Akershus Fortress is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages, the fortress has been the namesake and center of the main fief and later main county of Akershus, which was originally one of Norway's four main regions and which included most of Eastern Norway. The fortress itself was located within the Akershus main county until 1919, and also within the smaller Akershus sub-county until 1842.
The castle has also been used as a military base, and a prison and is currently the temporary office of the prime minister of Norway.
Credit and thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial footage.
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00:00Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city.
00:14Since the Middle Ages, the fortress has been the namesake and center of the main fief and later main county of Akershus, which was originally one of Norway's four main regions and included most of Eastern Norway.
00:25The fortress itself was located within the Akershus main county until 1919, and also within the smaller Akershus sub-county until 1842.
00:34The castle has also been used as a military base and a prison and is currently the temporary office of the Prime Minister of Norway.
00:42Construction It is not known exactly when the construction of the castle started but it is believed that it took place around the late 1290s by King Haakon V.
00:50Replacing Tonsberg is one of the two most important Norwegian castles of the period, the other being Bahus.
00:56It was constructed in response to the Norwegian nobleman, Earl A. L. V. Erlingsen of Sarpsborg's earlier attack on Oslo that occurred in 1287.
01:05In the aftermath of the attack, it became clear that the city's existing defenses weren't effective and therefore, a stronger defensive center was needed.
01:14The fortress has successfully survived all sieges, primarily by Swedish forces, including those by forces led by Charles XII in 1716.
01:23The Middle Ages The fortress was first used in battle in 1308 when it was besieged by the Swedish Duke Erik of Södermanland, whose brother won the Swedish throne in 1309.
01:33The siege was eventually broken by a local Norwegian army in a battle.
01:37Renaissance and Denmark-Norway In 1449-1450 the castle was besieged again, this time by the Swedish king Karl Knutsen Bonn.
01:45But he had to lift the siege after a while.
01:48The castle was not besieged again until 1502 when Scottish soldiers in the service of the Danish king besieged the castle to regain it from the hands of the Norwegian nobleman Knud Alfsson.
01:58Akershus was besieged yet again in 1523, this time by Swedish soldiers but Oslo's inhabitants, at the command of Hans Muehl.
02:06Burned down their houses in an attempt to drive them out and the Swedes retreated after a short period.
02:11King Christian II besieged the castle from 1531 to 1532 but the siege was lifted by forces from Denmark and Lübeck.
02:19After this siege, the castle was improved and strengthened.
02:23In 1567, during the Northern Seven Years' War, the castle was besieged once more by Swedish forces, but the Danish king's lord-lieutenant, Christen Munch,
02:33responded by burning down the city to deprive the attackers themselves of the means of receiving supplies, and eventually, the Swedes retreated.
02:40The German garrison's commander Major Josef Nichterlein, no, and his aide Captain Johannes Hamel handed the fortress over to the Norwegian resistance movements Tarje Rollem, May 11.
02:511945, during World War II, people were executed here by the German occupiers, including members of the Pell Group.
02:58The fortress was liberated on May 11, 1945, when it was handed over to Tarje Rollem on behalf of the Norwegian resistance movement.
03:07After the war, eight Norwegian traders who had been tried for war crimes and sentenced to death were also executed at the fortress.
03:14Among those executed were Vidkun Quisling and Sigfrid Femmer.
03:18The Hall of King Christian IV during the Middle Ages After the construction of the castle was finished around 1300, Haakon V gradually started to use the castle as a residential palace,
03:29favoring the keep over the Oslo-Kongsgaard estate even though the castle likely was unsuited as a residence.
03:35The last Norwegian king before the establishment of the Kalmar Union, Olaf II, was born at the castle in 1370.
03:43Akershus has also been a prison, with a section of it known as the Slavery, Norwegian.
03:48Slavery, the Akershus Fortress is open to the public between 6 o'clock and 2100 daily.
03:54That is all. Subscribe and post comments for future videos.
04:13Thank you for watching.