Fort de la Justice was built in 1826 near Belfort town centre. t was built on land sold by the town where executions used to take place, hence the name of the site. This construction was part of a project to fortify the town of Belfort under the direction of Lieutenant-General François-Nicolas-Benoit Haxo.

The fort is in the shape of an elongated triangle, the longest side of which follows the crest of the rocks on the hill and forms the north-east face. The other two faces are two bastioned fronts. It had two artillery cavaliers with a capacity of 20 cannons. With its vaulted barracks built entirely of limestone, this fortress could house more than 300 men. The barracks were occupied as early as 1831, then suffered damage during the siege of 1870. Subsequently, Fort de la Justice was the scene of deadly fighting in June 1940 as the German troops advanced. Unprotected from bombardment, this fort was the area of Belfort that suffered the highest number of deaths: 37 killed and 38 injured.

In the years that followed, the fort was used to house foreign workers. Its dilapidated state and the high cost of renovation led to it being closed definitively in the 1970s. However, the surrounding area is regularly visited by the residents of Belfort, who enjoy the footpaths and trails. Since 2020, the association “Les Jardins du Fort de la Justice” has been running an artists’ garden project on this site, which is now open to visitors again.