Lysspillet

1945-2012

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:20:11 +0000

In 1905 the way of life that was set in 1814 were resumed. Fredriksten was a garrison for a number of Army Schools. Different staffs, the military band, and since Second World War also the People’s Militia. All this is gone today. During the sequence we can see glimpses of this.
In 1999, Fredriksten was named the Millennial site for Østfold county. This resulted in an increase in the fortress as a tourist attraction, a place for many different events and general recreational area. Many of the yearly events spring from this nomination. In the sequence we see glimpses of TV-shows, Operas, concerts, sports events, car shows and more.
When everybody thinks the experience is over, there is a short pause, and spooky things take place. Lights flicker and a visitor comes…

1940-1945

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:16:14 +0000

During the Second World War, the Germans setup a station at the fortress but we do not consider this to … Continue reading →

1902-1906

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:10:03 +0000

In the middle of the 1890s the otherwise good partnership between Norway and Sweden in its union begins to show cracks. Norway initiated a tremendous rearmament of its military which was to become among the most modern in Europe. Fredriksten fortress became a part of this process and in the years 1902-04 it was again an important border fortress – with its modern long range artillery, machine gun emplacements, barb-wire fences and concrete bunkers. In this sequence we see the artillery panzer dome, machine guns and observation balloons for the artillery.
Norway withdrew unilaterally from the union on June 7th 1905, but the conditions for the dissolution of the union had to be negotiated. During this time, in September, the country was fully mobilized and there was great fear that a new war would break out. Again Halden was at the “front lines”.
Luckily a peaceful solution resulted, and we can see cheering soldiers to the tune of the national anthem. But one condition was that Fredriksten was to be stripped of all its modern armaments. And as such these were removed during 1906. Since then the fortress has been a military memorial, a national treasure we wish to keep well maintained and proudly display.

1826

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:06:48 +0000

On June 18th, 1826 almost the entire town burned to the ground. The reason could possibly be sparks from the firing of salute cannons. Incredibly the fire burnt all wood and timber in the fortress. In the sequence we experience the fire as if we were standing inside the blaze.
This accident resulted in a massive rebuilding effort. The best architects and military engineers were called on and with fervour and near limitless supplies, larger, grander and more buildings were constructed than what the fire consumed in the town and on the fortress. As a result a large number of the buildings were added during the 1830s and the building style of the time, Empire, still dominates.

1814

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:03:12 +0000

But in 1814 the situation escalated again. Denmark-Norway was allied with Napoleons France who had lost the Great War, and during the Treaty of Kiel in January; Sweden was given Norway as a part of the war trophy and compensation as Russia had taken Finland from them. Norway would not accept this. Towards May 17th a new constitution was laid out and we broke free and founded our own nation. This resulted in yet another war.
The Swedes under the command of Charles John attacks at the end of July with massive forces through the county of Østfold. The Norwegian army withdraws to the Glomma River after a number of minor skirmishes. Fredriksten fortress is surrounded and shelled for nearly 14 days without moving the stubborn commander Ohme into give up. Despite the hopeless odds and the fact that he is entirely cut off from friendly forces.
The whole ordeal ends with a peace treaty made in Moss on the 14th of August where Norway enters a loose union with Sweden – on much better terms than what Charles John intended when he started the war. That Fredriksten didn’t surrender in 1814 contributed significantly to the fact that Norway was allowed to keep its constitution and parliament after 1814.
During this sequence we can see the shelling of Fredriksten, Norwegian counter fire and at the end, the peace agreement. This was the last time Norway and Sweden were at war.
For the period of the union, Fredriksten was for all military purposes decommissioned as a border fortification. During this time schooling and military training was the primary activities here.

1718-1814

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:57:55 +0000

During the remainder of the 1700 the fortress was expanded and improved. All temporary constructions made of wood and timber was replaced with stone and most of the buildings we see today were added. During the sequence we see everyday life at the fortress and in the town during peace time. We see trade, drunkenness, slavery, punishment and festivities.

1718

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:54:44 +0000

The Swedes returned during the autumn of 1718. This time they mounted a series of carefully planned attacks on the east side of Fredriksten fortress, employing heavy artillery and digging trenches. Fort Gyldenløve was shot to pieces and conquered. In the sequence we can see the cannonballs demolishing its walls.
Then the trench digging continued towards the fortress. The defenders returned fire constantly and tirelessly in order to inflict maximum losses to the Swedish forces. During the evening of December 11th King Charles XII was struck by a bullet to the head and killed. He was in an advanced forward position of the trenches and had scaled the trench in order to survey the battlefield.
If the bullets origin was from the fortress or if he was assassinated by one of his own have been deliberated at length in many a book. Modern science tells us that it is most likely an “honest Norwegian bullet” that struck the king – most likely a fragment of so called grapeshot. It is a bullet like projectile of approximately 20-40mm size that was shot from cannons as clusters – somewhat similar to a giant shotgun. The projectile that struck the king was approx. 20 mm. Charles XII death is portrayed extensively in this sequence. We follow the grapeshot as whisks through the air and strike the king’s head. With the death of the king the siege immediately ended and with that the war itself.

