At the entrance to Copenhagen harbour is a small island. This island is the coastal fortress of Trekroner (Three Crowns in English). The original one was built on an artificial island 200 m north of this one in 1713 and functioned as a prison and quarantine station until 1731. The building of the new one was started in 1786, but it wasn't ready for action at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 or at the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. After a period of economic difficulties it was finally completed in 1828. It's purpose was to protect the entrance to the harbour along with the two outer fortress islands Middelgrunden and Flakfortet, and had it been finished before 1801, it probably would have changed the outcome of that battle. It was decommissioned in 1932. The harbour authorities got it in 1934 and up until WWII it was used as a recreational area. The Germans used it as barracks for its troops during the occupation and it was then empty until 1984, where the Government Building Preservation Foundation bought it for the symbolic sum of 3 DKR (Danish Crowns). Now there's a restaurant and a café there, which is open in the summer months, where a regular ferry service bring costumers out there.Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Three Crowns
At the entrance to Copenhagen harbour is a small island. This island is the coastal fortress of Trekroner (Three Crowns in English). The original one was built on an artificial island 200 m north of this one in 1713 and functioned as a prison and quarantine station until 1731. The building of the new one was started in 1786, but it wasn't ready for action at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 or at the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. After a period of economic difficulties it was finally completed in 1828. It's purpose was to protect the entrance to the harbour along with the two outer fortress islands Middelgrunden and Flakfortet, and had it been finished before 1801, it probably would have changed the outcome of that battle. It was decommissioned in 1932. The harbour authorities got it in 1934 and up until WWII it was used as a recreational area. The Germans used it as barracks for its troops during the occupation and it was then empty until 1984, where the Government Building Preservation Foundation bought it for the symbolic sum of 3 DKR (Danish Crowns). Now there's a restaurant and a café there, which is open in the summer months, where a regular ferry service bring costumers out there.
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Very informative post, Christopher (as have the preceding posts been). Enjoying this historical tour of Denmark!
ReplyDeleteNice place despite its history!
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