Fredriksten
Fredriksten is a
.Fredriksten Fortress | |
---|---|
Fredriksten festning | |
Halden, Norway | |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Norway |
Site history | |
Built | 17th century |
In use | 17th century-1905 (fort) - today (military installation) |
Battles/wars | Swedish invasion 1658 Swedish invasion 1659 Swedish invasion 1660 Swedish invasion 1716 Swedish invasion 1718 Swedish invasion 1814 |
History
This Fortresses was constructed by
The Northern War (1655–1661)
At the close of the
Five months later in February 1659 the Swedes again attacked. Since their first attack, the garrison had been strengthened. Under the leadership of Tønne Huitfeldt the Norwegian forces again repulsed the Swedish forces. Concurrently, Huitfeldt began construction of fortifications. Cretzenstein, later to be renamed Fredriksten, was the citadel of the new fortification system.
In early January 1660, the Swedish forces attacked Halden for the third time; it was to serve as the base for their advance on
Peace negotiations were reopened. Sweden demanded that Norway vacate all land east of the river Glomma, which was to serve as the new border. With the intercession of Hannibal Sehested, a separate Scandinavian treaty was negotiated, the Treaty of Copenhagen (1660), which improved on the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde, returning Trøndelag to Norwegian control.
Fortification Upgrades (1673–1675)
The existing star shaped fortress complex was upgraded during the period of peace between 1661–1675. In 1673 Denmark dispatched Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve as statholder to Norway to organize the military forces and strengthen the defenses of the kingdom. After a tour of facilities, he recommended further upgrades to both the fortress and the military forces. In the summer of 1675, 1800 men were kept at work on the fortresses at Akershus, Fredrikstad, and Fredrikshald.
Gyldenløve War (1675–1679)
At the outbreak of the
Fortification Upgrades (1679–1700)
Fredriksten was expanded from 1682–1701; 1684-1689 under the leadership of Major-General Ernst von Tettau. It now included three outer fortifications: Gyldenløve, Overberget and Stortårnet.
Great Northern War (1700–1721)
At the close of the
After a brief occupation, Charles retraced his steps to the
Charles' troops attempted to take Frederiksten by storm on 4 July. His troops took the town after fierce fighting, but the citizens set fire to their own houses, forcing Charles, unable to take the fortress, to retreat and await the arrival of heavy siege guns. Unfortunately for the invading army the entire Swedish transport fleet was captured or destroyed by the Norwegian naval hero
In the Autumn of 1718 Charles once more attacked Norway, intending to first capture Halden to be able to sustain a siege of Akershus. By first taking the border areas, Charles wished to avoid a repeat of the fiasco he had suffered two years before. The 1,400 strong garrison of Frederiksten fought ferociously to hold back the invasion, but suffered a severe setback when, on 8 December the forward fortification Fort Gyldenløve fell. Encouraged by their very hard-fought success the Swedish army intensified their efforts against the main fort. The Swedish trenches had almost reached the main fortification walls when on the evening of 11 December (Swedish calendar: 30 November) 1718, a bullet struck and killed Charles XII while he inspected the work. The death of the king effectively ended the attack on Fredriksten and the invasion was called off, leading to the conclusion of the war. A memorial is located in the park named in his memory where the Swedish king fell, just in front of the fortress.
1788
The fortress served as a staging area for a mock attack on Sweden during the
1814
The fortress was bombarded but not captured. The advancing Swedish forces of
The fortress today
After 1905 the fortress lost all military significance, but it still hosted various units. As of today the Norwegian defence logistics and administrative college is situated by the fortress. The fortress also hosts several museums and art exhibitions. During the summer season outdoor concerts are arranged with both classic and contemporary music.
The fortress was selected as the millennium site for Østfold county.
The fortress is where the annual music programme Allsang på Grensen was filmed.
References
- Gjerset, Knut (1915) History of the Norwegian People MacMillan
- Lisk, Jill (1967 The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725 Funk & Wagnalls, New York
- Noel Stagg, Frank (1956) East Norway and its Frontier George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London