1716

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:49:54 +0000

It all started out well for the Swedes but a few gunshots from a forward guard post called the Outer Citizens fortification (Ytre Borgerskanse) on the north side alerted a larger force inside the citizens fortification itself. This force barely managed to meet the Swedes at the northern gates. The battle that ensued was a fierce close quarter fight. After several failed attempts to break through and scale the walls the Swedes had lost nearly 300 men. To Charles XII the worst was the time he lost. At this point all the Norwegian soldiers in town moved into the fortress and took up their positions. A contingency of the Swedish forces had simultaneously manoeuvred towards the town with the attack on the citizen fortification. After fierce fighting this contingency broke through a weak defensive line at the church and the town was soon after occupied. The situation looked like the situation in Christiania some months earlier. But the end results was to be very different and conclude much sooner. The citizens were already prepared for this scenario and were ready to burn the town.
In the afternoon the plan was set into motion and bales of straw were set ablaze. In very short time the entire town became a sea of fire. We meet the fire starters and the Swedes that must flee over the partly destroyed city bridge while under fire from the fortress. Almost the entire town, approximately 330 residences were burnt to ashes, while the fortress remained unharmed. In this sequence we see the town as a smouldering ruin.

1700-1716

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:19:02 +0000

Most of the defences were ready when the Great Northern War started. First in the year 1700 where the Swedes quickly dismissed Denmark-Norway, and then from 1709 onwards. The country lost many people, resources and areas around the Baltic Sea, after the Swedes success turned in 1709. King Charles XII mounted two desperate attacks on Norway in an attempted to win back resources and ensure a position to negotiate if Swedish mainland should be invaded.
First invasion came in March 1716. The invasion was aimed at Christiania (Oslo) and thus somewhat north of Fredriksten. The city was captured but Akershus fortress stood fast. As a result, King Charles XII could not get supplies by sea and this was a prerequisite for the continuation of the campaign, and he had to give up.
In May he manoeuvred his forces southwards to the border just outside Fredrikshald (Halden). Charles XII decided that he would attempt to take Fredriksten, which he had bypassed a few months earlier. This was no easy task, especially without heavy artillery. But after a few months of reconnaissance he found a “weak point” in the fortifications. It was not actually about the fortifications themselves, but that fact that the fortress did not have barracks to accommodate the entire garrison. A large contingency of the soldiers was housed in the town. Charles XII thought this obvious weakness should be exploited by attacking at night, preferably in heavy fog. By quickly attacking the Citizens fortifications, the fortress and the soldiers housed in the town would in effect be separated, and after that it would be a simpler task to take the fortress. This plan was put into action on the night of 4th of July. This is what is portrayed in this sequence.

1661-1671

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:43:47 +0000

First period of construction lasted approximately 10 years, until 1671. Construction included the walls around what is known today as the central fortress, or the Citadel. It is a solid five cornered bastion fortification. A bastion is an angular structure projecting outwards at the corners of the fortress.
Most fortresses around the world were built according to this principle for about 300 years – 1500 to 1800. Fredriksten fortress deviates from this principle but this is only because the Dutch architect Willem Coucheron wanted to maximise the defensive potential of the steep, mountainous terrain at the site. Fredriksten was thus built so that the position of armaments is located on the two parallel ridges while the valley between the ridges was closed off by stone walls. Stone buildings for supplies, storage and barracks were later added. Two of these are show in this sequence.
Fredriksten fortress is constructed as pure bred combat fortress, defending the border, and not as a defence for the town itself. The town is situated well outside the fortresses walls and would be an easy target for enemy occupation. The citizens of the town wanted to amend this and after sustained debate a compromise was reached between a proper fortification encircling the town and nothing. The King eventually provided funds for the acquisition of materials to build the citizens fortification (Borgerskansen). This is a closed fortification between Fredriksten fortress and the town, where the citizens could seek shelter and provide resistance if the town were attacked. The citizens of Halden did the construction and building of these fortifications. The town itself was not fortified. The fortifications was later modified and improved.
Next major period of construction started 1682. The focus was to fortify and strengthen the vulnerable east side. Several defensive lines were constructed, one inside the other, in front of the central fortress and around the independent forward forts, Overberget, Stortårnet and Gyldenløve.