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Fort-Mardyck (Municipality, Nord, France)

Fort-Mardijk

by Olivier Touzeau

Presentation of Fort-Mardyck
Description of the flag of Fort-Mardyck

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Presentation of Fort-Mardyck

The municipality of Fort-Mardyk (Dutch, Fort-Mardijk; 3,800 inhabitants) is the smallest of the municipalities members of the Communauté Urbaine of Dunkirk. It stretches over 140 ha between the Western Port and the Eastern Port of Dunkirk.

The fort of Mardyck (or Mardic) was built in 1622 by architect Jean Gamel for the Spaniards, then rulers of Flanders. It was a big (700 x 900 m) fortress built on the sea shore in order to protect the Western Port, which was the main access to Dunkirk. Therefore, every seizure of Dunkirk required the seizure the fort, which was seized, lost and seized again several times by the French between 1644 and 1658 until the battle of the Dunes, won on 14 June 1658 by marshal Turenne over the Spanish troops commanded by the Great Condé.

After having purchased Dunkirk and the fort to the English in 1662, Louis XIV ordered the destruction of the fort. His main minister Colbert decided to establish a fishers' colony on the available land. The four Benard, Evrard, Godin and Zoonekynd families were granted the piece of land where the fort had been built. The beginning of the colony was difficult because of very harsh conditions and the hostility of the local Flemish population. In 1700, the fishers created a syndicate in order to administrate the concession, which was nominally a part of Mardyck