Fort de la Chartreuse contains a memorial area dedicated to victims of war. The best-known is the Bastion of the Executed, which commemorates 48 resistance fighters and other civilians executed by German forces during World War I. The site also includes memorials to soldiers from military units once stationed at the fort, including the 1st Regiment of the Line. Today, the memorial serves as a place of remembrance and historical reflection.
It is one of the most important memorial sites within Fort de la Chartreuse. Although the fort was originally built between 1817 and 1823 by the Dutch as a military fortress, the bastion became famous during World War I, when German occupation forces used it as an execution site for members of the Belgian resistance and Allied intelligence networks.
The 48 resistance fighters and other civilians were executed there between 1914 and 1918. Many were accused of spying, helping Allied soldiers escape, or gathering military intelligence for the Allies. After their executions, several victims were initially buried at the bastion before being reinterred elsewhere after the war.
Following the war, the site became a place of remembrance. A memorial was first created in the 1920s, and after the demolition of Saint-Léonard Prison in the 1980s, its commemorative monument and relief were transferred to the Bastion of the Executed.
Visit
The memorial is free to visit and open all year round.
