Fort du Vert-Galant, Military fort in Wambrechies, France.

Fort du Vert-Galant is a fortified installation near Lille with thick walls and defensive structures positioned along the Deule River. The complex includes fortified buildings, a pond, and open areas where grazing animals now roam freely.

The fort was built in 1879 under General Sere de Rivières as part of a defensive system protecting Lille from potential Prussian threats. During World War II, it became a site of great tragedy under the occupation.

In 2012 the German artist Ilja Wedekind made a memorial at the fort showing four tortured men, honouring the 92 civilians shot in the ditches between 1941 and 1943. Stolpersteine (memorial cobblestones) have been laid in front of the last homes of several victims, including Élie Rabinovitch at 86 rue Gambetta in Lille and Henri Terryn at 108 rue du Grand Chemin in Roubaix.

Guided tours are organized on specific dates by the local city office with knowledgeable guides leading the visits. Check ahead to learn about available visiting times and how to arrange your visit.

The fort was briefly renamed Fort Carnot by a decree of 21 January 1887, after General Lazare Carnot; the name was meant to be carved above the entrance, but the decree was revoked on 13 October 1887 and the old name restored. In 2012 the German artist Ilja Wedekind made a memorial of four tortured men for the site.