2024- Number 007 (june)

Published by the IFC for their members and partners 4 editions per year

EDITORIAL

The IFC is pleased to send you the fourth issue of its Newsletter, a publication to keep you informed of its activity and that of its members who work for the protection, conservation and enhancement of our heritage. fortified, witnesses of our history. Our Newsletter (4 issues per year) is published in March, June, September and December. Ravelin gives you information on the actions of the IFC as well as member associations. The dissemination of Ravelin prepared by the IFC Board of Directors is provided by the national associations members. If you would like this newsletter to also be distributed to an new contact whom you would like to raise awareness of the issues of safeguarding and enhancing fortified heritage, please contact the editorial team by providing the email addresses of your contacts.

VICE CHAIRMAN’S WORD

Dear readers,

 Today you are receiving the last issue of the IFC Newsletter with a wealth of interesting information from the field of international fortification research. Our president Andreas Kupka is preparing the 43rd DGF Annual Congress with the topic "En Miniature -  Models in Fortress Construction" and General Assembly in Luxembourg where his association will meet our friends from the FFGL and many members of the Vauban Association, MvC and Simon Stevin Vlaams, showing, if it were necessary, the synergy between our associations. The protection of the fortified heritage is more important than ever. It represents the efforts made to protect our territories, our populations and prevent conflicts as much as possible. A quality fortified place has never (or rarely) been conquered by force, which proves that it was, by its design, perfectly suited to its mission. In this difficult period, to say the least, these achievements preceded remarkable changes in our societies: from military infirmaries were born hospitals and emergency services, from the action of sappers combined with monks, firefighters, drainage systems for forts, modern autonomous networks of sanitation, energy distribution, communications...

This Newsletter is yours and your contribution to its enrichment is essential. Feel free to use it to share your experiences with us

Marc Gayda.

WORLD 2024

This calendar is drawn up by the CDSG based on information provided by our members on their planned activities. It is regularly updated and will be included in the first section of our Newsletter

 .June 11-15, Association Vauban, Metz, annual Congress, Alain Monferrand (see on website www-association-vauban.org) , contact@association-vaubna.org

. June 22; Fortress Study Group, Member day, David Clark, contact@fsgfort.com

. September 7 – 8, Fortress Study Group, Plymouth study tour, David Clark, contact@fsgfort.com

. September 12 – 16 Association St Maurice d’Etudes Militaires-ASMEM, Benelux Study Tour, Colonel EMG Schalbetter, president@asmem.ch

. September 20/21/22, France, Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Patrimonial Days) some fortifications open see the program on :

https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/evenement/themes/themes-2024

. September 20/21/22, Deutsche Gessellschaft für Festungsforschnung, Annual Meetings, Andreas Kupka, akupka@juelich.de

. September 28 to October 7, Eccofort, Amsterdam Study Tour, Hans Rudolf Neumann, hrv.neumann@t-online.de

. October (to be announced), Fortress Study Group, Annual Conference, David Clark, contact@fsgfort.com

. October 11-13, International Fortress Coucil IFC, Namur (Belgium), annual conference, Jereon van der Werf, secretariat@internationalfortresscouncil.org

. October 13-18, Association Vauban, Balearic Island Study Tour, Alain Monferrand, see on web site (www.association-vauban.org), contact@association-vauban.org

. October 24-29 Valor Tours, American Military Defenses of American Samoas

INFORMATIONS

Oct 23 to 27 th, General Assembly of IFC at Namur (Belgium). International Fortress Council Annual Meeting, organised by Philippe Bragard

Next Ravelin Newsletter published on the end of september 2024

2024 projects in progress :

1 - Redesign of the website (engaged), study on the use of 3D for the multilingual dictionary in conjunction with the Menno von Coehoorn foundation, We decided to have a Project Group with our members of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Festungforschung (Andreas Kupka), Menno von Coehoorn (Jereon Van der Werf), Simon Stevin (Luc Oyslager), Association Vauban (Marc Gayda) and Fortress Study Group (Dave Basset).

