Fort 2

Fort 2 is well preserved because it was not overgrown by spontaneous planting, as with the other forts of the Brialmont fortification.

In 1859, young Belgium opted for a defensive strategy with a National Reduit: a fortress that serves as a central point for national defense and as an entrenched camp for the entire field army. Antwerp is chosen by the government as National Reduit of Belgium for political, military and economic reasons. This fortification consists of eleven forts and fifteen city gates, which surround Antwerp like an angular wreath.

Such a Brialmont fort houses a fortress battery. In 1870, the fortress battery on a war footing consisted of six officers, eleven non-commissioned officers, fourteen brigadiers and one hundred forty-one gunmen. Most of the original structure of Fort 2 has been preserved, which is why it was protected as a monument in 1996. Such a fort had only one entrance along the side of the city. The fort has a dry moat that was intended to defend the inner fort. The ground floor was originally used as a storage room, armory, bakery, etc. Upstairs were the men's dormitories.

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