Field Marshal count Augustin Ehrensvärd (25 September 1710 – 4 October 1772) was a Swedish military officer, military architect, artist, creator of the Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) fortress, Svartholm fortress and the Swedish

archipelago fleet The archipelago fleet ( sv, skärgårdsflottan), officially the "fleet of the army" ( sv, arméns flotta), was a branch of the armed forces of Sweden which existed between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was su ...

. He was born in Fullerö Castle, Barkarö and died in the village of Saris,

Mynämäki Mynämäki (; sv, Virmo) is a municipality of Finland located in the Southwest Finland region. Neighbouring municipalities are Aura, Eura, Laitila, Masku, Nousiainen, Pöytyä, Rusko, Taivassalo, Turku and Vehmaa. The municipality has a p ...

. In 1747, he was chosen by king Frederick I of Sweden to design and construct a maritime fortress near

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, then a part of the

Kingdom of Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. Building the fortress of Sveaborg became a life's work for Ehrensvärd, who kept expanding the island fortress until his death in 1772. Ehrensvärd's design was a low-profile bastion-type fortress that would follow the natural contours of the islands and thus remain inconspicuous to enemy fleets. Many of the constructions in Sveaborg are considered to be architectural masterpieces. Augustin Ehrensvärd was also the commander of the Swedish

from 1756 to 1766, and from 1770, until his death in 1772. In addition to

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

, Ehrensvärd's interests included

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

educational psychology Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand individual differences in ...

and

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. Upon his death in 1772, Ehrensvärd was promoted to the rank of field marshal. He was also well respected by the Finnish people, who appreciated his efforts in the construction of Sveaborg, an important cultural and economic centre in the eastern part of 18th-century Sweden, which later would become modern Finland. Ehrensvärd's burial monument in Sveaborg was designed by king Gustav III of Sweden himself. Ehrensvärd was elected a member of the member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739, the year it was founded. Image:Suomenlinna Ehrensvard grave.jpg, Augustin Ehrensvärd's tomb at the Suomenlinna fortress Image:Utsikt over Sveaborg av Augustin Ehrensvard.jpg, "View over Sveaborg" by Augustin Ehrensvärd

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Augustin Ehrensvärd
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehrensvard, Augustin 1710 births 1772 deaths People from Västerås Municipality Field marshals of Sweden Swedish architects Swedish nobility Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 18th-century Swedish people Suomenlinna Age of Liberty people

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