Falkenberg (''Falkenbergshus'') was a
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
located at
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran (river), Ätra ...
in
Halland County
Halland County ( sv, Hallands län, link=no, ) is a county ('' län'') on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad.
It borders the counties of Västra Göta ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. The fortification was located on the south strand of the river
Ätran, about from the southern
abutment
An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...
of
Falkenberg Bridge
The Falkenberg Bridge (Swedish language, Swedish ''Tullbron'', literally ''"The Toll Bridge"'') is a stone arch bridge in Falkenberg, Sweden, built between 1756 and 1761. The bridge spans the Ätran (river), Ätran river and is a listed building si ...
. It would later give name to the town
of Falkenberg which was previously known as ''Ätraby''.
History
Falkenberg was first mentioned in 1298.
In the early part of the 13th century the province of
Halland
Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
was part of Denmark. The Danish kings had built a fortification on the east shore of the
Ätran river in the community of Falkenberg. The fort was the site for several Nordic treaties during the fourteenth century. It was burnt down by
Count Erik Magnusson (c. 1282 – 1318) in 1356 during his revolt against his father King
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus IV (April or May 1316 – 1 December 1374; Swedish ''Magnus Eriksson'') was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII (including Iceland and Greenland) from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By ...
.
The fortification was thereafter rebuilt.
The army of Swedish rebel leader
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390s – 27 April/4 May 1436) was a Swedish nobleman, rebel leader and military boss of German ancestry. He was the leader of the Engelbrekt rebellion in 1434 against Eric of Pomerania, king of the Kalmar Union. Enge ...
(1390s–1436) besiege the town in 1434, under the leadership of Herman Berman. The action took place during the
Engelbrekt rebellion
The Engelbrekt rebellion (''Engelbrektsupproret'') was an uprising during 1434–1436 led by Swedish miner and nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson and directed against Eric of Pomerania, the king of the Kalmar Union. The uprising, with its center ...
against King
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1396 ...
. The defenders managed the first attack successfully. They did however realise that they would not be able to continue to hold the fort. Therefore, they choose to put the fort on fire and leave it by water. The fort was destroyed and was not rebuilt.
Excavations took place in 1885, as a railway was run through the area. The fort consisted of a tower. It had an inner area of , while the outer area was at the base. The walls are at the thickest at the base, and becomes thinner towards the top. Above the lower, partially intact, parts were brick walls. The group which performed the excavations found remains of brick all over the excavated area. The group also found some loose remains such as weapons, tools and household goods as well as two finger rings and a silver coin.
Listed Administrators
*1344 - Trotte Petersson
*1356 -
Bengt Algotsson
*1384 -
Eskil Brahe
*1433-1434 -
Ã…ke Axelsson (Tott)
See also
*
History of Falkenberg
References
Other Sources
*
* Mats Dahlbom; Peter Skoglund (2011) ''Falkenberg i dansk medeltid'' (Salmon River)
{{coord, 56, 55, N, 12, 26, E, display=title, region:SE_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki
Forts in Sweden
Ruins in Sweden
Buildings and structures in Falkenberg
Buildings and structures demolished in the 15th century