Fort Bourtange
In the Dutch village of Bourtange there is an amazing eponymous fort, built in the shape of a star. It was built to control the road between Germany and the town of Groningen during the Netherlands bourgeois revolution.
During the Eighty Years War ( Netherlands Revolution ) ( 1568 - 1648 ), the Spaniards in Groningen controlled roads from the city to Germany. William I of Orange, the leader of the Netherlands, realized that this needed to break the connection between Groningen and Germany. In his opinion, it would be optimal to build a fortified fortress on the road going to Germany. The fort was built in 1593 in the form of a star with a network of canals, ditches ( which also dug in the form of stars ). Such fortresses became popular in the 16th century, replacing castles, the high walls of which were easily carried by cannons. At the time of completion of construction, a garrison was already located in the Burtange fortress, which had to collide with Spanish troops from Groningen. The walls of the fortress withstood the test of strength, and the Spaniards had to retreat.
In 1607, the walls of the fort were strengthened, and after the end of the revolution in 1648, Burtange was abandoned. But soon from France. A threat began to increase in England and its allies, then in 1665 troops again entered the fortress to defend the Westerwolde region from the Münster bishopric, who fought on the side of England during the Second Anglo-Dutch War ( 1665 — 1667 ). In 1672, Christoph-Bergard von Galen, the German prince-bishop of Münster, joined France ( the Dutch War of 1672 — 1678 ), captured 18 cities and towns in northern Holland. Approaching Burtange, he demanded his surrender, but the governor of the fortress, Captain Protts, refused him. Then Galen sent his troops to a frontal attack, but stuck in swamps and ditches shot from the walls of Burtange, they could not oppose anything to the defenders of the fortress. The siege soon had to stop.
Having survived the last battle in 1672, the fort continued to serve on the defensive network on the border with Germany until it was finally abandoned in 1851. Burtange was transformed into a village and the condition of the fortress began to deteriorate. Only in 1960 did local authorities restore the fortress and make it a historical and local history museum, which brings substantial income to the villagers through tourism. Today, about four hundred inhabitants live in the village, and international festivals for the reconstruction of historical battles are held.