2 - Continued welcoming of new members.

3- IFC participates in the revitalization of the Wellington Barrier project.

If you would like to contribute information from your association to the newsletter, the editors (marc.gayda@yahoo.fr ) would be very pleased. We are currently working on a renewal of the IFC website and we hope to go online this year

http://www.internationalfortresscouncil.org/

INFORMATIONS FROM OUR MEMBERS

These informations was collected from the elements transmitted by the associations or mentioned on their websites. When we have no new information on recent or future news, only the references of the website are mentioned.

AUSTRIA : ÖSTERREICHISCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR FESTUNGSFORSCHUNG

Projects and Cooperations:

Project „Written in the Landscape“ (Wil) (Universität Bozen) https://www.culturalheritage.unibz.it/written-in-the-landscape/

Architectural project for the flat roof waterproofing and protection of window and door openings in fort no. 41a "Mydlniki", Kraków

office@kuk-fortification.net

BELGIUM : SIMON STEVIN VLAAMS VESTINGBOUWKUNDIG CENTRUM www.simonstevin.org

Simon Stevin will be receive the IFC delegation during the General Assembly 2024 in Namur

CROATIA : NACIONALNA UDRAGA ZA FORTIFIKACIJE (NUF) www.nuf.hr

CZECH REPUBLIK : CZECH ASSOCIATION FOR MILITARY HISTORY (CAMH) KVH Praha (kvh-praha.cz

 FRANCE : ASSOCIATION VAUBAN :

https://www.association-vauban.org/  , mail adress contact@association-vauban.org

Publication :Last issue of our bi annual letter (La Lettre des Oisivetés) the nr 47 was published at the end of May for our Annual Meeting and served by mail to our members and partners. The next publication will be served on the end of December as usual.

June 11-15th : Annual Congress

This year, the Congress will be at Metz and we can visit some fortifications of Vauban (Longwy); Séré de Rivières (Villey le Sec and Uxegney), Maginot (Eckenberg, Fermont) and a Imperial Feste (Fort Wagner). During the Annual Meeting, the Assembly choice for the Vauban Association prices : for restauration and military patrimonial value the forts of Uxegney and the Fort of Pugey. For the researches and publication, the Assembly decided gave the price to the Col. Henri Ortholan for all his publications. Congratulations for the recipients.

Balearic Study Tour

. Oct 13, flight from Paris to Palma (Mallorca), Visit the city walls and monuments ; Oct 14, Visit to Fort San Carlos, its Military Museum and Belver Castle ; Oct 15, Circuit of the surveillance towers and coastal batteries of Mallorca ; Oct 16, flight to Minorca (Mahon Airport), visit of Mola Fortress and his 381mm Vickers Battery ; Oct 17, visit of Fort Malborough and tour to visit the Martello towers and shore batteries passing through the city of Ciudadella ; Oct 18, visit to fortified works and monuments in Mahon.

2025 Annual Meeting

For 2025, the Assembly decided during our Annual Meeting that the next meeting will be at Marseille to visit the fortifications of the city and the area. Program will be precise for the December Newsletter.

Relations with the Plan Relief Museum (MPR)

The exhibition “Les Alpes, une frontière” (the Alps, a border ?) is extended until the end of 2024

 Save the date : 2025 October 4 and 5TH BELFORT

The International Fortification Forum will be organize by La Caponnière. The program of these days will be announced.

(http://www.caponniere90.fr/ -  bureau.caponniere@gmail.com 

GERMANY : DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR FESTUNGFORSCHUNG

https://festungsforschung.de/

The next DGF conference will take place from 20-22 September 2024 at the invitation of colleagues from the FFGL in Luxembourg. The conference theme is "En miniature: fortresses in model form".

