Tønsberg Fortress

Infobox Military Structure
name=Tønsberg festning
location=Tønsberg, Norway


caption="Slottsfjellet"
built=
materials=
used=871-1503
type=
controlledby=Ynglings
Reidar Sendeman
Kings of Norway
garrison=
commanders=Haakon Haakonson
Magnus Lagabøter
Haakon V Magnusson
Magnus Eriksson
battles=

Tønsberg Fortress is a fortress located in Tønsberg, Norway. Tønsberg was an important trading center, and was defended by the fortress for over 700 years.

In the 1200s, king Haakon Haakonson set up a castle, Tunsberghus, Tunsberg or Tønsberg Fortress at the location of the modern Tønsberg municipality. It was located at what was formerly one of the most important harbors in Norway. According to Snorri Sturluson Tønsberg was founded before the Battle in Hafrsfjord. This makes Tønsberg the oldest Norwegian town, founded in 871, and one of the oldest recorded fortified locations in Norway.

Only a few ruins of the fortress are now left. The modern-day tower standing on the hill, was raised in 1888 as a memorial of the historic fortress.

*871 - The commercial town of Tunsberg existed. It served as a stronghold for the Ynglings, who first came to power in Vestfold in this period.

* 1000s - The commercial town and fortress at Tunsberg, on the Oslofjord outdistanced Skiringssal as a trading center.

* 1201 - Sverre Sigurdsson, king of Norway from 1177-1202, was attacked in Oslo by combined forces from the Opplands, Viken, Telemark and Tunsberg. Although they outnumbered Sverre's forces, they were defeated by Sverre’s superior tactics. One of their ablest leaders, Reidar Sendeman, took refuge in the heights of Tunsberg fjell. In September of 1201, Sverre lay siege with a force of 1000 men, forcing their surrender after 5 months. Unfortunately for Sverre, he took ill in the siege and returned to Bergen only to die later in 1202.

*1253 - Haakon Haakonsson, king 1217-1263, constructed a castellated wall around the mountain and provided support buildings within the fortification.

*1253 - Successfully resisted attack by Danish forces.

*1261 - Magnus Lagabøter, king of Norway 1263-1280, brought his bride Ingeborg of Denmark to live in the castle.

*1319 - Haakon V Magnusson, king 1299-1319, the last of Haralds-ætten, lay ill and died at Tønsberghus.

*1335 - Magnus Eriksson, king from 1319-1374, was wedded here to Blanche of Namur, who received the castle as a gift from her husband.

*1387 - When the castles were no longer occupied by Norwegian royalty, the most important lords were the governors of the four chief Norwegian fortresses, Tønsberghus, Akershus, Båhus, and Bergenhus.

*1503 As the Kalmar Union collapsed, Norwegian attempts to rebel were suppressed by Danish forces. The Tunsberghus fortress was destroyed by Swedish soldiers and disloyal local peasants.

References

*"History of the Norwegian Peoples", by Knut Gjerset, MacMillan, 1915
*"A History of Norway", by Karen Larson, Princeton University Press, 1948