Fort de Liers

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Fort de Liers is one of twelve forts built around Liège, Belgium, in the late 19th century as part of the Liège fortifications and the National Redoubt. It was built between 1881 and 1884 to plans by General Henri Brialmont. The fort was made entirely of unreinforced concrete, a new material at the time, unlike the masonry used in some French forts. It sits about 6.5 kilometers north of Liège, near the town of Liers, and forms a small isosceles triangle surrounded by a ditch about 6 meters deep.

The main weapons were concentrated in the central massif: a 21 cm gun turret, a twin 15 cm turret, and a 12 cm turret. There were 57 mm guns in casemates by the ditch and another 57 mm turret for local defense, plus an observation turret with a searchlight. To help recapture the fort, the Brialmont design placed barracks and other living areas on the rear side facing Liège, which proved vulnerable when attacked from the rear. The heavy guns fired using black powder, which produced smoke and gas in the confined spaces.

Liège was attacked in August 1914. Liers was heavily shelled from August 13 and surrendered on August 14, after the interior had become uninhabitable due to dust, gas and sewage. The fort was not upgraded in the 1930s and was later used by the Belgian Army for storage.

In 1949 the fort was sold to Fabrique Nationale (FN) for one franc. FN later became Techspace Aero. Today the fort is used as a testing site for aircraft engines and is not open to the public. The fort’s shape is still recognizable, and it lies beside the Techspace Aero plant.