Fort Bourtange is a
star fortA star fort or trace italienne is a fortification in the style that evolved during the age of black powder, when cannons came to dominate the battlefield, and was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy...
located in the
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
of
BourtangeBourtange is a star fort and village in the Westerwolde region of the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Vlagtwedde, and lies about 32 km northeast of Emmen....
,
GroningenGroningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
,
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
. It was built in 1593 under the orders of
William the I of OrangeWilliam I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born into the House...
. Its original purpose was to control the only road between
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and the city of
GroningenGroningen is the name of several places:*Groningen , a province of the Netherlands*Groningen , a city in the Netherlands, capital of the province with the same name*Groningen, Suriname*Groningen, Minnesota...
, which was controlled by the Spaniards.
After experiencing its final battle in 1672, the Fort continued to serve in the defensive network on the German border until it was finally given up in 1851 and converted into a village. Fort Bourtange currently serves as a historical
museumA museum is a building or institution which houses a collection of artifacts.Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary...
.
History
During the
Eighty Years' WarThe Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands , was the partially successful revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Low Countries against the Spanish Empire. It led to the formation of the independent Dutch state of the Netherlands and marked the beginning of the Eighty Years' War...
, the Spaniards had control over Groningen and the road leading from there to Germany. Early on in the war, King William saw it necessary to break off communications between Groningen and Germany. He decided that it would be optimal to build a fortification on the Bourtange passage, which was the main road leading to Germany. The fort was completed in 1593. It was a star fort with a network of canals and lakes which were used as moats. These were also constructed in the design of stars. At the time of its completion, the fort housed five garrisons. Soon after its construction, Spanish forces from Groningen besieged it, though it ended in failure.
Fort Bourtange faced another battle in 1672 against invading Germans. After capturing 18 cities and towns in the northern Netherlands, they demanded that the Fort be surrendered. When the fort's
governorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, Captain Protts, refused to surrender, the Germans replied with a frontal assault. Thanks to the surrounding marshes and the time-tested fort defenses, the invading army was repelled successfully.
After its eventual secession and conversion into a village in 1851, living conditions began to deteriorate. Over 100 years later in 1960, the local government decided that to combat this growing problem the old Fort would be restored to its 1740-1750 appearance and made into an open air historical museum. This provided valuable tourism for the surrounding village. The Fort still stands as a museum today.