Fort Ney and previously known as Fort Fransecky is situated in
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
and lies about north of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
in the forest of Robertsau next to the river
Ill
ILL, or Ill, or ill may refer to:
Places
* Ill (France), a river in Alsace, France, tributary of the Rhine
* Ill (Vorarlberg), a river in Vorarlberg, Austria, tributary of the Rhine
* Ill (Saarland), a river of Saarland, Germany, tributary o ...
. It formed part of a belt of fortifications that protect Strasbourg.
Fort Fransecky was built between 1873 and 1876 and continuously upgrade from 1880 to 1914 and its guns commanded the river and other nearby transport routes including the railway from Strasbourg to the frontier town of
Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg ( or ; ) (historically in English: Lauterburgh) is a commune and Bas-Rhin department in the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. Situated on the German border and not far from the German city of Karlsruhe, it i ...
. The fort was renamed Fort Ney in 1918.
During the German occupation of France during World War II Fort Ney was a centre for study of gases like
phosgene
Phosgene is an organic chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic, colorless gas; in low concentrations, its musty odor resembles that of freshly cut hay or grass. It can be thought of chemically as the double acyl chloride analog of ...
. In an attempt to find an antidote to the gas 52 concentration camp prisoners were exposed to the gas and then treated. After exposure, many of them suffered from
pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema (British English: oedema), also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive fluid accumulation in the tissue or air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. This leads to impaired gas exchange, most often leading to shortness ...
and four of them died.
In 1944 the local German high command used the fort as their headquarters during the Allied campaign to liberate Strasbourg. Strasbourg was liberated by a French armoured division on 23 November 1944, and the fort's German garrison of about four hundred held for a further two days before surrendering on 25 November.
Today the fort in use by the French military and is not open to the public.
See also
*
Fortified Sector of the Lower Rhine
The Fortified Sector of the Lower Rhine (''Secteur Fortifié du Bas-Rhin'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the French frontier with Germany in the vicinity of Strasbourg. The sector's principal defence w ...
(''Secteur Fortifié du Bas-Rhin'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the French frontier with Germany in the vicinity of Strasbourg.
Footnotes
References
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{{Coord, 48.6373, N, 7.80106, E, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title
Military installations established in 1876
Buildings and structures in Bas-Rhin
Ney
The ney ( ; ) is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in traditional Persian, Turkish, Jewish, Arab, and Egyptian music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. The ney has been played for over 4,500 ye ...