2024- Number 009 (DECEMBER)

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

The IFC is pleased to send you the last issue of its Newsletter “Ravelin”, 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 at the end of 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 association members. If you would like this newsletter to also be distributed to a 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.

The IFC Board and the redactors of the Newsletter wishes you and your loved ones their best wishes for this new year 2025

VICE CHAIRMAN’S WORD

Dear readers,

The richness of our exchanges is essential for the development of awareness of the protection of fortified heritage, testimony to our history. These exchanges between members of different associations and countries are always enriching and allow them to discover often innovative uses and solutions. This proves, if it were needed, the importance of the circulation of information and the interest of sharing our practices. Our meeting in Namur during our General Assembly in October with our friends from Simon Stevin will allow us to move forward further and, with our future website, which is currently being renovated, to develop our cooperation. Our next Assembly will be held in Portugal, which has an extraordinary heritage whose development testifies to the interest shown in it by both residents and politicians. Let us also not forget the remarkable fortifications built by the Portuguese throughout the world in South America as well as in Asia and Africa. 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 2025

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

. January 10, ASSOCIATION VAUBAN, Cité de l’Architecture, Palais de Chaillot (Paris-Trocadéro) visit the exhibition on the work of Philippe Prost “Mémoire Vive”

. Jan 14-15, Paris, Porte de Versailles, “Museum Connection” (annual exhibition for patrimonial sites and museums)

. Feb. 8-23, South India, Eccofort Study Tour

. March 27, ASSOCIATION VAUBAN, at 12 am, Hôtel National des Invalides, Under the Dôme, Ceremony in tribute to Marshal Vauban

. April 3 - 5, 2025 INTERFEST Annual Meeting Pirmasens Germany Oliver Zaurzig, praesident@interfest.org

. April 2 - 16, 2025 FORTRESS STUDY GROUP Tour Crete David Clarke, chair@fortressstudygroup.org

. April 3 – 17 ;  CDSG Conference April 23 - 27, 2025 Boston, Massachusetts chair@fortressstudygroup.org

. June 10 to 14 ;  ASSOCIATION VAUBAN Annual Congress Marseille France Alain Monferrand, contact@association-vauban.org

. September 5 - 8, 2025 FORTRESS STUDY GROUP Annual Meeting Portsmouth England David Clarke,

. September 19 - 21, 2025 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Festungsforshung Annual Meeting Stade Germany Andreas Kupka, akupka@juelich.de

. September 20 - 28, 2025 ECCOFORT Study Tour Portugal Hans-Rudolf Neumann, hrv.neumann@t-online.de

. September 2025 ASSOCIATION VAUBAN Study Tour Alain Monferrand, contact@association-vauban.org

. October 4 - 5, 2025 LA CAPONNIERE INTERNATIONALFORUM BERLFORT France Alain Monferrand, contact@association-vauban.org  

; October 2025 FORTRESS STUDY GROUP  Study Tour Belgium David Clarke, chair@fortressstudygroup.org  

; October 2025 INTERNATIONAL FORTRESS COUNCIL Annual Meeting Jeroen van der Werf, secretariat@internationalfortresscouncil.org

 IFC.  NEWS

INFORMATIONS

Oct 23 to 27 th, General Assembly of IFC at Namur (Belgium). International Fortress Council Annual Meeting, organised by Philippe Bragard and Luc Olyslager, We welcome as new member the APAC (Portugal) which was observatory.

The next meeting will in be in Portugal in Alentajo

Next Ravelin Newsletter will be published on the end of March 2025

2024-2025 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 Festungsforschung (Andreas Kupka), Menno von Coehoorn (Jeroen van der Werf), Simon Stevin (Luc Olyslager), 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.

The IFC supports the UNESCO candidacy of the cities of Almeida, Marvao, Valença do Minho (see pictures) of the Raia network. The proposal presented by Portugal is based on a solid historical and architectural documentation, the fruit of numerous studies coordinated for years in the three cities by the teams of Professor Joao do Campos and his Center for Studies of Military Architecture (CEAMA) which can be cited as an example as one of the very first research centers of this type in Europe

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 for the beginning of the next 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 (ÖeGF)

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

We receive an information  about the Obituary for Erich Hillbrand, *1926 – †05. September 2024

Erich Hillbrand, emeritus director of the War Archive and long-time head of the map collection, passed away on September 5, 2024. He was a pioneer of fortification research in Austria, setting new standards with his comprehensive approach. Born in Vienna in 1926  he earned his PhD in 1953 in history and geography and began working in the State Archives in 1956.
He led various departments and continued as a consultant after retirement. Hillbrand published numerous works on urban and fortification history and was a member of the Commission Autrichienne d’Histoire Militaire.. He was also a prominent member of many foreign associations. Our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones

 Neuigkeiten / News | Österreichische Gesellschaft für Festungsforschung Austrian Society for Fortification Research (kuk-fortification.net)

BELGIUM : SIMON STEVIN VLAAMS VESTINGBOUWKUNDIG CENTRUM (SSVc)  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 (AV)

Publications :

• Oisivetés: “ La Lettre des Oisivetés” Journal of the Society (2 éditions per year in May and December), Nr 48 December 2024, is published (next edition with beNr 49 in may 2024. Each publication had 64 pages.
• Newsletter send by Internet to all our members and our partners (30 letters from January 24 to December with 498 informations)
• Dossier for the study tour in Spain (Balearic Islands trip with visit to Mallorca and Menorca) organised in October 2024.

