Pretoria Forts

Fort Schanskop
Pretoria, South Africa
Fort Schanskop viewed from above
Fort Schanskop
Fort Schanskop
Coordinates	25°46′39″S 28°11′06″E / 25.7775°S 28.185°E / -25.7775; 28.185
Site information
Controlled by	South Africa
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Renovated
Site history
Built	1896 (1896) to 6 April 1897 (to 6 April 1897)
Built by	Friedrich Krupp AG
Events	Second Boer War
Garrison information
Past commanders	Lieutenant A. Carlblom
Garrison	Rijdende Artillerie, later Corps Vesting Artillerie
Occupants	31

Fort Wonderboompoort
Pretoria, South Africa
Outer gate of Fort Wonderboompoort
Ruins of Fort Wonderboompoort
Fort Wonderboompoort
Coordinates	25°41′32″S 28°11′39″E / 25.6923°S 28.1942°E / -25.6923; 28.1942
Site information
Controlled by	South Africa
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Derelict
Site history
Built	Completed 4 September 1897 (Completed 4 September 1897)
Built by	Friedrich Krupp AG
Events	Second Boer War
Garrison information
Past commanders	Lieutenant J. Wolmarans
Garrison	Rijdende Artillerie, later Corps Vesting Artillerie
Occupants	±30

Fort Klapperkop
Pretoria, South Africa
Fort Klapperkop
SADF monument
Fort Klapperkop
Coordinates	25°46′49″S 28°12′36″E / 25.7802°S 28.2101°E / -25.7802; 28.2101
Site information
Controlled by	South Africa
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Renovated
Site history
Built	1896 (1896) to 18 January 1898 (to 18 January 1898)
Built by	Friedrich Krupp AG
Events	Second Boer War
Garrison information
Past commanders	Adjutant A.S.D. Erasmus
Garrison	Rijdende Artillerie, later Corps Vesting Artillerie
Occupants	17–30

Fort Daspoortrand
Pretoria, South Africa
The main entrance of Fort Daspoortrand
Fort Daspoortrand
Coordinates	25°43′59″S 28°04′36″E / 25.733038°S 28.076689°E / -25.733038; 28.076689
Site information
Owner	Private
Controlled by	South Africa
Open to the public	No
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Built	1896 (1896) to November 1898 (to November 1898)
Built by	Leon Grunberg and Sam Leon
Events	Second Boer War
Garrison information
Past commanders
Garrison	Transvaal Staatsartillerie

The Pretoria Forts consists of four forts built by the government of the South African Republic (ZAR) just before the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War around their capital of Pretoria.

After the abortive Jameson Raid, the government of the ZAR became concerned about the safety of its capital city, Pretoria, both from foreign invasion as well as from the growing number of Uitlanders (Foreigners) on the Witwatersrand.Consequently, a defence plan for Pretoria was drawn up by a former French artillery officer, Leon Grunberg. This plan was approved on 24 March 1896 by the Executive Council of the ZAR.

The plan recommended that eight strategic positions around the city should be fortified by means of armoured turrets equipped with artillery. The positions identified were Schanskop, Kwaggaspoort, Daspoortrand, Magaliesberg-wes, Wonderboompoort, Derdepoort, Strubenkop and Klapperkop. The armoured turrets were subsequently found to be unacceptable, and thus the plan of two German engineers, Otto Albert Adolph von Dewitz and Heinrich C Werner to build forts instead, were accepted. However, due to a lack of money, only four forts were eventually built:

Fort Schanskop, Fort Wonderboompoort and Fort Klapperkop were designed by Von Dewitz and Werner of the German engineering company Krupp, assisted by architect Christiaan Kuntz and building contractor Celso Giri.

The three forts are pentagonal reinforced, with more fire range possibilities through numerous facets. Attacks from any direction could be warded off by revolving guns on their ramparts. To prevent infantry attacks, loopholes were built into the walls. Trenches, barbed-wire entanglements and fortified rooms were erected as reinforcements.

These forts were the most modern structures of their time and modern mediums of communication, such as telephones, were used to equip the telegraph room.

Many black labourers and about 400 white builders, mostly Italians, were involved in the building of these forts. To address technical aspects such as the electrical connections between forts, German and Dutch experts were consulted.