Do you see that subtle rise in the landscape? That’s no accident. It’s part of the Perimetru Bateria Nr. 17 – 18. Few know Bucharest holds such an extraordinary historical treasure. This is a fortification network built in the late 19th century.
King Carol I ordered the construction of 36 forts and batteries. They formed a defensive ring around Bucharest. The goal? To protect the capital in case of war. Construction began in 1884. Celebrated Belgian military architect Henri Alexis Brialmont designed the fortifications. He met with King Carol I during the process.
The forts were spaced about 4 km apart. The project cost 111.5 million gold lei. That equals about 614 million euro today. This sum was three times the annual army budget. Imagine that.
It took over two decades to build the forts. The walls are two metres thick in places. All eighteen forts were linked by a road and a railway. Today, that railway is DN100, Bucharest’s ring road. Eighteen subterranean batteries were placed between the forts. The entire fortification ring held about 240 pieces of artillery.
Romania had recently won independence from the Ottoman Empire. They made this enormous effort to defend the capital. Bucharest would become the point of retreat in case of invasion. Significant military operations would begin here. They would spread from the Danube to the Carpathians.
But advances soon rendered the forts obsolete. Chemical and aeronautical technology progressed rapidly. Explosives and aerial bombardment made classical fortifications useless. In 1914, the German Army broke through similar fortifications in Liège. This alarmed authorities in Bucharest.
The forts’ artillery pieces were top-notch Krupp cannons. However, they were quickly dismantled. They were transformed into mobile artillery. By 1916, the German Army approached Bucharest. The forts had already been abandoned. The city was taken without much difficulty.
Today, the military has abandoned most of the forts. Stray dogs seek shelter in some. Some became storage spaces or mushroom-growing facilities. Fort 18 in Chiajna was used as a pickled goods market during the Communist era.
The military still uses some forts southwest of the city. They serve as firing ranges and munitions deposits. Civilians are forbidden entry there. The best-known fort is number 13 in Jilava. It was a military prison from 1907. It became a feared destination for political prisoners during the Communist era. It is still a penitentiary today. Another well-known fort is Battery 9-10 in Cățelu. It is the most visited one.
Of the original 36 fortifications, only 30 have survived. Some are flooded. Others were converted into warehouses. Some remain in the wilderness. The battery 14-15 and battery 9-10 from Măgurele are examples. They stand at the entrance on Sun’s Highway.
The Perimetru Bateria Nr. 17 – 18, like other surviving fortifications, shows us a moment in history. It represents a time when Bucharest prepared for a different kind of war.