Fort Breendonk
Fort Breendonk is one of the concentration camps that existed during wartime. The object was created by the Belgian army, today it serves as a constant reminder of how inhumane people can be to each other. The museum is open all year round for visits from 9:30 to 17:30, in addition to local residents, tourists come here.
Description
On August 19, 1947, Fort Breendonk was declared a national monument and houses a museum in memory of the concentration camp victims. The museum has a large collection of photographs at its disposal. The building was built 20 kilometers from Antwerp in 1906, its task was to defend the city from the Germans. At the beginning of the 20th century, the fortification no longer had such a significant advantage, so already in the First World War it was quickly occupied by enemies.
Before the tanks, the walls of the fort surrendered quickly enough, and Antwerp fell into occupation in 1940. But the fortification was appreciated by the Gestapo-Political Police of Nazi Germany, and so the fate of Fort Breendok was decided. Those who were criminals, in the opinion of Hitler’s army, were brought here. The motives for the arrest could be almost anything. Separate barracks were built to hold Jews, where they did not stay for long; further along the stage they were sent to Auschwitz and Buchenwald. The treatment of prisoners was terrible, beatings; unlike other camps, there were no gas chambers here.
History
According to the surviving archival data, there were about 3,500 prisoners at Fort Breendonk. Some of them met death in this place. Four hundred names are carved on the walls of the fort in memory of those killed. In 1944 Belgium was liberated. The prisoners of the fort were released, and the fortress itself became a place of detention for collaborators - traitors, and those who remained faithful to the nationalist ideology. Later, everyone was transferred from here and convicted. The head of the concentration camp, Philipp Schmitt, was sentenced to death.
Museum
Already in 1947, a national museum for concentration camp victims was opened at Fort Breendonk. Everything here has remained untouched since those times - furniture, bus stops, prisoners' household items, barbed wire and bars. Numerous corridors, locked doors, a lot of symbols of that time. In glass display cases there are mannequins in the uniform of German soldiers. Almost all rooms are accessible for inspection, even the huge restroom.
The museum has a large collection of photographs from that time; they invariably make a strong impression on guests. They depict scenes of camp life, portraits of prisoners, photos of Nazi officers and soldiers. A visit to Fort Breendonk most often leaves a feeling of sorrow and injustice. You can get to it from the city by regular bus or by train from the central station, but then you will have to change trains and get to the museum by bus.
