- Address: Brandstraat 57, 2830 Willebroek, Belgium
- Phone: +32 3 860 75 24
- Website: breendonk.be
- Operation period: September 20, 1940 - September 1944
- Working hours: 9.30 - 17.30
A peculiar museum for the memory of the victims of the concentration camp in Belgium is Fort Breandonck, built in September 1906 near the town of the same name, which is located 20 kilometers from Antwerp . Currently, this unique attraction attracts a huge number of tourists.
A short digression into the history
The construction of the structure began in wartime. Fort Breandonk was intended to protect the city from the German armed forces, so a deep moat was dug around it, which was filled with water. Since the fortress failed with its primary task, after capturing by German troops in 1940, it began to contain prisoners. In this concentration camp there were no gas chambers, but even their absence did not leave prisoners with chances to survive. According to some sources, it is known that in the prison there were about 3,500,000 people, and more than 400 people were killed.
Four years later, in connection with the liberation of Belgium , Fort Breandonck began to be used as a prison for the conclusion of collaborators. In August 1947, the fortress was declared a national monument.
What is unique about the fort?
Currently, this Belgian landmark is a museum. Everything here is preserved in its original form: both furniture from the time of the war, and the Nazi swastika on the walls of the fortress. And after the opening of the museum, the names of all those who died during the confinement were also engraved on the walls. Visitors can also get acquainted with a huge collection of photos.
How to get to the fortress?
Before Fort Breandonk, tourists can get there in many ways. From Antwerp Central Station every 15 minutes, a train leaves for Mechelen Station. From there to the destination there is a bus line 289, which runs every hour.
Public transport from Antwerp does not have a direct route to the fort. From the National Bank Square, buses leave at intervals of 15 minutes to the stop of Boom Markt, from which every hour to the fortress there is a bus line 460. You can also take a taxi or rent a car and go on a trip yourself.
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