Fort Breendonk, located in the municipality of Willebroeck, about twenty kilometers south of Antwerp, served as a concentration camp during the Second World War. Along with the Mechelen assembly camp, they are the only two concentration camps established by the Nazis in Belgium. The site, preserved after the conflict, is today an important place of memory, visited by many school groups.
Galerie photos
Par Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) — Travail personnel, CC BY 4.0, Lien
Location
Fort Breendonk is located on the border of the municipalities of Willebroeck and the village of Breendonk. It is part of the fortified line Antwerp–Namur, with the forts of Liezele and Walem.
Its construction was decided in 1906, initially it was to bear the name “Fort de Willebroeck” but a circular from the Minister of War made it go down in history under the name “Fort de Breendonck”.
History
Breendonk Fort was built between 1909 and 1914, but was overtaken by more elaborate fortifications.
During the First World War it was bombed and capitulated in 1914, it was later used as a garrison location by the German army. Between 1918 and 1940, it served as barracks for the Belgian army and was chosen to house the General Headquarters in the event of an invasion.
During World War II, it was used as a concentration camp by the Nazis, and served as a transit camp for Jews deported to Auschwitz. There was a high level of abuse and mistreatment of prisoners, and one-seventh of the population detained at Breendonk were Jews.
The fort these days
Breendonk Fort became the Belgian memorial to the Nazi concentration camp system in 1947. It welcomes between 60,000 and 65,000 people each year. It is one of the best preserved vestiges of the Second World War. Former prisoners were the first managers of the memorial. However, despite a high rate of visitation in the early years, the lack of scientific purpose and conservation difficulties led to a lack of interest in the fort.
Since 2000, under the presidency of Roger Coekelbergs and with financial assistance from the Ministry of Defense, a major renovation has been undertaken to create a unique space with the initial use, reconstitute cells, barracks, a bunker, etc., and add numerous photographs, written or oral testimonies, and explanatory videos.
School groups must now take a guide trained by the Memorial and seminars, permanent and temporary exhibitions are regularly organized for teachers, historians and the informed public.
