MAGINOT LINE
TOURISM
IMMERHOF
The fortification Immerhof is a third class fortification, according to an age classification. It's located in the district area of Hettange-Grande, 7 km to the north of Thionville, so that it's the nearest fortification to the Luxembourg border . It's a part of the fortified sector of Thionville, in the Fortified Region of Metz, the most powerful of the Maginot system. With its inter linking fires with the two neighbouring fortifications, Molvange and Soetrich, it had to cover the Hettange-Grande Dudelange road (nowadays CD15), and the railroad Thionville-Luxembourg next to it. It also protected the nearby Maginot buildings : the casemates of Kanfen, the shelter of Stressling, the shelter and the observatory of Hettange-Grande, and the numerous blockhouses built during the Phoney War. It's a four block fortification, among which two machine-gun turret blocks, a mixed block with infantry casemate and 81-mortar turret, and an entrance block. In the centre, one finds the underground barracks which could support 198 men for a three month long siege : kitchen, infirmary, sleeping quarters, ...
As most of the fortifications, it was built from 1930 to 1935. However, it's the only fort of the Line that was built by removing the earth, constructing the building, and cover it up. This is one of the numerous features of Immerhof. The fortress took its name from the farm "Immerhof" located nearby. Its official name was actually A10, after A9-Molvange and before A11-Soetrich. However, during the war, the soldiers used to talk about their fortification using the name "Le Tiburce", referring to Saint Tiburce.
Armament:
Block 1: retractable turret for machine guns
Block 2: retractable turret for machine guns
Block 3: retractable turret for two 81 mortars and infantry casemate
Entrance block
Crew: 200 men
Engines: 2 Renault 80 HP
Openings hours: from April till September every weekend. Please check their website for dates.
Information:
Association “ Le Tiburce”
5, rue des Sorbiers
57330 HETTANGE-GRANDE
France
Tel. / fax: (+33) (0)3 82 53 09 61
(french only)
Email:
immerhof@ifrance.com
Internet:
Situation:
A31 motorway, exit "Hettange-Grande" between Luxembourg and Thionville (first (last) exit after (before) the border).
Drive straight on the CD15 road towards Hettange-Grande. Turn left after 1,5km on the path (signs)