Groot Schietveld

The Groot Schietveld was created as a result of the evolution of artillery. Initially, the Klein Schietveld was established as an army camp in 1820. The site was used more often from about 1845 onwards. In 1852 a permanent polygon for the artillery was set up. The land purchases were completed in 1859. The domain then covered 415 hectares and was 4 kilometers deep. The airfield dates from 1911. Because armored cars had made the site unusable for other vehicles, the Klein Schietveld was expanded in 1956 with another 100 hectares. Since the guns could shoot much further than 4 kilometers, there was a need for a larger shooting range. The area of the Groot Schietveld was declared a site of general interest in 1888, after which the purchases could begin. In 1894 the domain was completely acquired. At that time it covered 1170 hectares but was later enlarged to 1297 hectares. This area has a length of 10 kilometers and is usually about 2 kilometers wide.