Monday 13 August 2012

UNESCO Vauban List : Neuf - Brisach

The UNESCO Vauban list of 12 fortifications has a Historical Description for each site in French, this is my translation of this site's description.

NEUF - BRISACH
Following the treaty of Ryswick (1697) and the loss of Beisach-an-Rhein, a new town was created ex-nihilo on the Alsace plain between 1698 and 1703. The lack of funds is the cause of the relative unfinished feel of the place, absent guerites, gate sculptures not realised, inferior quality materials in some external works. The Church, the Governor's Residence and the Town Hall date from the 18th Century, but are built on the sites and to the designs requested by Vauban.In 1870, Neuf - Brisach became a Prussian bridgehead until 1918 (Festung Neubreisach) with numerous modifications and adaptations like the reinforcement of the bastioned towers and the construction of traverse shelters, a hospital barracks and powder workshops. In the interior they adopted the Suzonni barracks and constructed a protestant chapel. The railway line altered the fortification trace in the North East sector. February 1st 1945, the interior of the town was destroyed during the American attack. For 30 years the Belfort Gate has been used as a museum and the old Governor's Residence became the Office of Tourism.

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