Christiansholm Fortress (''Christiansholm festning'') was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

fortress built to defend the city of

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

Background

The fortress was finished in 1672 and formed a part of King

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

'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 a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

fleet force, led by in 1807 during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. One of the very few remaining larger warships under Danish-Norwegian command was the

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

HDMS ''Prinds Christian Frederik'' with 70 cannons that was in the eastern harbor of Kristiansand. Captain Stopford on board HMS ''Spencer'' ordered to sail toward the city and announced in a letter that he wanted to take over the HDMS ''Prinds Christian Fredrik'', and threatened to open fire on the city if the ship were not disclosed. When the ships approached, they were met by fierce resistance from Christiansholm Fortress. The attack was repulsed by massive gunfire and the British sailed instead to the abandoned

Fredriksholm Fortress Fredriksholm Fortress (''Fredriksholm festning'') was situated on an islet off Kristiansand, Norway. Today the former fortress is in ruins and the site is a popular place for sightseeing. Complex Fredriksholm Fortress was located one kilometer ...

, which was blown up and destroyed. The fortress 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 by the Kristiansand Boardwalk 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 and cultural events.

Gallery

File:Cannons at Christiansholm, Kristiansand, Norway, 2004 ubt.jpg, Cannons at Christiansholm Fortress File:ChristiansholmFestning.jpg, Christiansholm Festning and harbor File:Krsand Citadellet.jpg , Kristiansand Boardwalk File:Christiansholm festning Twierdza3arm2 ks ubt.jpg, Seaside promenade File:Lister og Mandals amt nr 19- Speciel-Carte over en Deel af den østre Siide af Odderøen ved Christianssand, 1796.jpg, Map of

Christianssand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

's Eastern Port and

Odderøya Odderøya is an island and neighborhoods in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The island lies immediately to the south of the city centre of Kristiansand and it is connected to the mainland by four bridges. The island creates a ...

(1796) File:Christiansholms Fæstning med Retranchementet - no-nb krt 00876.jpg, Map from about 1800

References

Other sources

*Holte, Leiv ''Christiansholm og Retranchementet'' (Kristiansand kommune. 1941)

External links

Christiansholm Fortress attractionsChristiansholm Fortress and sights
Forts in Norway Buildings and structures in Kristiansand Fortifications of Kristiansand Tourist attractions in Kristiansand Tourism in Kristiansand {{fort-stub