Tønsberg Fortress

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


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tønsberg — Infobox Kommune name=Tønsberg idnumber=0704 county=Vestfold landscape=Viken capital=Tønsberg governor=Per Arne Olsen (FrP) governor as of=2004 arearank=381 area=107 arealand=106 areapercent=0.03 population as of=2008 populationrank=21… …   Wikipedia

  • Kongsvinger Fortress — Infobox Military Structure name=Kongsvinger festning location=Kongsvinger, Norway caption=Kongsvinger Fortess seen from the south map type = Norway latitude = 60.198889 longitude = 12.011389 coordinates =… …   Wikipedia

  • Akershus Fortress — Infobox Military Structure name=Akershus festning location=Oslo, Norway caption=Akershus Fortress built=1290s materials=Stone used=1290s today type= controlledby=Norway garrison= commanders= battles=Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle ( Akershus …   Wikipedia

  • List of Norwegian fortresses — For castles in Norway, see List of castles in Norway. Norwegian fortresses or fortifications have been constructed from some of the earliest recorded periods, down through the 20th century. The geography and topography of glacially carved,… …   Wikipedia

  • Sverre of Norway — Infobox Monarch name=Sverre Sigurdsson title= King of Norway caption= King Sverre s trek across the Voss mountains is imagined in this 19th century painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo. reign= 1184 ndash; 9 March 1202 date1= 1184 date2= March 9 1202… …   Wikipedia

  • Birger Eriksen — Infobox Military Person name=Birger Kristian Eriksen lived=17 November, 1875 ndash; 16 July, 1958 placeofbirth=Moskenes, Lofoten placeofdeath=Oslo caption=Birger Eriksen with the War Cross with sword, Légion d honneur and Croix de guerre.… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Drøbak Sound — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Battle of Drøbak Sound caption= Blücher sinking in the Oslofjord. partof=the Norwegian Campaign of World War II date=9 April 1940 place=Drøbak Sound, Norway result=Decisive Norwegian victory combatant1=Norway… …   Wikipedia

  • Oslo — This article is about the capital of Norway. For other uses, see Oslo (disambiguation). Oslo Top: Parliament of Norway Building, middle left: Bjørvika, middle right: Oslo City Hall seen from Akershus Castle, bottom: Oslo Opera House …   Wikipedia

  • List of Royal Norwegian Navy bases — A list of Royal Norwegian Navy bases both past and present.till active*Haakonsvern orlogsstasjon established 1962, the main base. *Ramsund base a logistics base. *Trondenes fort established 1943, main base for the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command …   Wikipedia

  • Magnus IV of Sweden — For other people of the same name, see Magnus Eriksson (disambiguation). Magnus IV VII King of Sweden Reign 8 July 1319 – February 1364 Coronation …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”