Fort de Loncin (FSFL)

Fort de Loncin is a concrete fortification constructed between 1881 and 1884 according to General Brialmont's designs, located in Ans northwest of Liège. One of twelve forts built to defend Liège, the fort was constructed exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a novel material at the time that proved vulnerable during combat. On August 15, 1914, a German shell scored a direct hit on an ammunition magazine, detonating 12 tons of explosives and destroying the fort's heart, killing 350 of 500 soldiers inside. Now preserved as a war museum and memorial site, Fort de Loncin commemorates the defenders lost during World War I with informative displays and exhibits documenting the fort's wartime role and personal stories of affected soldiers and civilians.