Renamation in *fort Lefebvre* 21 janvier 1887 (≈ 1887)
Order of Minister Boulanger
années 1950
Construction of Work G
Construction of Work G années 1950 (≈ 1950)
DAT modernization
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
François Joseph Lefebvre - General of the Revolution and Empire
Tribute by the name of the fort
Georges Boulanger - Minister of War (1887)
Author of the renaming decree
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières - Military engineer
East Fortification Concept
Origin and history
Fort du Salbert, briefly renamed fort Lefebvre, was built between 1874 and 1877 as part of the Séré de Rivières defensive system. Integrated into Belfort's stronghold, it dominates the city from the top of Salbert Hill. Its construction allowed the discovery of the caves of Cravanche in 1876, during the extraction of stones. Following the crisis of the torpedo shell in 1885, modernizations were introduced, including concrete and a shelter.
In 1887, War Minister Georges Boulanger renamed him Fort Lefebvre in tribute to General François Joseph Lefebvre. From 1893, a strategic railway linked him to the other forts of Belfort. Equipped with optical posts, he communicated with the citadel and several strong neighbours, including Besançon's. During the First World War, an underground gallery was dug in 1917 to strengthen its defences.
During the Liberation in 1944, the fort was taken over by the African Commandos after a night attack, allowing the release of Belfort two days later. In the 1950s, he lost part of his original appearance with the construction of the DAT's Ouvrage G. Since 2016, a local association has been working to rehabilitate it, preserving this testimony of the fortifications of the East.
