It is one of 18 forts of what is called a Stronghold-Poznan, constructed in the years 1876-1880, and later modernized between 1887 and 1888. Initially, it was simply referred to as Fort VII, but in 1902 this 14-hectar fortification was named Fort Colomb. Until 1918 it served an important function in Prussian plans regarding the defence of both the city and the eastern border of the 2nd Reich. In the period between the World Wars, it was used as a warehouse. The Nazi occupation was the turning point in the history of the fortification. The Nazi authorities decided that the building would become the first concentration camp in the territory of Poland. Officially, Fort VII was a prison and a temporary camp for civilians, but in reality, it was predominantly an extermination camp. Today the Fort houses The Museum for Wielkopolska Martyrs.