ITALY : RETE DELLE FORTIFICAZIONI

Forte di Bard :  (https://www.fortedibard.it/)

Exhibition Davide Gamisasca 31/05/2024 - 28/09/2025 : The in-depth studies promoted by the Fort of Bard in the rooms of the Quarters of the Museum of the Alps, dedicated to the mountains and to those who lived and told them, are enriched by a new chapter. From 31 May 2024, the Forte di Bard pays tribute with a major anthology exhibition to Davide Camisasca, a photographer and mountain guide born in Milan but living for more than fifty years in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, at the foot of the Mont Blanc

Forte di Vinadio (https://www.fortedivinadio.com/)

The permanent exhibition Winged Messengers aims first of all to recover a fragment of local memory, that of the

Turin, museo di Pietro Micca (www.museopietromicca.it )

4 sites to visit, 6 km of walkable tunnels (countermine tunnels), the extension of the citadel extends over 20 hectares,

Fort Marghera (Forte Marghera - Fondazione Forte Marghera)

Fort Marghera therefore continues to represent the last territory of the historic city of Venice, no longer as its defence, but with the role of physical and cultural exchange, the "natural gateway of Venice" and its lagoon. Finally, towards the mainland, it took a barycentric position in relation to the entrenched camp of Mestre and in the metropolitan city, it took a wider territorial position towards the fortified cities of Padua, Treviso and Noale.

Forte Monte Tesoro (https://tesorodellalessinia.it/prossimi-eventi/)

The Forte Monte Tesoro is a historic structure that the Municipality of Sant'Anna acquired at the end of 2013 thanks to the federalism of the State, following an agreement with the State Estate and the Ministry of Culture. This fort is part of a set of fortifications built between 1905 and 1911.

Guided visits on July 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 ; August 3, 4 ,10, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 ; Sept 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 , 29

Rocca d’Anfo (https://www.roccadanfo.eu/)

The compendium can be visited with a guide by choosing the "Napoleonic" tour, which includes a visit to the entire fortress (about 4 hours). or the "From the Serenissima to the Kingdom of Italy" tour, shorter and less demanding (about 2.5 hours) that includes a visit to the lower part of the fortress. During the summer, there are tours There are also midweek tours, in English and German. All guided tours can be booked on the website of www.roccadanfo.eu , in the "Book online" section, or by phone at +39 375 6221121. Alternatively, it will be possible to visit the Rocca d'Anfo independently via a short route of about 2 km round trip, from the Zanardelli barracks to the Tyrol Battery.

https://www.fortedibard.it/fr/

https://retefortificazioni.com/

https://fortinrete.it/

 LUXEMBURG : FRËNN VUN DER FESTUNGSGESCHICH LËTZEBUERG : www.ffgl.lu

Casemate Fort Olizy

Free guided tours offered by the MNHA/M3E of the casemates of Fort Olizy, the surroundings of Fort Niedergrünwald, the "Hiel" gate, Fort Obergrünwald as well as the model of the former fortress city in the "Three Acorns" Museum (Fort Thüngen).

Practicality : Meet in front of the CFL funicular on Avenue J.F. Kennedy in Kirchberg

Visiting dates:

July 7, 13, 21 and 27 at 3:00 pm

August 4,10, 18, 24 also at 3 pm

September 1, 7, 15, 21, 29 always at 3 pm

October 12 and 27 at 2,30 pm

Exclusive guided tour of the Cuvée Millésimée LUGA

Exclusive guided tour of the LUGA Vintage Cuvée in the heart of the casemates

Lovers of history and terroir are invited to dive into the fascinating history of the fortress and to discover a preview of the unusual backstage of the "aging" of the Cuvée Millésime Crémant LUGA.An event as part of the LUGA preliminary programme "Sowing in 2023, harvesting in 2025" organised in the run-up to the main exhibition and in close collaboration with the association Frënn vun der Festungs, the Institut Viti-Vinicole and the GOERES Group.

