Fort Berchem - Retranchement

Fort Berchem was built around 1642 in the ramparts of Retranchement, on a spot where a guardhouse had previously stood. The fort was created after the nearby Fort Terhofstede was washed away by a storm surge in 1597. What remained were small redoubts and guardhouses, incorporated into the sea dyke. On the site of one of these guardhouses, Fort Berchem was first built as a simple redoubt. Later, it grew into a square fort with earthen walls, a surrounding moat and its own facilities such as a guardhouse and lodgings.

In 1666, during a plague outbreak, the fort was used as a shelter for sick soldiers from Retranchement. Towards the end of the 17th century, Fort Berchem lost its strategic function and was disbanded and demolished. In 2010, the fort was reconstructed after archaeological research. This discovered two moats, a bridge construction and a round brick well that probably existed when it was a guardhouse.

Photo to illustrate.