Construction of the fort 1889-1890 (≈ 1890)
Response to the 1870 defeat against Germany.
1909-1912
Major modernization
Major modernization 1909-1912 (≈ 1911)
Add 75 mm turrets, grabenwehren, ammunition store.
18 juin 1912
Commissioning of turrets
Commissioning of turrets 18 juin 1912 (≈ 1912)
Canons 75 mm operational before the war.
1914
Reinforced garnish
Reinforced garnish 1914 (≈ 1914)
311 men and underground shelter digging.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
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Origin and history
Chèvremont's work was built in 1889-1890 as a response to the French defeat against Germany and the shift of borders westward. Built into the River Séré System, this horsepower fort was one of the East Fortifications, designed to strengthen the eastern defence of France. It was positioned on an ancient dread of the fortress of Belfort, at an altitude of 390 meters, between the forts of the High and Lower Perches, covering the space between the forts of Vézelois and Bessoncourt, as well as the railway line Mulhouse-Belfort.
The fort has a trapezoidal shape, with a shorter oriental façade, surrounded by a partially masonated dry ditch. Its stone and concrete densivkaserne, located at the rear (kehle), allowed to defend the ditch via controlled accesses, including one functional bridge. Fighting was already in reinforced concrete, an innovation for the time. The fort was home to poternes connecting casemates, artillery turrets (two 75 mm guns installed in 1922), and a battled observatory. A power plant, equipped with two engines and dynamos, supplied lighting and ventilation.
Designed for a temporary garrison, the fort welcomed 287 men in 1914, raised to 311 during the war. It was logistically dependent on Bessoncourt for bread, but had a well and a 120.8 m3 tank. No optical link existed with other works, but an electrical telegraph network connected them. Between 1909 and 1914, major modernizations were carried out: the addition of armored turrets, Grabenwehren (drain defences), and an ammunition store. During World War I, underground shelters were dug into natural soil.
The weaponry evolved significantly: in 1903, the fort was without heavy parts; In 1912, he had two 75 mm gun turrets and an armored machine gun stand. During World War II, all metal elements were dismantled for scrap metal. Spared by fighting, the fort remains in good condition today, used by the French army for exercises, but inaccessible to the public.
Architecturally, the work illustrates the transition between the 19th-century masonry fortifications and the 20th-century reinforced concrete structures. Its strategic role was twofold: to lock access to Belfort and to protect the vital railway link between Alsace and Franche-Comté. The outside Friedenskasern, now in ruins, served as barracks in peacetime. The modernization costs (467 000 gold francs in 1900) reflect the importance attached to this border sector after 1870.
