The Citadel of Huy (French: Citadelle de Huy) or the Fort of Huy (French: Fort de Huy), known locally as The Castle (Walloon: Li Tchestia), is a fortress located in the Walloon city of Huy in the province of Liège, Belgium.[1] The fort occupies a high position in the town, overlooking the strategic Meuse river. Together with those at Dinant, Liège and Namur, the Citadel of Huy forms part of the so-called Meuse Citadels.
| Citadel of Huy | |
|---|---|
Citadelle de Huy (French) | |
| Huy, Wallonia, Belgium | |
 View of the citadel and banks of the Meuse river | |
  Citadel of Huy | |
| Coordinates | 50°31′02″N 5°14′14″E / 50.5173°N 5.2371°E |
| Type | Fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Belgium |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 9th century |
| Materials | Stone |
The site of the citadel has been fortified since the 9th century, and various structures have been built on the site. The current fort dates to in 1818 during the period of Dutch rule in Belgium and took five years to build. The citadel was frequently used to house political prisoners. In the 19th century, members of the revolutionary Belgian Legion were imprisoned after their failed invasion of Belgium at Risquons-Tout in 1848. During the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, six thousand Belgian political prisoners, including the Communist Julien Lahaut, were held at the citadel and many were later sent to concentration camps in Germany.[2]
External links
edit- Fort de Huy: Mémorial national
- Citadelle de Huy at Châteaux de la Meuse
References
edit- ^ War, state, and society in Liège. How a small state of the Holy Roman Empire survived the Nine Year's War (1688-1697). Leuven. 2018. p. 186. ISBN 9789462701311.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ The Rough Guide to Belgium and Luxembourg. ISBN 9781789195408.