Visits programmed on August 25, October 27 and Novembre 24 fron 3 pm to 5 h 30 pm

Location: Municipal Park - Robert Schuman Entrance (Language of the tours: Luxembourgish), Price: 32€, book: luxembourg ticket

More informations : https//luga.lu/mise-en-casemates-de-la-cuvee-millesime-cremant-luga-2025/   or https://luga.lu/visite-exclusive-cuvee-millesimee-luga-au-coeur-des-casemates/

https://www.ffgl.lu/activites/fr_index.html

 MALTA : FONDAZZJONI WIRT ARTNA (Malta Heritage Trust)   : http://www.wirtartna.org/ (candidate member)

Valletta's ancient ceremonial platform from where gun salutes are still fired. CANNON SHOTS AT THE SALUTE BATTERY: 12 P.M. AND 4 P.M. Monday to Saturday

 Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna - the Malta Heritage Trust is a voluntary non-governmental organization (VO/0117) active in the fields of cultural heritage preservation and management. It was formed in October 1987 and is responsible for a rich array of cultural heritage sites that together span some 7,000 years of continued history.

 NETHERLANDS : MENNO VON COEHOORN

https://coehoorn.nl/

Excursions

Autumn Tour  (members only) 28-09-2024 Grave and Mill & Surroundings Tour, PAY ATTENTION! This listing is subject to change and may be subject to change. Program information will follow as soon as possible, The registration form will only open 4-3 weeks before the tour date.

Webinars

If you are not yet a member of the Menno van Coehoorn Foundation and would still like to follow the webinar, please send an email to info@coehoorn.nl . You will then receive a unique invitation.

Next operation  : 2024-09-11 19:30 - 21:30 The United Kingdom of the Netherlands as a cornerstone of reflection on collective security in Europe Dennis Nieuwenhuijzen

Portugal - APAC- ASSOCIAÇÃO DOS AMIGOS DOS CASTELOS

https://amigosdoscastelos.pt/

The APAC celebrate his 40th birthday in 2023. After the last meeting in Gravesend, the APAC is now a new full IFC’s member. Welcome and Congratulation to the APAC and the Presidente Margarida Valla.

For the registrations for the activités of the APAC, use this adress : https://amigosdoscastelos.pt/

ALMEIDA, VALENçA DO MINHO ET MARVAO Candidacy to, UNESCO

About this serial candidacy the APAC had written a paper for this process, to contribute for others Fortified Cities could be later added to Almeida, Marvao and Valença as a network. The Association made a a Declaration to support this candidacy.

SOUTH KOREA – GYEONGGI CULTURAL FOUNDATION ggcf.kr |GyeongGi Provincial Museum opened in 1996 with the objective of preparing for the future by highlighting and passing down the history of GyeongGi-do and the traditions of its culture. Because of the museum’s dedication to the collection and preservation of artifacts, academic research, and exhibitions and education programs, it has steadily grown to become a favorite museum of local residents. GyeongGi Provincial Museum is now a place where visitors can enjoy learning about GyeongGi-do’s history and culture through its rich content. The Namhan Sanseong Studies Series has just published its volume 11 of research work devoted to Vauban's fortifications. This remarkable work published in French; Korean and English contributed to the spread of this art of fortification that characterized the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. (Namhansanseong Studies Series Vol 11, Gyeonggdo Namhansanseong World Heritage Centre, ISBN 979 11 88858 85 6, 246 p.)SWITZERLAND : ASSOCIATION SAINT MAURICE D’ETUDES MILITAIRES (ASMEM)https://www.asmem.ch/

. Theme Day. June 21, 6 am to 8 pm,: Les troupes jurassiennes et les ouvrages de la Br Fr3 (the Jura troops and the works of the BR FR 3), in French

. Study Tour : september 12 (from 6 am) to 16 (8 pm), Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherland, the Battle of the Bulge, the fortified belt of Liège, the lock of the Albert Canal and the bastions of the United Provinces

. St Barbe Day : Dec 8, Fort de Champex, route du Lac, Ste Barbe day (08:00 am to 6 pm)

