Hoornwerk at the Grebbe

The Hoornwerk on the Grebbe was part of the Grebbe Line and was tasked with closing off and defending the road between Wageningen and Rhenen.

The Hoornwerk on the Grebbe was constructed between 1743 and 1745. There were four, initially five, small bastions surrounded by a double wet moat. The entire structure is approximately 520 metres long and 470 metres deep.

To block the road between Wageningen and Rhenen, two half bastions were built on both sides of the Grebbedijk. The original parapet was almost two metres high. The thickness of the rampart was almost one and a half metres. There were wet moats on both sides of the Grebbedijk. A third protective rampart was built around these works. Artillery could be placed in the corners of this rampart. Three bastions were built on the floodplains to prevent the enemy from attacking here when the water level was low.
In 1785, positions for artillery were added and the parapet was raised in places.

In the 18th century, the defences provided space for more than 1,200 soldiers. Some of them were housed with residents in the hamlet of De Grebbe. In addition to 1,000 infantrymen, there were about 40 cannons to protect the Grebbedijk in times of war. There was also a floodgate here that could be used to let water from the Lower Rhine in to flood the area east of the Grebbe Line.

With the approach of the Second World War, the Grebbe Line played a prominent role in the defence of the Netherlands. In March 1940, the main defence of the eastern front of the Holland Fortress was moved from the New Dutch Water Line to the Grebbe Line. Various reinforcements were put in place.

The German invasion began on 10 May 1940 and by 11 May the outposts of the Grebbe Line had already fallen. The hornwork became the most important line of defence and German patrols were fired upon. On 12 May, the hornwork was fired upon with artillery. In the afternoon, the cannons ceased fire and the SS Standarte Der Führer launched an attack along the road towards the floodgate. An hour and a half later, the last defenders had to surrender. Sixteen Dutch soldiers were killed.

In 1951, the hornwork lost its military function.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Hans Tasma