2025, Exhibition on the work of then Architekt Philippe Prost, “Mémoire vive” at the Cité de l’architecture, Palais de Chaillotn Trocadéro-Paris

winner of the Architecture National Great Prize in 2022, a specialist in the restoration of bastioned fortifications, invites us t-o dive into the "making of the project" where documents, samples and prototypes illustrate the collective experience of working on the existing heritage, carried out for more than 30 years by the architect and his workshop.

10 of january, visiit the exhibition under the direction of Philippe Prost himself

 Annual Memorial Day

March 27, at 12 am, Hôtel National des Invalides, Under the Dôme, Ceremony in tribute to Marshal Vauban

 Annual Meeting

June 10 – 14, MARSEILLE, Annual Congress présidence Alain Monferrand, any information on  contact@association-vauban.org

 “La Mémoire vive” (RAM), Exhibition Philip Prost at Architecture City, Paris, Cité de l’Architecture (Trocadéro) Oct 3th- March 25th

Philippe Prost, (administrator of AV),

 2025 Other news

. January, opening of our Documentation Center (consulting after “rendez vous” with a responsible of the board -use the mail address on contact) Provision to our members of the documentary database of works and publications of our documentation centre will be disponible.

. January, opening the new design of the website (always at www.association-vauban.org) with some new pages and a special part only for members.

 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 

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

GERMANY : DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR FESTUNGFORSCHUNG (DGF) https://www.festungsforschung.de

The next Congress will be in september 2025 in Germany at Stade (Northern Germany) with visit some forts (e.a. Forts Grauerort and Kugelbacke. The conference theme will be : « The coastal fortifications on the Baltic Sea and North Sea ».

ITALY : RETE DELLE FORTIFICAZIONI

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

Dec 7 to January 2025 6th :

Third edition of Christmas Lights at the Fort of Bard – Christmas Lights at the Fort of Bard, the immersive 360° show consisting of sounds and lights in the great Piazza d'Armi of the fortress. The square will be immersed in a sparkling and surreal atmosphere to celebrate the magic of the Christmas holidays with the special video mapping effects that will be projected on the facades in a new and unprecedented setting that will give unique emotions. Every day to 5 :30 pm to the closure of the Fort

The fort still opening during the winter s:From thuesday to friday: 10 am / 6 pm Saturday and sunday: 10 am / 7 pm, Monday closed

 Forte di Bramafan  (https://www.fortebramafam.it/)

Interesting place (fortifications and artillery museum), reopened; at the end of October to reopen on the next June 2025.The fort is open every Sundays during the Octoer month and close at the end of the month.

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

The fort close at the end of October to reopen on Spring 2025.

Sunday 11, 10h00 am – 7 pm (National Families Day)

Saturday 24, 2 :30 pm to 7pm and Sunday 25, 10h am to 7 pm (Pecora Sambucana Fair)

Turin, museo di Pietro Micca

Note the visits to the countermine galleries are by reservation at the Museo Pietro Micca (closed on Mondays)

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

https://retefortificazioni.com/

https://fortinrete.it/

LUXEMBURG : FRËNN VUN DER FESTUNGSGESCHICH LËTZEBUERG : (FFGL) www.ffgl.lu

Activities

 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. The passage of time is marked twice daily from here with gunfire at noon (12am hrs) and afternoon (4pm hrs).

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.

Preserving History: Restoring the Échauguette at Saint Peter and Paul Counter-guard

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna - the Malta Heritage Trust has today started installing new timber apertures at the 17th century Échauguette (gardjola) at the Saint Peter and Paul Counter-guard in Valletta. This counter guard was built after 1630 and forms part of the outer line of defence of the Valletta land front. From the Second World War until the early 1970s it formed part of the British War Headquarters at Lascaris. Throughout that period it served as a radio communication platform provided with numerous aerials. It also housed the War HQ Map Room (map store), the radio signallers accommodation and an interesting Mine Watching post from which a round the clock watch was kept for falling aerial mines. The counterguard sits above the sprawling St. Peter Galleries started mid-war as a replacement for the underground Combined War HQ at Lascaris but never completed. As a building it has many important military architectural features which are all set to be restored: artillery steps, drawbridge, portcullis gate, palisade gaps, artillery shot girdle, musketry steps, artillery reclining platforms and above a cavernous gun powder magazine first built in the 18th century but later reformed in the 19th century. The Échauguette which is to be repointed remains intact as built by the Hospitaller knights. This work is being sponsored by the Bank of Valletta.

