Fortified Places (ANG)

In 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia gave France possession of Breisach, on the right bank of the Rhine. This town was fortified by Vauban under the orders of Louis XIV and gave France an important bridgehead on the right bank of the Rhine. Breisach flourished, and so many people came to the town that it spread onto an island in the river, named Ville Neuve (new town). A fort was also built on this island.

However in 1697 the Treaty of Rijswijk stated that Breisach be given to Austria, and the town of Ville Neuve be destroyed and its fortifications razed. Deprived of his strongold on the Rhine, Louis XIV sent Vauban to strengthen French defences on the left bank of the river.
Vauban, on seeing that Breisach offered a prime position for the Austrians to bombard the left bank, decided to build fortifications some way back from the river. He considered fortifying Biesheim and Colmar before settling on a new plan - building an entirely new town.

The inhabitants of the recently destroyed Ville Neuve could be persuaded to move to the new town, named Neuf-Brisach (or Neu Breisach in german, meaning new Breisach), by allowing them special priveleges.

Visiter et apprécier le site Fortified Places (ANG), appartenant à la catégorie Les curiosités de Neuf-Brisach