Kongsvinger Fortress ( no, Kongsvinger festning) is located in the city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Kongsvinger Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aus ...

in the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Hedmark Hedmark () was a county in Norway before 1 January 2020, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged int ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It is situated on a hill west and north of the

Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the ...

river, standing astride the ancient Vinger Royal Road, which connected

and

Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are '' ...

, Sweden as well as on the north-south Norwegian route along the Glomma. As Kongsvinger formed a key junction point for these routes, fortifications were constructed there to protect against invasion from the east.

History

Medieval period

During the early

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

period, pilgrims traveled to the shrine of St. Olaf at Trondheim; a favorite route for those from Sweden (the Vinger Royal Road) passed via

Eidskog Eidskog is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vinger. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skotterud. Other villages in the municipality include Magnor, Matrand, ...

, Vinger (now Kongsvinger) and

Elverum is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...

up the Glomma. This important pilgrimage & trade route is mentioned by

Adam of Bremen Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...

in 1070. Its importance as an established road leading both north and south from the Swedish border was the basis for its later military significance. Between 1130 and 1217 Norway underwent a period of

Civil Wars A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. The Bagler faction contested with the

Birkebeiner The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar (; no, Birkebeinarane (nynorsk) or (bokmål)) was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla. The name has its origins in propaga ...

s, led by the pretender

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Sverre, for control during the late 12th century. Many of the rebels found refuge in Värmland and the Vinger area was the site of numerous conflicts.

Sigurd Ribbung Sigurd Erlingsson Ribbung (Old Norse: ''Sigurðr ribbungr'') (died 1226) was a Norwegian nobleman and pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway. Biography Sigurd Erlingsson's father was Erling Steinvegg, who claimed to ...

harassed King Haakon IV of Norway’s lands across this border. In 1224 they fought a battle at Vinger. Ribbung’s troops were defeated and fled.

Early modern period

In the spring of 1643 the Swedish Privy Council determined that their military strength made territorial gains at the expense of Denmark/Norway likely. The Count drew up the plan for war and directed a surprise multiple-front attack on

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

and Norway in May. Norway, which was then governed by Christian's son-in-law,

Statholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...

(royal governor) Hannibal Sehested, was a reluctant participant. Some Finnish people in the

Finnskogen Finnskogen ("Forest of the Finns") is an area of Norway and Sweden situated in the counties of Innlandet and Värmland respectively, so named because of immigration of Finnish people in the 17th century, the so-called '' Skogfinner/"Forest Finns"' ...

, who had migrated from Sweden and whose loyalties were often with Sweden, were caught spying on Norwegian troops at Vinger. A rather desultory war between Sweden and Norway, often called the

Hannibal War The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general L ...

, resulted from 1643 to 1645. Vinger was the staging area for several minor Norwegian invasions into Sweden as this final episode of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

was completed. The most important consequence of this war was that the royal governor identified the need for fortifications at Vinger and elsewhere along the border and initiated a tax for the purpose. Since there was great discontent, this tax burden was lifted in 1646 by

Christian IV of Denmark Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mon ...

and Norway; as a result no fortification construction was begun at that time. In 1673, Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve wrote that construction was underway on a defensive structure on top of a hill. Once completed, it would dominate the river and the existing sconce by the ferry crossing. This structure was called Vinger Sconce or Gyldenborg and was a precursor to Kongsvinger Fortress. It was never attacked during the Scanian War, which broke out in 1675, but it did fire its cannons against a Swedish reconnaissance unit. An attack was launched from Vinger in February 1679, but it was unable to penetrate deep into Sweden due to insufficient artillery. Following the war, fortifications were improved along the border toward Sweden. Plans were made for a star-shaped fortress and construction began in 1682 on the site of the old Vinger Sconce. The new fortress was named ''Königs Winger'', which has since become ''Kongsvinger'', both meaning King's Vinger. Today, Øvrebyen, the old Kongsvinger uptown area around the fortress is dominated by wooden buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, laid out in the typical right angle square plan - by architect Major General Johan Caspar von Cicignon - popular in this period. In 1709, during the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...

, Norway was mobilized and by the end of October 1709, 1,500 men were stationed at Kongsvinger. When in 1716 it became apparent that the Charles XII of Sweden intended to invade, three fortresses along the Swedish border were again extensively manned: Kongsvinger Fortress,

Basmo Fortress Basmo fortress (''Basmo festning'') is a former fortification located in the north-western part of Marker municipality in Viken county, Norway. The fortress was placed on the main road from Ørje. The site is situated near the Swedish borde ...

and Fredriksten Fortress. The attack fell on Basmo and Kongsvinger was bypassed.

