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Key figures

Origin and history

The Fort of Saint-Julien, renamed Feste Manteuffel by the Germans, is part of the first fortified belt of Metz, designed to protect the city after 1870. Initiated in 1867 according to the principles of the "Forts Detached" of Séré de Rivières and von Biehler, it combines modern defensive elements (dry bones, armored barracks) and a bastioned plan inspired by Vauban. Uncompleted during the Franco-Prussian war, it was completed by German engineers between 1871 and 1891, becoming a key link in the Reich's defensive system.

During the German annexation (1871-1918), the fort served as a training camp for imperial troops, then as a logistics relay during the First World War. Reinvested by France in 1919, it was taken over by Germany in 1940. In September 1944, during the Battle of Metz, he was integrated into the German defence line and was bombarded by the United States. Its strategic position on the Metz road makes it a priority objective for the Allies.

On November 18, 1944, the 2nd Battalion of the 378th American Infantry Regiment attacked the fort, supported by artillery and tanks. After a fierce resistance of the 200 soldiers of the 462nd Volks-Grenadier-Division, the entrance door was destroyed by a 155 mm sheller, forcing German surrender on 19 November. This battle illustrates the difficulty of neutralizing Metz's fortifications, designed to withstand modern assaults.

After 1945, the fort was decommissioned and became a private domain. Today, it houses a restaurant (Restaurant du fort), preserving its historic setting while offering a civil reuse. Its architecture, marked by French and German influences, reflects the geopolitical tensions that shaped Lorraine between the 19th and 20th centuries.

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