. Last Parution : Rubold (Julius) colonel, Histoire de la construction des ouvrages fédéraux 1831-1860 / 1885-1921, 327 pages, with a preface by C Cdt Dominique Andrey, written by Maurice Lovisa (revised and expanded edition of the book published in 1982 by ASMEM)

UNITED KINGDOM : FORTRESS STUDY GROUP

FSG Members Day, june 22, 10 am to 4 pm, Join us in Herne Hill, South London for a social day of presentations and discussion

FSG Webinar, next conferences. All the sessions starter at 8 p.m. (London Time)

03 Jul 24 - The Rescue of Fort Nelson - Nick Hall OS

17 Jul 24 - Sand, Science and the US Civil War - Dr Scott Hippensteel

07 Aug 24 - The defence lines Bergen op Zoom - Steenbergen 1583-1867 - David Ross

21 Aug 24 - (coast) defenses of the Baltic States - Michel van Best

04 Sep 24 - The fortifications of Willemstad and the defence line Hollandsch Diep en Volkerak 1583-1914 - David Ross

18 Sep 24 - Defences of Cape May - Mark Allen

02 Oct 24 - The WW I defence of West-Brabant - David Ross

16 Oct 24 - Comparison of American and British Empire coast defense during the Victorian era - Gordon Bliss CDSG

Join Zoom Meeting for the first Wednesday of every month :

https://us06web.zoom.u/j/82754848667?pwd=SnFQcHE4SG9qOFl5NFJGVWlNRzhJdz09

Meeting ID: 827 5484 8667 ; Passcode: 789990,

Log in details for the 3rd Wednesday of every month :

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83100298752?pwd=Ti8wQWx2bzI2aW0wZkJ6S2YzVXpqUT09

Meeting ID: 831 0029 8752 ; Passcode: 397125

https://www.fortressstudygroup.org/

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : COAST DEFENSE STUDY GROUP

. Valor Tours, october 24-29, Samoa Islands, Pago Pago Harbor was used as a refueling station fr French, British, German and US vessels during the 19th century. Following the tripartite convention, wich partitionnned the Samoa Islands between USA and German in 1899, the Harbor was converted an US Navy naval base. During the WWII, the Harbor became a Major Base through which 20 000 marines before going on the Battle Field in Pacific. The Tour start from Honolulu to Pago Pago, on the Friday 25 th tour Air Traffic Control Tower at Tafuna Airport, Pago Pago Heritage sites WWII, Saturday 26th Shoreline Defensive Fortifications, Malota to Masefau Defensive Fortifications, Leone Airfield, Sunday 27th : Continueon Malota to Masefau Defensive Fortifications, visit the Faga alu WWII Communication Bunker ; Monday 28th, Private Tour of Governor’s mansion, Naval Station Tutuila, visit with American Saùoa Historical Preservation Officer, Tuesday 29th, return to Honolulu, end of Tour. US$  3 450 en chambre à 2.

. Our 2025 CDSG conference will be held in Boston (Massaschusetts)  CDSG Conference will be to the former harbor defenses of Boston (chaired by Gordon Bliss) with the planning dates of April 23 to April 27, 2025.

Previous program to be anouced

. Last parutions :  The Redoubt Press has prepared new deluxe print versions of Glen Williford’s two books; Pacific Fortress, A History of the Seacoast Defenses of Hawaii, and Pacific Rampart: A History of Corregidor and the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. The new enhanced editions are printed on 80 lb paper with Lulu’s black and white premium print process. The resulting books have greatly enhanced photographic print quality with much better contrasts. If you are interested in quality editions of Glen’s books, here is your opportunity. The premium edition comes at a premium price of $79.95. The books are only available directly from Lulu’s website at www. lulu.com/shop. The regular print versions are also available from Amazon for prices below the list price of $49.95.

The Coast Defense Study Group Press : informations and contact with Terry Mc Govern (tcmcgovern@att.net)

https://cdsg.org/