Industrial revolution period

Although a significant part of the Norwegian border fortification during several wars with Sweden, Kongsvinger never saw attack. The closest offensive occurred in 1808 during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, when a Swedish column advanced against the fortress of Kongsvinger. They reached the Glomma River after a victory at Lier on 18 April, but did not cross the river and invest the fortress. On 10 March 1809 an interim armistice was signed at Kongsvinger. Later, in 1814, the most bloody battle between Swedish invaders and defending Norwegian forces during the Napoleonic Wars took place at Matrand, a short distance from Kongsvinger on the Eidskog road. The Swedish lost 337 men, compared with 139 killed and wounded on the Norwegian side.

Aasmund Olavsson Vinje Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (6 April 1818 – 30 July 1870) was a Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk). Background Vinje was born into a poor but ...

(1818–1870) was a famous Norwegian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

who wrote in his ''Ferdaminni fraa Sumaren 1860'', "One of the finest views in the country is to stand at Kongsvinger Fortress and gaze down the Glomma."

Twentieth century

In 1905, when the

union between Sweden and Norway Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Swede ...

was dissolved, a neutral zone was established in which all fortifications were to be demolished. Kongsvinger lay just outside this zone and the fortification survived. Nazi Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940. Although not invested, Norwegian fortresses fell under German control. In August 1942 a school providing four-week course in national socialist ideology opened for the Germanske SS Norge at Kongsvinger Fortress. Several classes graduated there.

