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| Akershus festning | |
|---|---|
| Oslo, Norway | |
 Akershus Fortress |
|
| Built | 1290s |
| Construction materials |
Stone |
| In use | 1290s-today |
| Controlled by | Norway |
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle (Akershus Festning, Akershus slott) is the old castle built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway.
Contents |
History
The first work on the castle started around the late 1290s, by King Håkon V, replacing Tønsberg as one of the two most important Norwegian castles of the period (the other being Båhus). It was constructed in response to the Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg’s earlier attack on Oslo.
The fortress has successfully survived many sieges, primarily by Swedish forces. In the early 17th c., the fortress was modernized and remodeled under the reign of the active King Christian IV, and got the appearance of a renaissance castle.
The fortress was first used in battle in 1308, when it was besieged by the Swedish duke Erik of Södermanland, who later in the same year won the Swedish throne. The immediate proximity of the sea was a key feature, for naval power was a vital military force as the majority of Norwegian commerce in that period was by sea. The fortress was strategically important for the capital, and therefore, Norway as well. Whoever ruled Akershus fortress ruled Norway.
The fortress has never been successfully captured by a foreign enemy. It surrendered without combat to Nazi Germany in 1940 when the Norwegian government evacuated the capital in the face of the unprovoked German assault on Denmark and Norway (see Operation Weserübung). During WWII, several people were executed here by the German occupiers. After the war, eight Norwegian traitors who had been tried for war crimes and sentenced to death were also executed at the fortress. Among those executed was Vidkun Quisling.
Akershus fortress is still a military area, but is open to the public daily until 9pm. In addition to the castle, the Norwegian Armed Forces museum and the Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence and Defence Staff Norway (armed forces headquarters) have a joint modern headquarter in the eastern part of Akershus Fortress.
Norwegian Royalty have been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. They include, King Sigurd I, King Haakon V, Queen Eufemia, King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha.
The year is that in which they first took command.
- 1629 Ove Gedde
- 1654 Georg Reichwein
- 1662 Hans Jacob Schort
- 1670 Michael Opitz
- 1676 Frants Eberhard von Speckhan
- 1679 Ejler Jensen Visborg
- 1680 Hans Brostrup Schort
- 1687 Anton Coucheron
- 1690 Nikolaj de Seve
- 1706 Hans Frederik Legel
- 1708 Ernst Bugislav Waldau
- 1709 Johan Frederik Münnich
- 1711 Nikolaj Sibbern
- 1712 Jørgen Christopher von Klenow
- 1719 Georg von Bertouch
- 1740 Johan Frederik Leben
- 1744 Jonas Bjørnsen
- 1762 Frans Grabow
- 1772 Christopher Frederik Ingenhaeff
- 1774 Hans Jacob Henning Hesselberg
- 1806 Frederik Gotskalk Haxthausen
- (incomplete)
- at present Geir Holmenes
Facts and Figures
- A portion of the fortress was replicated at the Norway (Epcot) pavilion at Epcot Center theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Gallery
 The fortress right in the middle of Oslo Harbour |
 Inside the Akershus fortress church |
 Akershus Castle |
 Akershus fortress seen from the west |
 The Armoury door |
See also
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 25 October 2008, at 18:05.
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