Fort 4 (Source: Wikipedia)

Fort 4 is a fort located in Mortsel and part of the Brialmont belt. Construction started in 1859 and it was completed in 1864. Fort 4 is part of the Defence Line of Antwerp.

Fort 4 has had a limited war effort. On October 8, 1914, the forts 3, 4 and 5 were fired with heavy artillery. A direct hit was placed on a battery on the central square of the fort. The garrison left the fort there, after which Britten took over the defence. Shelling and elimination of the forts Walem and Sint-Katelijne-Waver made the Antwerp Fortress indefensible. Fort 4 was abandoned on the night of 8 October 9, 1914.

In 1924 it was decided to end the military deployment of the fort. Until then it did function as a barracks. In the Second World War it was used by the Germans as a storage place for ammunition and plane bombs. The fort was hit several times by aircraft bombs and twice by a V-bomb after the liberation of Antwerp. After 1945 the fort served for a long time as a warehouse for the 99th Battalion Logistics. That is why it was exceptionally well preserved.

On August 30, 2000, the fort in Mortsel is finally abandoned with a solemn key handover. City Mortsel becomes the new owner of Fort 4. The fort is now accessible as a green area. The city of Mortsel opens up the domain for sports, recreation and cultural activities. The outdoor glacier is always open, the indoor glacier has varying opening times.