Christiansholm Fortress
Encyclopedia
Christiansholm Fortress (Christiansholm festning) was a Norwegian
fortress built to defend the city of Kristiansand
.
The fortress was finished in 1672 and formed a part of King Christian IV's plan for defense of Kristiansand when the city was founded in 1641. The architect of the fortress was quartermaster general Willem Coucheron
. It was built on an islet, about 100 yards from shore. Today the fortress is connected to the mainland.
The only time the fortress has been in battle was against the English
fleet in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars
. It was decommissioned by royal decree during June 1872 as part of a major redevelopment of fortifications across the nation.
Today, Christiansholm is a tourist attraction and venue for a variety of cultural events and festivities. It is now owned by the municipality and is a site used principally for recreation.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
fortress built to defend the city of Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
.
The fortress was finished in 1672 and formed a part of King Christian IV's plan for defense of Kristiansand when the city was founded in 1641. The architect of the fortress was quartermaster general Willem Coucheron
Willem Coucheron
Willem Coucheron was a Dutch-born Dano-Norwegian quartermaster general. He was sent to Copenhagen to present plans for a new defensive work for Halden, Norway. These plans were approved by the king on 28 July 1660. He began the construction of the fortifications of Fredrikstad Fortress at Halden...
. It was built on an islet, about 100 yards from shore. Today the fortress is connected to the mainland.
The only time the fortress has been in battle was against the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
fleet in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. It was decommissioned by royal decree during June 1872 as part of a major redevelopment of fortifications across the nation.
Today, Christiansholm is a tourist attraction and venue for a variety of cultural events and festivities. It is now owned by the municipality and is a site used principally for recreation.
Source
- Holte, Leiv Christiansholm og Retranchementet (Kristiansand kommune. 1941)