Diest - Citadel
Diest
The Diest citadel was built in the first half of the 19th century. When Belgium seceded from the Netherlands in 1830, the citadel was built as a defense mechanism for this new state. This was built to prevent the enemy from pushing through to the capital Brussels in the event of an attack. The citadel was part of the Diest Fortifications.
The citadel is located on the hills on the Demer. Major Laurillard-Fallot (1787-1842) was responsible for the design. The structure has the shape of a bastioned pentagon with sides of approximately 190 meters. The whole was surrounded by a dry moat and in front of the gate was a drawbridge. The citadel is located on a site of 28ha and the buildings themselves have an area of 10,200 m². The citadel has been very well preserved and is the only preserved example in Flanders.
On August 26, 1895, the Royal Decree appeared in which the core fortress was declassified. The citadel served for several years as a barrage to protect the railway, but suffered the same fate on April 20, 1906. After the declassification, a disciplinary company was stationed in the citadel. In the period 1930-1940 a depot of the Third Army Corps was established. During World War II, the citadel was in use by the Germans and after the surrender, the Allies used it as a prison for a short time. In 1946, the National Defense made the citadel available to the city, which housed 63 emergency houses. Three years later, all kinds of renovation work started to prepare the citadel as housing for the First Parachute Battalion. They arrived on August 2, 1953. In 1968, the two city fronts of the citadel were partially demolished to make way for new buildings.
Since 1996, the citadel is a protected monument. Together with the other parts of the Diestsesteenweg fortifications, the Fort Leopold, the Schaffensepoort, and the guard locks of the Zichemse and the Leuven gates, it gives a nice picture of the military architecture of the second quarter of the 19th century. In 2011, the citadel became vacant. The future of the citadel has not yet been determined. The city of Diest started looking for a new destination for the site.
Diest - Citadel
Diest
The Diest citadel was built in the first half of the 19th century. When Belgium seceded from the Netherlands in 1830, the citadel was built as a defense mechanism for this new state. This was built to prevent the enemy from pushing through to the capital Brussels in the event of an attack. The citadel was part of the Diest Fortifications.
The citadel is located on the hills on the Demer. Major Laurillard-Fallot (1787-1842) was responsible for the design. The structure has the shape of a bastioned pentagon with sides of approximately 190 meters. The whole was surrounded by a dry moat and in front of the gate was a drawbridge. The citadel is located on a site of 28ha and the buildings themselves have an area of 10,200 m². The citadel has been very well preserved and is the only preserved example in Flanders.
On August 26, 1895, the Royal Decree appeared in which the core fortress was declassified. The citadel served for several years as a barrage to protect the railway, but suffered the same fate on April 20, 1906. After the declassification, a disciplinary company was stationed in the citadel. In the period 1930-1940 a depot of the Third Army Corps was established. During World War II, the citadel was in use by the Germans and after the surrender, the Allies used it as a prison for a short time. In 1946, the National Defense made the citadel available to the city, which housed 63 emergency houses. Three years later, all kinds of renovation work started to prepare the citadel as housing for the First Parachute Battalion. They arrived on August 2, 1953. In 1968, the two city fronts of the citadel were partially demolished to make way for new buildings.
Since 1996, the citadel is a protected monument. Together with the other parts of the Diestsesteenweg fortifications, the Fort Leopold, the Schaffensepoort, and the guard locks of the Zichemse and the Leuven gates, it gives a nice picture of the military architecture of the second quarter of the 19th century. In 2011, the citadel became vacant. The future of the citadel has not yet been determined. The city of Diest started looking for a new destination for the site.