Informations about the museums and the visit of the Valletta’s Fortifications on the Website

http://www.wirtartna.org/

NETHERLANDS : MENNO VON COEHOORN (MvC)

Last publications

. Author: van Nieuwenhuijzen (Dennis), 2023, Publisher: Maastricht Vestingstad, Foundation Language: NL

ISBN: 9789464377927, Edition: 56 pages."The Maastricht Fortress and the Wellington Barrier. The fortress and the barrier in a nutshell.The Maastricht Fortress and the Wellington Barrier are a first step towards filling a gap in the history of Maastricht's fortifications, namely that of the period between 1814 and 1830. At that time, the Maastricht Fortress was part of the southern border of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, better known as the Wellington Barrier”.

Excursion, for members onys

2025/04/05, spring excursion, direction Friesland, further informations on website

2025/06/14, summer excustion to Zeeuws Vlaanderen, further informations on website

2024/09/27, automnu excursion to Gorinchem, further informations on website

Webinar

2025-01-14, Tuesday at 7:30 pm, Dutch East India Company – VOC forts on Taiwan.by Geert van der Trier. Research Master 'Colonial and Global History' at Leiden University.

2025-04 – 02, at 7:30 pm Atlantic wall,  part 3, coatal artillery and the defenses there by Hans Sakkers

2025 – 05-03 at 7:30 pm, public shelters in Asterdal, research and inventory, by Rudger Noorlander

2025-07-05, at 7:30 pm Defence line of Amsterdam, by Frtiz van Horn

2025-

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

-https://coehoorn.nl/

Portugal - ASSOCIAÇÃO DOS AMIGOS DOS CASTELOS (APAC) (Associação Portuguesa dos Amigos dos Castelos)

October 12- 2024 – Tour to Commemoration of the Day of the Castles visiting all the monuments linked to the Aljubarrota Battle (a very important battle to maintain the Portugal independence in 1385): Castle of Porto Mós, Interpretive Centre of the Aljubarrota Battle and the Monastery of Batalha.

Pombaline Route, Date and time of activity: Monday to Friday Type of activity:Educational activities, Cost: €4.00/student, We will go back to the second half of the 18th century with a walking tour that will allow children and young people to get to know the Baixa Pombalina. The reconstruction of the Baixa Pombalina, overseen by the Marquis of Pombal after the 1755 earthquake, is considered the greatest Portuguese urban planning school that influenced the construction of a large number of new cities in Portugal and during the Empire. Through this tour we will introduce the new planning of the city, addressing religious architecture, with the revitalization of existing churches, and civil architecture, which is revealed in the volumetry, organization of the facades, anti-seismic structure of the buildings and the decorative arts used for their ornamentation. Starting at the secretariat of the Friends of the Castles. Target audience: 2nd and 3rd cycles and Secondary.

Route through 16th-century Lisbon, Date and time of activity: Monday to Friday, Type of activity: Educational activities, Cost: €4.50/student ; Downtown Lisbon, which we can currently visit, is strongly marked by the reconstruction carried out after the 1755 earthquake. However, lost in the eighteenth-century city are many vestiges that show us its ancestry. Target audience: 3rd cycle and secondary school.

SOUTH KOREA – GYEONGGI CULTURAL FOUNDATION (GGCF) - 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 museum also seeks to demonstrate the value and significance of GyeongGi-do and Korean culture within the world and to present a blueprint for future culture by discovering the historic identity of GyeongGi-do. SWITZERLAND : ASSOCIATION SAINT MAURICE D’ETUDES MILITAIRES (ASMEM) https://www.asmem.ch/

. 2025-06-20, Fortifications of the City of Fribourg,  pedestrian trip around the city wall (XII to XVè centuries)

UNITED KINGDOM : FORTRESS STUDY GROUP

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

The webinars are organized by the Fortress Study Group in conjunction with the Palmerston Forts Society and the Ordnance Society and the recordings are for the benefit of the members of those societies. The links should not be further distributed without permission as the content is copyright of the author and other bodies including the National Archives.

15 Jan 25 - Russian Imperial Defenses of the Finish Gulf - Michel van Best

05 Feb 25 - Latest research into British Civil War Fortifications - David Flintham

19 Feb 25 - Development of the Defences of Cork Harbour Pt 1 - c1700 to 1860 (see picture) - Jason Byrne

05 Mar 25 - tbc

19 Mar 25 - The fortifications of Willemstad and the defence line Hollandsch Diep en Volkerak 1583-1914 - David Ross

02 Apr 25 - Introduction to German Defense lines (in Europe) - Michel van Best

16 Apr 25 - Development of the Defences of Cork Harbour Pt 2 – from 1860 - Jason Byrne

Login details for the 1st Wednesday of every month

Join Zoom Meeting

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

Join Zoom Meeting

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

Meeting ID: 831 0029 8752

Passcode: 397125

 Project Redsand aims to restore a Maunsell Army Fort

The ambitious volunteer led project to restore one of the WW2 heavy anti-aircraft forts in the Thames Estuary

https://www.fortressstudygroup.org/

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : COAST DEFENSE STUDY GROUP (CDSG)

The CDSG Publications committee produced excellent Newsletter, the last edition for winter 2024 is published.

Their next meetings and activities :

2025 CDSG Conference April 23 - 27, 2025 Boston, Massachusetts

Previous 2026 CDSG Conference Arrangements to be determined Oahu, Hawaii (May) or San Francisco, California

https://cdsg.org/