Barrage Vauban

About

The Vauban Dam, also known as "Grande Écluse de Fortification", is a historic lock bridge located in Strasbourg. He was given other names in the course of history: flour lock, casemate bridge.

The dam was built from 1681 to 1688 by the French engineer Tarade on the plans of Vauban, who considered that the Ill, which entered the historical centre, was a weak point of the fortifications. In the face of the progress of artillery and combat techniques, the medieval covered bridges which monitored the river accesses to Strasbourg, no longer adequately defended the south of the city. So it was decided to build a new construction, about 100 metres upstream, capable of facing the new constraints of the "modern" war. This dam, a water door type, was used during the siege of Strasbourg in 1870, causing flooding of the districts upstream. After 1870, the German authorities raised the dam on one floor and covered it with soil and grass. In 1966, the city of Strasbourg built a panoramic terrace on the roof of the building. The Vauban Dam is being...