Christiansholm Fortress: A Harbor Fortification in Kristiansand, Norway
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Norway
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Danish
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page4 sections
History
Christiansholm Fortress in Norway is a small harbor fortification built by the Danish-Norwegian monarchy at Kristiansand between 1662 and 1672. It formed part of King Christian IV’s plan to defend the city when Kristiansand, then called Christianssand, was founded in 1641.
Construction and Armament
Construction took place during the reign of King Frederick III and was completed in 1672. The architect was Willem Coucheron, a quartermaster general. The fortress received 25 guns in 1667, and its artillery was strengthened in 1669 to include 25 bronze guns and 37 iron guns.
Military Use and Decommissioning
Christiansholm remained in military use from 1672 until June 1872, when a royal decree decommissioned it as part of a major nationwide redevelopment of fortifications. The decree was issued under Charles IV, king of Sweden and Norway.
The fortress saw its only active military engagement on 18 September 1807 during the English Wars, conflicts between Denmark-Norway and Britain in the Napoleonic era. A Royal Navy squadron, a naval unit made up of several ships, approached Kristiansand under the command of HMS Spencer and its captain, Robert Stopford. The squadron intended to seize the 70-gun ship Prinds Christian Frederik and threatened to bombard the city if it was not surrendered.
Christiansholm answered with heavy bombardment, and the British withdrew to the disused Fredriksholm Fortress, which they blew up. Four British servicemen were killed while inspecting the fuses of its powder barrels. Christiansholm is now owned by the municipality of Kristiansand and is used principally for recreation and cultural events.
Remains
Christiansholm Fortress occupies what was once a small islet in Østerhavn, the principal harbor of Kristiansand at the time of its construction. The fort stood approximately 100 meters from the shore and formed part of the harbor’s defenses. The former islet is now connected to the mainland, changing the physical setting of the surviving fortification while retaining its connection with the historic harbor.
Eight six-pounder guns remain preserved in the fort. These cannons are classified by the approximate weight of the shot they fired, and they represent the fortress’s historical artillery, whose guns included both bronze and iron examples.
