Karjohansvern (''Karljohansvern Orlogsstasjon, KJV'') at

Horten is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand an ...

was the main base for the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...

from 1850 to 1963.

Background

In 1818, it was decided to establish a naval base in Horten. It was first called ''Hortens verft'', and later ''Marinens Hovedværft'' until King Oscar I named it ''Carljohansværn værft'' in 1854 (after his father Karl Johan). The shipyards was begun in 1820 and the first launch, a frigate, was in 1828. On 9 April 1940 during the

German invasion of Norway German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, a battle took place in the harbour when the Germans attempted to seize the base. The naval attack was repulsed, but German troops managed to outflank the Norwegians and force them to capitulate. Karljohansvern remained in German hands for the rest of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, while the ships operating out of it were pressed into their service. In 1953, the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...

determined the Navy's main base should be moved to

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

. When the new headquarters at

Haakonsvern Haakonsvern is the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy and the largest naval base in the Nordic area. The base is located at Mathopen within Bergen municipality, about 15 km south-west of the city centre. Around 5,400 people work at the base ...

was officially opened in 1963, a number of functions were transferred from Karljohansvern. In 1968, the National Government took over the shipyard and renamed it A/S Horten Verft. which was closed down in 1987. The Officer Candidate School for the Navy remained on site until 2005. The Naval District East (ØSD) based there was disbanded in 2002. The

Royal Norwegian Navy Museum The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum (Norwegian: ''Marinemuseet'') is a museum documenting the history of the Royal Norwegian Navy. It is located at the former main naval base of Karljohansvern in Horten. The museum was founded by C.F. Klinck on 24 Au ...

(''Marinemuseet'') and the fortress Norske Løve on Vealøs remain. Only the island of Vealøs, which is connected to Horten with a bridge, is still owned by the Department of Defence. The whole island is still a military area, and the area is cordoned off with fencing, video surveillance and guard booths. The former shipyard has been converted into an industrial park, ''Horten Industripark''. The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band (Horten), a department of the

Norwegian Defence Research Establishment The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (''Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt'' – ''FFI'') is a research institute that conducts research and development on behalf of the Norwegian Armed Forces and provides expert advice to political and mi ...

and some of the Navy's school administration are still present. In 2001,

Preus Museum Preus Museum is the national museum for photography located in Horten, Norway. Preus Museum was founded in 1976 by Leif Preus and the members of the Preus family as a private museum. The collection was acquired by the Norwegian government in 199 ...

moved to the former naval facility. As of 2006, the entire base including 73 buildings has been given protected heritage status by the

Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage The Directorate for Cultural Heritage ( no, Riksantikvaren or ''Direktoratet for kulturminneforvaltning'') is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environm ...

Picture gallery

File:MarinemuseetHorten.jpg, Royal Norwegian Navy Museum File:Karljohansvern magasin.jpg, Artillery Magazine File:Sjømilitære korps kaserne Karljohansvern.jpg, Naval Corps Barracks File:Lokalhistorisk senter horten.JPG, Local History Center File:Preus museum.jpg, Preus Museum

References

External links

KarljohansvernHorten Industripark website
Forts in Norway Royal Norwegian Navy bases Military installations in Vestfold og Telemark {{coord, 59, 25, 57.60, N, 10, 29, 25.45, E, type:landmark, display=title

Background

Picture gallery

See also

References

External links