Hammershus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hammershus is a former Danish fortress located on Hammeren, the northern tip of Bornholm and erected in the 12th century. It is located 74 meters above sea level, it is believed to have been constructed by one of the Archbishops of Lund, the primate in Catholic Denmark. The exact founder is still unknown.
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[edit] History
During a number of successive struggles between the kings of Denmark versus the Archbishopric the fortress was conquered by the king's army on a number of occasions, e.g. 1259, 1265, 1319, and 1325. In 1521, it was taken by king Christian II who used it to imprison Bishop Jens Andersen Beldenak of Funen. The fortress was conquered by forces of Lübeck the same year.
In 1658, Hammershus was occupied by Swedish forces but a rebellion on the island terminated the Swedish rule and Sweden returned sovereignty of the island to Denmark in 1660. Corfitz Ulfeldt and his wife Leonora Christina were imprisoned in Hammershus 1660–1661, and the fortress was used as a prison on several other occasions.
The fortress was partially demolished around 1750 and is now a ruin. It was partially restored around 1900.
[edit] Description
Visitors to Hammershus have a spectacular view of Sweden and the ocean surrounding the island. South of the castle is a deep valley, water filled hollows, and dense forest. There are numerous points before arriving at castle where enemies could be stopped.
The castle was built with box-like rooms surrounded by rings of fortifications. Each provided an additional layer of protection from invaders. Two natural spring ponds provided fresh drinking water on side of castle. Five centuries of unrest and power struggles followed between Scandinavian monarchs.
Hammershus Fortress features a 750 metre-long perimeter wall and features a grand tower called the "mantel" tower.
Hammershus is the largest medieval fortification in Northern Europe.[1]
[edit] Art and Kunstmuseum
Because of the unusual pure light on Bornholm and because it has only 4 hours of darkness in summer, many of Denmark's earliest artists painted spectacular views of Hammerhaus. One of the most famous is by Anton E. Kieldrup (1827-1869), created in 1849, which is on display at Bornholm's Museum of Art ("Kunstmuseum").
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