Blankenheim

The so-called "Austrian fortification" between Blankenheim and Blankenheimerdorf is an artillery position dating back to the First Coalition War between France and the coalition of Austria and Prussia (1792–1797). A semicircular fortification facing southwest with a trench in front of it has been preserved to this day. The fortification still rises about one and a half metres above the ground. Originally, it was 85 metres long and 15 metres wide. Today, the centre of the structure is bisected by a feeder road to the B51. Behind the crest of the fortification, a platform can be seen on the southern section. The fortifications included baskets that are no longer there, which were open at the bottom and filled with earth.

The Blankenheimerdorf artillery position was the central and largest of a total of seven positions. They were staggered in three rows and aligned towards Belgium, from where the French Revolutionary Army was advancing. Most of these artillery positions can still be seen in the terrain today.

According to sources, the Austrians – opponents of the French – forced the inhabitants of Blankenheim, Schmidtheim and Kronenburg to build the fortifications in the autumn of 1795. However, the Austrians allegedly abandoned the positions without resistance for fear that the fortifications would be bypassed. As the war progressed, the French occupied the entire Rhineland.