The Brigitte and Klaus Jordan Collection

The Fortress Documentationcentre acquired the Brigitte and Klaus Jordan Collection in 2009. The collection was assembled over 40 years by the German couple Brigitte and Klaus Jordan. It is one of the most significant collections in Europe on the history of fortification.

It comprises some 8,800 printed volumes; 61 historical manuscripts (17th-19th century); engravings and plans of fortifications, fortification and siege systems; and photographic documentation relating to around 180 European fortresses. The collection covers the history of fortification in the form of theoretical treatises, specialist dictionaries of military arts and reference works dating from 1527 to 1914.

The range of European publications covers German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and to a lesser extent English and Nordic (Sweden and Denmark), with some even in Russian. As a result, 4 centuries'-worth of fortification theory covering the whole of Europe is comprehensively represented. There is a large section on the 16th century (the early days of bastioned fortification systems in Europe), including first-generation Italian treatises, in particular.

This collection is essential for gaining an understanding of the fortress of Luxembourg. The history of the fortifications of Luxembourg concern the whole of Europe, given the origin of the engineers who worked on this fortress: the Italians in the 16th century, the Spanish-Walloons and Flemish in the 17th century, the French at the time of Louis XIV and during the Empire, the Austrians in the 18th century and the Dutch and Prussians in the 19th century.

In addition to this collection, the CDF has other specialized works on fortification.