ebersberg(in German)
at the Military Historical Foundation of Zurich (in German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ebersberg, Fort
Border Line fortifications of Switzerland
Cold War museums in Switzerland
World War II museums in Switzerland
Museums in the canton of Zürich
20th-century architecture in Switzerland