Båhus Fortress (also Baahus or Bohus) lies along the old Norwegian - Swedish border, north east from Hissingen where the Göta river splits into two branches. It commands its surroundings from a 40 meter high cliff, with the river forming a natural moat about it. Waterfalls in Trollhättan/Göta älv Göta älv is a river that drains lake Vänern into Kattegat, and the North Sea, at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. ...

Initial Construction

Båhus Fortress construction began in 1308 under King Håkon V Magnuson, king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Håkon V also initiated construction of Norwegian Fortresses at Akershus and Vardøhus as part of a defensive policy. It served as a main defense against Swedish aggression along the coast from 1308 until 1658. Events Henry VII is elected as king of the Holy Roman Empire. ... Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. ... Events First emperor of the Ottoman Empire is Osman I (1299-1326) The County of Holland is annexed by the County of Hainaut April 1, 1299 Kings Towne on the River Hull granted city status by Royal Charter of King Edward I of England. ... Events Magnus VII ascends the throne of Norway and unites the country with Sweden. ... Norwegian Fortresses A Historical Context for Norwegian Fortresses Most Norwegian fortresses were constructed in the period of intense competition among the Baltic powers (Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland and the German states) for northern supremacy. ... Akershus Fortress (Norwegian: Akershus Festning) is the old castle built to protect Norway. ...

Medieval Castle

According to Kavli, “by 1310 records show it was constructed, as normal for that period, out of granite and brick, perhaps under the guidance of Count Jacob of Halland. By 1450 it included a continuous surrounding wall, 3 meter thick at the base, with a height which varied from 8.5 to 13.5 meters, varying with the terrain. It was approximately rectangular, with four rectangular corner towers. At the eastern end there was a brick tower, and in the center of the west side a gate house and drawbridge. Along the inside of the surrounding wall buildings were located which among other things included the "Kings hall," the castle commander’s residence, the chapel, the guardroom, the barracks and the kitchen. The fortress had secure vaulted positions, partly cut into the mountain, and beyond that strong outer-works. At the time Båhus was Norway's strongest fortress. The approaches were very difficult and the area to be defended was small, only 250 x 150 meters, so it did not require a large defensive force.” Halland is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Hallandia, or Halland - a historical Province of Sweden Halland County, or Hallands län - a current County of Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

Fortress

This section will address attacks on teh fortress during the Northern Seven Year War (1563-1570), later construction supervised by Hans van Steenwinckel and the final years of operation.

Loss to Sweden

Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, Denmark-Norway ceded the Danish provinces of Scania, Blekinge and Halland and the Norwegian provinces Trondhjem and Bahusia (including Båhus Fortress). The Treaty of Roskilde was signed on February 26, 1658 in the Danish city Roskilde, whereby the king of Denmark-Norway sacrificed nearly half his territory to save the rest. ... Events January 13 - Edward Sexby, who has plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in Tower of London February 6 - Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross from Sweden to Denmark over frozen sea May 1 - Publication of Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus by Thomas Browne September... The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, consisting of Denmark and Norway, including Norways possessions Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, is a term used for the two united kingdoms after their amalgamation as one state in 1536. ... Scania (Skåne) is the southernmost historical Province (landskap) of Sweden. ... Blekinge is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Blechingia, or Blekinge - a historical Province of Sweden Blekinge County, or Blekinge län - a current County of Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... Halland is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Hallandia, or Halland - a historical Province of Sweden Halland County, or Hallands län - a current County of Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... Trondheim (Icelandic name: Þrándheimur; Lithuanian name: Trondheimas; former German name: Drontheim) is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. ... Bahusia, or Bohuslän, is a historical Sweden. ...

After Denmark-Norway ceded the territory which included Båhus Fortress, Fredriksten Fortress was constructed in Fredrikshald on the newly established Norwegian-Swedish border. Halden, formerly Fredrikshald, is a town and municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway. ...

Since Båhus Fortress no longer lay on the border, it was of minimal future use to Sweden, which relied on the existing Älvsborg Fortress at Gothenburg and a new Carlsten Fortress erected at Marstrand. The fortress is now a Båhus museum, of interest to many Norwegians and castle/fortress fans. Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg [jøːtəbɔrj]) is a city and a municipality on the western coast of Sweden, in the County of Västra Götaland. ... Marstrand is a seaside town in the municipality of Kungälv, Sweden. ...

References

Norges festninger by Guthorm Kavli; Universitetsforlaget; 1987; ISBN 82-00-18430-7