In the Westerwolde region of southeastern Groningen, close to the German border, Bourtange is a fortified village whose star-shaped outline is best understood from its history. The fort was not placed here simply for a scenic view. It guarded a sandy ridge through the marshes, a narrow route used to travel between Groningen and Lingen and Westphalia.
Fortress Bourtange’s official history says William of Orange ordered a fort on the ridge in 1580, during the Eighty Years’ War. Groningen had fallen into Spanish hands that March, and Spanish forces used the route to supply the city. A strongpoint on the passage was intended to interrupt that movement and help isolate Groningen.
