Fårösund Fortress ( sv, Fårösunds fästning) is a decommissioned
fortification
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
in
Fårösund
Fårösund is a locality situated on the Swedish island of Gotland with 800 inhabitants in 2014. The village can be reached by car from Visby. The island of Fårö can be reached by ferry from Fårösund.
Fårösund is the northernmost town in ...
on
Gotland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to th ...
,
Sweden, which was built from 1885 to 1886.
History
Sweden's capacity to protect its neutrality was questioned after the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included t ...
1854–56.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
persuaded Sweden to fortify the inlet at
Fårö
Fårö () or Fåre in Gutnish is a Baltic Sea island just north of the island of Gotland, itself off mainland Sweden's southeastern coast. It is the second-largest island in the province and it is a popular summer resort. It has its own langua ...
with
artillery batteries and
naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...
s. The fortress was built from 1885 to 1886 and consisted of three fixed batteries; Central Battery (batt. I), Northern Battery (batt. II) and Southern Battery (batt. III). At the turn of the century, the batteries were reconstructed. The batteries I and II were given modern quick-firing 57 mm guns, four per battery.
Fårösund Fortress, which was name of the coastal position from 1915, was disbanded as such on 30 September 1919, and the coastal artillery detachment was relocated to
Vaxholm Fortress and all equipment was removed.
After the fortress was closed down and was taken over by the
Swedish Prison and Probation Service in 1919, a penitential center was establishment. The fortress had been proposed as a detention center for social dangerous offenders, if and when legislation for such came about. No such laws did arise and the entire fortress was declared a
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
in 1935.
In 1993, the
National Property Board of Sweden
The National Property Board of Sweden ( sv, Statens fastighetsverk, SFV) is a Swedish State administrative authority, organised under the Ministry of Finance.
SFV is responsible for managing a portion of the real property assets owned by the Sta ...
took over the administration of the batteries which until that date had belonged to the
Swedish Fortifications Agency
The Swedish Fortifications Agency ( sv, Fortifikationsverket, FortV) is a Swedish government agency under the Ministry of Finance , tasked with managing government-owned defense-related buildings and land. The agency functions as the landlord fo ...
. Under the company name ''Fårösund Fästning AB'', with business owner Peter Alvérus, it began in 2004 to build a hotel in and around battery I. The company went bankrupt on 15 September 2004 before construction was completed and the National Property Board completed the construction work. During 2005–2006 the facility was leased to Björn Gustafsson. In 2008, Pontus Fritiof through the Pontus Group took over the hotel and conference facility ''Fårösund Fästning AB'' together with the tenant Björn Gustafsson. On 17 October 2012, ''Fårösunds fästning hotell och restaurang AB'' filed for bankruptcy at
Stockholm District Court
Stockholm District Court ( sv, Stockholms tingsrätt) is a Swedish district court in Stockholm. Stockholm District Court is Sweden's largest public court and is located in Stockholm Court House on Kungsholmen in Stockholm.
History
The Stockh ...
. The bankruptcy auction expired after bankruptcy trustee brought about a complete transfer of operations of the business and inventory to the new-old owner Peter Alvérus.
Since autumn 2012, ''Fårösunds Fästning AB'' is run by Alvérus and Cian Bornebusch.
Commandants
*1915-1919: Erik Ekström
Gallery
Fårösunds fästning Mellersta batteriet 2.jpeg, Central Battery.
Fårösunds fästning Mellersta batteriet 1.jpeg, Central Battery.
See also
*
Karlsvärd Fortress
References
External links
Notes about Fårösund Fortress on Tjelvar.se
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farosund Fortress
Forts in Sweden
Buildings and structures in Gotland County
Coastal fortifications