Fort Rapp
Encyclopedia
Fort Rapp is part of the 14 fortifications erected in Alsace
by the Prussian general Von Moltke
after the fall of Strasbourg
in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War
and following the siege of Strasbourg
.
Built between 1872–1874 and inaugurated on 26 September 1874, it was part of the fortifications meant to protect the city from French attacks. Since 1918 and the return of Alsace-Lorraine
to France, it is named after the French general Jean Rapp
.
The fort is located in Reichstett
, a village situated 10 minutes north of Strasbourg and belonging to the Urban Community of Strasbourg
.
The fort contains 200 rooms and was able to host a garrison of 800 men. It was protected by 18 cannons of 90-150mm.
As of fall 2008, 50% of the fort was available for tourist visits.
A guide is present at the site.
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
by the Prussian general Von Moltke
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke was a German Field Marshal. The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as one of the great strategists of the latter 19th century, and the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field...
after the fall of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
and following the siege of Strasbourg
Siege of Strasbourg
The Siege of Strasbourg took place during the Franco-Prussian War, and resulted in the French surrender of the fortress on 28 September 1870.-Background:...
.
Built between 1872–1874 and inaugurated on 26 September 1874, it was part of the fortifications meant to protect the city from French attacks. Since 1918 and the return of Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
to France, it is named after the French general Jean Rapp
Jean Rapp
Jean Rapp was a French Army general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Rapp was born the son of the janitor of the town-hall of Colmar. He began theological studies to became a clergy man, but with his build and heated character, he was better suited to the military,...
.
The fort is located in Reichstett
Reichstett
Reichstett is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Fort Rapp is located here.-References:*...
, a village situated 10 minutes north of Strasbourg and belonging to the Urban Community of Strasbourg
Urban Community of Strasbourg
The Urban Community of Strasbourg , also known by its French initials CUS, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Strasbourg and some of its suburbs....
.
The fort contains 200 rooms and was able to host a garrison of 800 men. It was protected by 18 cannons of 90-150mm.
Tourist visits
The site is open for tourist visits on weekends from mid April to late September.As of fall 2008, 50% of the fort was available for tourist visits.
A guide is present at the site.