The Zwischenwerk (intermediate fort) VIIIb is one of the remains of a massive belt of fortifications around Cologne, established in the years 1873-76, to guard against a French invasion. Twelve large forts were constructed, with some additional flanking or intermediate forts. Most of these had to be dismantled after the First World War, according to the stipulations of the Versailles Treaty. Today, a museum preserves this military memory. The fortress belt around the city is not completely visible but needs to be discovered. The specific fortresses were made of red bricks and then covered in earth or concrete.
The windows are protected with an iron grill
All of them have similar designs. Interestingly, the Zwischenwerk resembles the forts constructed in Posen (Poznan) and Thorn (Torun) in today’s Poland. Apparently, Prussian military engineers felt a standard design had many advantages and both the prospective French and Russian enemy would not be able to penetrate these defensive lines. A deep dry moat protected the main body of the fortress.
The dry moat was dug more than 4 meters into the ground.
In addition, an iron fence held off potential attackers. A 15 cm gun was the main weapon, with three additional smaller cannon installed. Plenty of ammunition was stored inside the area, shielded by heavy brick walls and small bunkers.
Munitions storage in specially designed bunkers
About 150 soldiers occupied the fort. No shot was ever fired in anger here since France never invaded and the battlefields of the “Great War” were far away in Flanders. Germany lost, the newly-established Weimar Republic had to downsize its military and demolish fortresses. The Rhineland became a demilitarized zone, enforce by Allied occupation. After the required dismantling of defensive installations, the area became a green belt and a public park. Unfortunately, it has also been heavily tagged and littered, making it unsightly and seemingly neglected.
Public art defaced by taggers
The local fortress aficionados are currently collecting money to pay for the upkeep. CRIFA – the Cologne Research Institute for Fortress Architecture works on an international basis to preserve the history of military installations. However, Prussian heritage protection is not the most popular item on the agenda of today’s political elite in Germany, and in the anti-Prussian Rhineland in particular. This is visible – the area is completely open to the public and unguarded. Young Germans obviously have little regard or respect for their heritage. As a consequence, the walls are covered in tags and the whole space is full of trash. A sorry state for a proud city. If you are lucky to catch a rare open day or visit on the international “Day of Forts”, you might be able to see the barrack rooms and the kitchen inside.
Public spaces soon become the playground of vandalsSteel shards placed strategically inside the moat are what remains of an art projectA view from the overgrown forest around the fortressPreservation is continuing amidst constant vandalism at the historic sitePeeling paint is the least of all the conservation issues hereMore than a century has passed since these bricks were laid downThe view for the French: Impressive embrasures for firing at the enemyTwin windows to shed light into the fortress
The goal of Zwischenwerk VIIIb was to protect the nearby Rhine river, which is indeed within walking distance from the fortress. Nowadays, a popular main road transports cars and trucks to the Autobahn. Most drivers will be oblivious of the military installation on the side of the road.
Now, a look inside! Once a year, the “day of the forts” celebrates the remains of fortifications across Europe. Organized tours allow a glimpse behind the walls.
A nonprofit maintains the interior and has organized a small but lively exhibit.The guides do a wonderful job explaining how this fort as used in the strategic defense of the city of Cologne. The most significant strategic value were the two bridges crossing the Rhine. At the time (1880s), armies found river crossings extremely difficult. Therefore, campaigns were directed at capturing bridges intact. Besides the two bridges in Cologne, the next Rhine bridges were at Koblenz (south) and Wesel (north)The fortification belt went all around the city, and a special road, the “Militaerring” was built to connect them. Our “Zwischenwerk” in Rodenkirchen is located on the bottom of this map. Mark the two bridges over the river Rhine.This scale model shows the fort with its steep moat and triangular shape pointing to the advancing enemy.Although the fort was built to last, water still seeps in and threatens the brick walls.The detailed plan highlights the rooms for officers and troops manning the fort. According to the stipulations of the Versailles Treaty, all fortification left of the Rhine had to be demolished under Allied supervision. The Cologne mayor Konrad Adenauer managed to hold onto many forts, arguing that the buildings be used in the “Green Belt” of his city to house sports clubs and citizens’ organizations. Adenauer cultivated roses in his spare time, so he had a rose garden planted on top of this fort. Sadly, the garden has been neglected since. This is the view of the gunner looking out.State-of-the-art heating was installed to keep the troops warm and cozy.The museum displays bottles and plates discovered during the archaeological digs around the fort.Light throws eerie shadows on the fort’s interior walls. Cooking was only allowed at night so the smoke would not indicate the location of the fort to the enemy.The destruction of the forts had to be documented in photos, so there is a good record of before-and-after shots. When the dismantling ended in 1926, this small area remained, technically in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. This is the Kaponniere, a fortress “nose” jutting out into the moat. Soldiers could aim their rifles through the slits and shoot. Obviously, this part belonged to the military-use areas that were supposed to be destroyed. The guide speculates that all sides had grown weary of the effort to dismantle stuff and just called it a day at this moment in time.The “Schiessscharten” to defend the fort against the invading forces – which never came.The only available light came from windows on the city side, but these could also be boarded up with sandbags and steel plates should the enemy encircle the fort.
