Built in 1880 by General Séré de Rivière as part of France's post-1870 defensive ring, Fort de la Pompelle is notable for its role in the First World War. It held out against repeated German assaults and bombardments from 1914 to 1918, and today it houses an extensive collection of French, Allied, and German militaria from the conflict, including one of the largest collections of German helmets in France.