Christiansfjell Fortress

Christiansfjeld Fortress is a historic fort located in the town of Elverum which is located in Elverum Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway.[1]

Christiansfjeld festning
Elverum, Norway
Christiansfjeld festning is located in Innlandet
Christiansfjeld festning
Christiansfjeld festning
Christiansfjeld festning is located in Norway
Christiansfjeld festning
Christiansfjeld festning
Coordinates60°53′02″N 11°34′12″E / 60.88389°N 11.57000°E / 60.88389; 11.57000
TypeFortress
Site information
Controlled byNorway
Site history
Built1683
In use1683-1742 and 1811-1814
MaterialsStone
Garrison information
Past
commanders
Jonas Budde
Anders Nilsen Wiborg

History

edit

The fortress was built on a hill on the east side of the river Glomma as one of several military facilities in the vicinity. The fortress was initially established by Danish officer Gustav Wilhelm Wedel Jarlsberg (1641-1717), Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg in 1683. A tower with a cellar powder magazine was among the first buildings at this Norwegian fortress.[2]

Originally known as Hammersberg Skanse, during King Christian V's 1685 visit to Norway he toured the fortification. Recognizing its strategically important location on the Swedish border, he renamed the fortress Christiansfjeld and directed continued improvements. An extensive report of the visit includes illustrations of the fortress at that time. After the Great Northern War some of the smaller border forts were determined to be more expensive than their utility justified and they were closed. On July 13, 1742 Christiansfjeld Fortress was closed and the materials were moved to Kongsvinger Fortress. [3]

The fortress never saw combat and had never been besieged. In 1930 the area was cleared as parkland. In 1964, a municipal water tower was built on the site. Today the site is dominated by ruins in a park with a large water tower that supplies Elverum with water. [4]

Commanding officers

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Christiansfjell Fortress Ruins". spottinghistory.com. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  2. ^ "Gustav Wilhelm Wedel Jarlsberg". Norsk Biografisk Leksikon. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  3. ^ "Christianfjeld festning". Elverums Historie. Retrieved 2016-09-01.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Christiansfjell Festning Historie". Trond Bækkevold. Archived from the original on 2005-04-05. Retrieved 2020-09-01.

Other sources

edit
edit