All posts by Dries Verbraeken

Prince Hospital-Barracks

Located between 1515-1520 in Neo-Brabantian/Gothic buildings built by Antwerp Mayor Arnold van Liere it became the residence of the Jezuit order from 1607 onwards. It was claimed by Austrian authorities in 1773 who installed a military college and academy in …

Pierre Emmanual Felix Chazal

Leutenant-General Pierre Emmanuel Félix Chazal was a Belgian army officer, politician and revolutionary who would become minister of defense and subsequently minister of State of Belgium. During the Belgian Uprising in 1830 he quickly rose to prominence and became the …

Mathieu Laurent Joseph Brialmont

Leutenant-General Mathieu Laurent Joseph Brialmont was a Belgian army officer, politician and minister of defense and was the father of Henri-Alexis Brialmont. A veteran of the Napoleontic Wars he later served the United Kingdom of the Netherlands but became …

Henri-Alexis Brialmont

Henri-Alexis Brialmont

Leutenant-General Henri-Alexis Brialmont (1821-1903) was a Belgian army officer, engineer, politician, prolific writer during the second half of the 19th century. As a military architect he is considered to be the father of the Belgian national defense concept …

Fort Liefkenshoek

Description – The fort of Liefkenshoek (1579) was erected by the city of Antwerp to defend the Scheldt river access during the Dutch-Spanish war. It was captured by Spanish forces during the beginning of the siege of Antwerp in 1584. …