Fort de Saint-Julien
The Fort de Saint-Julien, also known as Feste Manteuffel when under German control, is a military fortress near Metz in Saint-Julien-lès-Metz, Moselle, France. It is one of the forts built in the first fortified belt around Metz, part of the Séré de Rivières system. Construction began in 1867 and finished around 1870, but the fort was not fully complete when the Franco-Prussian War started. It sits on a hillside that looks over Metz and the Moselle valley. The fort is pentagonal in shape, built as a bastion with a main barracks designed to withstand artillery, and it is protected by a system of dry moats.
History in brief:
- After the Franco-Prussian War, Metz became a major German fortress. The fort was used as a German training camp and later housed troops of the XVI Army Corps.
- In World War I (1914–1918) it served as a staging and defense site for German forces and was surrendered to France in 1919.
- In World War II, the fort was reoccupied by Germany as part of the Metz defense system. In September 1944, Metz was declared a Hitler Reich fortress, and German forces fortified the area around the forts of Metz.
- In November 1944, American forces attacked Fort Saint-Julien as part of the battle for Metz. After heavy bombardment and a fierce assault, the fort’s German defenders surrendered on 19 November 1944. The strong German defense slowed the American advance.
After the war the fort was abandoned. Today part of the site houses a restaurant serving Alsace and Lorraine dishes.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:57 (CET).