Fredrikstad fortress (''Fredrikstad festning'') was a fortification in

Fredrikstad Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for the east side of

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

History

Fredrikstad Fortress was constructed between 1663 and 1666 by the officer Willem Coucheron and his son Anthony Coucheron following the order of the Dano-Norwegian King Frederick II. A temporary fortification had previously been built on the site during the Torstenson War (1644–1645) between Sweden and Denmark–Norway. The first commander was appointed 6 January 1662; he was Lieutenant Colonel Johan Eberhard Speckhan, succeeded by Johan von Fircks in 1663. Besides the fortress the prison works was also under the supervision of the commander of Fredrikstad fortress. In 1716 the fortress was used by the naval hero

Peter Tordenskjold Peter Jansen Wessel Tordenskiold (28 October 1690 – 12 November 1720), commonly referred to as Tordenskjold (), was a Norwegian nobleman and flag officer who spent his career in the service of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy. He rose to the ran ...

when he attacked the Swedish fleet during the Battle of Dynekilen. The only time the fortress were attacked was during the Swedish–Norwegian War (1814). The fortress, under the command of Nils Christian Frederik Hals, capitulated on 4 August 1814.Kommandant Hals kapitulasjonsrapport fra 1814
The fortress was closed in 1903, but continued to serve as a garrison. Fredrikstad fortress is unique in Norway by being the only fortress that is preserved as it was. The remaining military installations in Fredrikstad were closed in 2002 and today the fortress with its mix of old buildings and art exhibitions is very popular for visitors.

Fortifications

The fortifications in Fredrikstad included: *Kongsten fort *Isegran fort *Cicignon fort *Huth fort *Akerøya fort *Slevik battery

References

Other sources

*Lisk, Jill ''The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600–1725'' (Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1967) *Oppegaard, Tore Hiorth ''Østfold regiment'', 1996

External links

Forts in Norway Buildings and structures in Fredrikstad Military installations in Viken {{Fort-stub