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The fortress History of
Copenhagen 1150 - 1872
Europe has not been the quiet and peaceful place we
consider it today.
Special in the middle ages and the years to come, every
major city was heavily fortified.
Great mounds, sometime combined with moats and palisades, defended by heavy
artillery,
archers and infantry.
The Danish capitol of Copenhagen has been fortified since it was founded in the
12-th century.
Placed at the western bank of Øresund it was of cause target for both trade and
war.
Copenhagen was founded as a little trade- and fishing community. The capitol at
that time was
Roskilde
in the middle of the island of Zeeland, where Copenhagen also is situated on the
eastern
coast.
At that time a very central position in the kingdom. (Both Sweden and Norway
belonged to the
Danish Crown))
At first the fortress around Copenhagen (1150) only was some wooden palisades,
and later in
the 15. Century the
second fortress was made.
The second fortress of Copenhagen was a mound around the city, with wide moats
in front.
In the mounds there were 4 gates to the city. They were named after their
geographical situation
to the city, Eastern Gate,
Western Gate and Northern Gate. The fourth was named after the
Island of Amager:
Amager Gate.
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The Western Gate
(1750) |
The Northern Gate
(1671) |
The Eastern Gate |
The Amager Gate |
In 1626 building the Citadel "Frederikshavn" began in the northern
part of the fortress ring.
It was supposede to protect the city from the seaside.
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The pentagon Citadel "Frederikshavn"
To day brought back to almost original 1660.
One of the best preserved citadels of Northern
Europe and still active as headquarter
for some military units
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The fortification of
Copenhagen 1801.
English map form the battle of Copenhagen.
(Admiral Parker, Vice admiral Nelson and
Danish naval hero Niels Juel)
The Citadel is the little pentagon in the right
side of the map.
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At that time the city-gates were opened
in the morning for travelers to the city and farmers for the city
markets. At night the gates was closed and heavily guarded.
In front of the gates there were small inns, where people who came to late to
enter the gate could spend
the night
until the gate was opened in the morning.
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The Inn "The Black Horse" from 1771 was
situated at the
Western Gate.
The building is preserved and still excists.
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In 1659 the moads recisted a swedish siege and attack.
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The moats and ramparts couldn't
protect Copenhagen in 1807, when
The British Navy bombarded the
city from the sea.
The first terror-bombardment
against civilians in the history
of war.
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Fire-Rockets invented by Sir William Congreve.
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In 1852, the
old moats were given up. Until this time the city was build up behind the moads,
and
the population was growing rapidly.. To many people, little space, open sewers and poor
hygiene
led to epidemics. Plaque in 1711 (30% died) and in 1853 Cholera and some smaller epidemics
of Smallpox and Scarlet Fever.
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The center of
Copenhagen was
both dark and unhealthy in the
late 19'th. century. |
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The New Fortification
After
the partly successful war against Prussia in 1848 Denmark lost the second
Prussian War in 1864.
The army saw the results of effective and modern siege-artillery and how
vulnerable moads are, when
not protected by guns and infantry.
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Picture from 1864.
Part of the destroyed stronghold at Dybbøl |
The Second Prussian War in 1864 was a disaster, and Denmark lost 20 % of its
territory.
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Copenhagen
1868. The city already has grown outside the moads.
Demolishing the old city walls was necessary, and in
1876, construction of the new third fortificatition
of Copenhagen began.
To day the Tivoli Lake is part of the old moats |
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