Bourtange is a fortified village in the Dutch province of Groningen, which was built between 1580 and 1593 during the Dutch Revolt. Bourtange is located in the municipality of Westerwolde, in the region of the same name. The fortified village is a protected village view.
A trade route ran through the Bourtanger Marsh, which was only accessible in the summer season and during frost. This route (called the Westerwoldinger Weghe) was part of the trade route between Groningen and Westphalia, designed in 1457. To secure the route and prevent raids from the German hinterland, Groningen stadtholder Karel van Egmond decided to build a blockhouse (a small fort) here in 1530. In 1580, a complete fort was built here in just a few days. The city of Groningen had then defected to the camp of the Spanish king under the leadership of Stadtholder Rennenberg. To block supplies from the German hinterland, William of Orange ordered the commander, Diederik Sonoy, to build a fortification on the Bourtange. In April 1593, Dutch troops occupied the passage through the swamp. The previously begun fortification was now completed by order of Stadtholder Willem Lodewijk of Nassau. In 1594, the city of Groningen was also conquered by the Dutch troops, after which the Bourtange fortress became part of the border defense of the three northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
Because the Bourtanger Marsh increasingly dried up despite measures to prevent this, and the firepower of artillery increased, the military significance of the fortress decreased. In 1851 the fortress was officially dissolved and Bourtange became an agricultural village in Westerwolde. In the 1970s and 1980s, the municipality of Vlagtwedde had the fortress rebuilt in the state it had been in 1742. The fortress is now a significant tourist attraction.
Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to Bourtange on August 28 2015. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.