Commanding officers

* 1682 Lieutenant Colonel Georg Reichwein 21.10.1682 -17.02.1689 * 1689 Lieutenant Colonel Johan Braun 18.02.1689 - 17.07.1689 * 1689 Lieutenant Colonel Johan Nicolai Mollerup 18.07.1689 - 09.02.1700 Acting: Lieutenant Colonel Ole Brun 10.02.1700 - 30.04.1700 * 1700 Colonel Markvard Otto Mangelsen 01.05.1700 - 11.03.1703 Acting: Unknown 12.03.1703 - 26.03.1703 * 1703 Major Johan Otto Sesterfleth 27.03.1703 - 03.02.1713 Acting: Major Giert Chr. von Hirch 01.01.17.13 - 21.05.1713 * 1713 Major Jacob Matheson 22.05.1713 - 26.07.1724 Acting:Claus Emhausen 27.07.1724 - 01.11.1724 * 1724 Lieutenant Colonel Johan Junge 02.11.1724 - 06.12.1745 Acting: Unknown 07.12.1745 -10.01.1746 * 1746 Lieutenant Colonel Hans Olai Fremmen 11.01.1746 - 13.10.1746 Acting: Captain Christen Bille 14.10.1746 - 10.01.1747 * 1747 Colonel baron Mogens Holck 11.01.1747 - 18.11.1764 Acting: Unknown 19.11.1764 - 30.11.1764 Acting: Lieutenant Colonel Valentin Huitfeldt 01.12.1764 - 31.08.1765 Acting: Captain David Loeseke 01.09.1765 - 31.01.1766 * 1766 Lieutenant General Johan Ludvig Maximilian Biellart 01.02.1766 - 07.10.1798 Acting: Unknown 08.10.1798 - 22.10.1798 * 1798 Colonel Niels Harbou 23.10.1798 - 23.11.1802 * 1802 Colonel Bernhard Ditlev von Staffeldt 24.11.1802 - 24.10.1807 Acting: Major Andreas Samuel Krebs 01.07.1807 - 24.10.1807 * 1807 Colonel Werner Nicolai de Saue 25.10.1807 - 28.03.1808 * 1808 Colonel Gottfried Carl Gotlob von Blucher 29.03.1808 - 04.09.1808 * 1808 Colonel Johan Andreas Cornelis Ohme 05.09.1808 - 19.10.1808 * 1808 Major Friedrich Johan Wilhelm Haffner 20.10.1808 - 28.09.1808 * 1809 Major Johan Wilhelm Bruenech Stabell 29.09.1808 - 21.02.1810 * 1810 Lieutenant Colonel Andreas Samuel Krebs 22.02.1810 - 07.07.1814 * 1814 Lieutenant Colonel Benoni d'Aubert 08.02.1814 - 18.09.1817 Acting: Colonel Andreas Samuel Krebs 01.06.1815 - 18.09.1817 * 1817 Lieutenant Colonel Nicolai Reichswein Huitfeldt 19.09.1817 - 16.10.1835 Acting: Lieutenant Colonel Magnus Chr. Fritzner 17.10.1835 - 21.06.1836 Acting: Captain Lars Bierkebæk 22.06.1836 - 21.03.1837 * 1837 Colonel Wilhelm Sissener 22.03.1837 - 29.12.1846 Acting: Captain Hans Jacob Fisher 30.12.1846 - 09.07.1847 * 1847 Colonel Peder Bernhard Anker 10.07.1847 - 13.06.1849 Acting: Captain Frederik D. Werenskiold 14.06.1849 -05.09.1849 *1849 Major General Erik Theodor Anker 06.09.1849 -24.08.1858 Acting: Captain Frederik D. Werenskiold 1.10.1849 - 30.03.1850 Acting: Riding Master Carsten Anker 25.08.1858 -04.03.1859 *1859 Captain Frederik Daniel Werenskiold 05.03.1859 - 13.04.1878 *1878 Lieutenant Colonel Jonas Severin Dessen 14.04.1878 - 31.10.1882 *1882 Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Frederik Lowsow 01.11.1882 - 19.01.1883 Acting: Captain Hans Christian Schjorn 20.01.1893 - 31.05.1893 *1893 Captain Hans Christian Schjorn 01.06.1893 - 17.07.1897 Acting: Captain W.Gran 14.07.1897 - 31.10.1897 *1897 Captain Theodor Emil Lefevre Grimsgaard 01.11.1897 - 30.09.1902 *1902 Captain Theodor Flindt Ellerhausen 01.10.1902 - 13.11.1897 Acting: Captain Theodor L. Grimsgaard. 01.10.1902 - 31.01.1903¨ Acting: Captain Georg Prahl Harbitz 14.05.1909 - 12.07.1909 *1912 Captain Georg Marenius Gottlieb Erdmann 14.11.1912 - 30.09.1930 Acting: Captain Kristian Emil Gloersen 01.07.1929 - 14.08.1929 Acting: Captain Trygve Larsen 15.08.1929 - 31.12.1930 *1931 Major Kristian Emil Gloersen 01.01.1931 - 11.11.1935 *1935 Major Einar Hoch-Nielsen 12.11.1935 - 16-04.1940 Acting: Major K.E. Gloersen 12.11.1935 - 01.01.1936 *1940 Acting: The Ortskommandant 17.04.1940 -07.05.1945 *1945 Acting: The Home Forces Rolf Syversen 08.05.1945 - 31.07.1945 Acting: The Home forces Helge Andersen 01.08.1945 - 31.12.1945 *1946 Lieutenant Colonel Einar Haganæs 01.01.1946 - 26.03.1946 Acting: Captain H.Lien 27.03.1946 - 31.07.1946 *1946 Major Gunnar Gundersen 01.08.1946 - 26.03.1946 Acting: Captain Endre Einum 01.01.1949 - 14.05.1950 *1950 Major Hans Kvernsjoli 15.05.1950 - 01.04.1953 Acting:Captain Endre Einum 15.05.1950 - 02.06.1950 Acting: Captain Endre Einum 01.01.1951 - 30.06.1951 Acting: Captain Endre Einum 01.01.1953 - 13.07.1953 *1953 Major Arne Sekkelsten 14.07.1953 - 31.03.1955 Acting: Captain Thomas Julsrud 01.04.1955 - 14.12.1955 *1955 Major Johannes Orderud 15.12.1955 - 30.08.1958 Acting: Captain Thomas Julsrud 01.09.1958 - 31.07.1959 *1959 Colonel Asle T. Hauglie 01.08.1959 - 04.10.1959 *1959 Lieutenant Colonel Bertel Bøhnsmoen 05.10.1959 - 29.11.1974 *1974 Lieutenant Colonel Jostein Skaslien 30.11.1974 - 03.08.1978 *1978 Lieutenant Colonel Erling Strom 04.08.1978 - 30.11.1979 Acting: Captain Sverre Holth 01.12.1979 - 21.02.1980 *1980 Lieutenant Colonel Helge Skaar 22.02.1980- 30.11.1987 Acting: Major Kjell Joramo 12.09.1984 - 06.01.1986 Acting: Major Kjell Joramo 18.08.1986 -31.12.1986 *1987 Lieutenant Colonel Odd Ivar Ruud 01.12.1987 - 31.07.1991 *1991 Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Søland 01.08.1991 - 31.07.1998 Acting: Reidar Halvorsen 14.12.1995 - 07.02.1997 *1998 Lieutenant Colonel Helge Thomassen 01.08.1998 - 31.07.2005 *2005 Major Grethe Bergersen 01.08.2005 - 31.07.2010 Acting: Lieutenant Colonel Helge Thomassen 01.08.2005 - 31.01.2007 *2010 Lieutenant Colonel John Petter Bachke 01.08.2010 - 31.07.2015 *2016 Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Sørloth 01.08.2016 - 31.12.2018 Acting: Major Arnstein Hestnes 01.01.2019 - 12.08.2019 *2019 Lieutenant Colonel Arnstein Hestnes 13.08.2019 -

References

* * * * * * * {{Authority control Forts in Norway Kongsvinger Military installations in Innlandet