The 1867 Treaty of London sealed the fate of the Fortress. The Austro-Prussian War of 1866 had marked the end of the German Confederation and French Emperor Napoleon III claimed the Fortress. His demand was accepted by King William III of the Netherlands. To defuse the geopolitical situation, the major European powers decided to dismantle the Fortress, which had become obsolete. And so Luxembourg, a neutral country, escaped the Franco-German War of 1870-71.
The order to withdraw the Prussian garrison was given by Lieutenant-General von Brauchitsch. The arsenals and magazines were emptied. The artillery, gunpowder, and weaponry were transferred to Prussian territory. The population watched with mixed feelings as the garrison departed. On one hand, it had been a foreign occupying force, but on the other, an essential part of the economy. The enormous cost of the dismantling and demolition works was only partially covered by the sale of materials and land. Moreover, the sudden availability of huge swathes of abandoned military land undermined the real estate market.
The demolition work began with the extension of several major avenues (Monterey, Emile Reuter, de la Porte Neuve) in the old town. The bastions were blown up and the ditches filled in. The structural timber, gates, stone and iron were sold or used for new buildings. It took 16 years and a huge organisational effort to clear 400 years of building history. The dismantling process was solemnly declared completed on 22 May 1883.
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