Sverresborg (Norwegian: ''Sverresborg i Bergen'') is a
fortress
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'' ...
and former
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
situated in the
Norwegian city of
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 ...
.
History
It was built by King
Sverre Sigurdsson
Sverre Sigurdsson ( non, Sverrir Sigurðarson) (c. 1145/1151 – 9 March 1202) was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202.
Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel party ...
(ca. 1150–1202) in the mid 1180s, 250 meters northeast of
Bergenhus fortress
Bergenhus fortress ( no, Bergenhus festning) is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Located at the entrance of Bergen harbour, the castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway.
History
The fortress contains ...
. King
Sverre Sigurdsson
Sverre Sigurdsson ( non, Sverrir Sigurðarson) (c. 1145/1151 – 9 March 1202) was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202.
Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel party ...
also had a
Sverresborg
Sverresborg (Norwegian:''Sverresborg i Trondheim'') or ''Sverre Sigurdsson's castle'' (''Kong Sverres borg'') was a fort and residence built in the medieval city of Nidaros (later Trondheim) by King Sverre Sigurdsson. The fortification was built ...
built in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
. It is thought that the fortress had an outer wall of stone and inner buildings of wood. ''
Sverris saga
''Sverris saga'' is one of the Kings' sagas. Its subject is King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway (r. 1177–1202) and it is the main source for this period of Norwegian history. As the foreword tells us, the saga in its final form consists of mor ...
'' mentions that 600 men and 40 noble women lived in the fortress ca. 1207.
Sverresborg was the site of several battles during the
Civil war era in Norway
The civil war era in Norway ( no, borgerkrigstida or ''borgerkrigstiden'') began in 1130 and ended in 1240. During this time in Norwegian history, some two dozen rival kings and pretenders waged wars to claim the throne.
In the absence of fo ...
. The castle fell to the
bagler
The Bagli Party or Bagler (Old Norse: ''Baglarr'', Norwegian Bokmål: ''Bagler'', Norwegian Nynorsk: ''Baglar'') was a faction or party during the Norwegian Civil Wars. The Bagler faction was made up principally of the Norwegian aristocracy, clerg ...
s and was destroyed, but was rebuilt by
Håkon Jarl. The baglers destroyed it a second time and it has been rebuilt several times. Much of the remaining structures are from the 17th century. The site was reinforced by King
Håkon Håkonsson after the great fire of 1248. The medieval fort remained until the mid-16th century. Directly underneath Sverresborg lies the residence of the master of the ramparts (''Vollmesterboligen''), the oldest of which go back to the 18th century. The master of the ramparts was in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the fortifications and buildings. In August 1665, the fortress participated in the
Battle of Vågen
The Battle of Vågen was a naval battle between a Dutch merchant and treasure fleet; and an English flotilla of warships in August 1665 as part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The battle took place in Vågen (meaning "the bay, voe" in Norwegi ...
. The last known expansions took place 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 ...
.
Present day
In the 1830s a park was laid out in the area and in 1911 a petty officers school was established for Bergen Brigade (''Bergenske Brigades Underoffiserskole''). During
World War II the
German
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
**Ge ...
occupants established two anti aircraft batteries in the fortress. After the war, Sverresborg used as the execution site in connection with treason settlement. Seven German and one Norwegian war criminals were executed in Sverresborg in 1946.
The fortress has not fulfilled an operative capacity since World War II, but is still used by the military of Norway for office and training facilities. The area is today under the command of the commandant of
Bergenhus Fortress
Bergenhus fortress ( no, Bergenhus festning) is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Located at the entrance of Bergen harbour, the castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway.
History
The fortress contains ...
and is a military area, but open to the public.
''Sverresborg'' (Bergen Hash House Harriers)
/ref>
References
Other sources
*Krag, Claus ''Sverre – Norges største middelalderkonge'' (Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co. 2005)
*Litleskare, Ola ''Bergenhus på kryss og tvers'' (Bergen: 1998)
External links
Bergen history site (Norwegian)
Castles in Norway
Forts in Norway
Royal Norwegian Navy
Military installations in Bergen
1184 establishments in Europe
12th-century establishments in Norway
{{Fort-stub