Nyholmen skandse

In the northern part of Bodø, on the narrow Burøya peninsula, at the entrance to the port, there is a fortified fort dating back to the early 19th century. At that time, Bodø (the settlement was called Hundholmen then) was not a strategic important place. It was a rather small village. The decision to build a defensive object can be understood if we look at the political situation two centuries back. Europe was then torn by Napoleonic wars, and the continent was divided into two camps. The first camp were Napoleon’s allies, like Italy, the Netherlands, Poland which was not exist on the map or Denmark. Denmark has been associated with Norway for five centuries, and the Danish king reigned on all this political creation. Fortification of the Norwegian coast was therefore to prevent the invasion of British troops. England, then the number one naval military force in Europe, belonged to the forces of the anti-French coalition, along with countries such as Austria and Russia. The British sea blockade effectively prevented the transport of goods from port to port, and there was a threat of landing troops or occasional robberies of port cities. Sources say that the construction of Nyholmen Fort in Hundholmen in 1810 was due to the protection of grain stocks. That year, both sea fishing and harvested from the fields were unsuccessful and the people were starving. Shipments of grain from allied Russia (after signing the peace treaty in Tylza, in 1807, Tsar Alexander I became an ally of the French emperor) proved to be a salvation. The grain warehouse was in the center of today’s Bodø. Interestingly, Nyholmen fort together with the fort at Hammerfest were the only defensive structures in northern Norway.

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Construction of the stronghold began in 1810 and ended in … the same year, six months later. Up to 150 men served in the fort, most of them were local farmers who served from May to October. In the remaining months, for unclear reasons, the settlement was not guarded. An important element to encourage men to service was food. As mentioned above, in the period preceding the construction of defensive fortifications, and later, Norway experienced its lean years. However, efforts were made to ensure that soldiers at the station did not run out of food. The differences in the diet of the average peasant and the soldier guarding the homeland were so colossal that there were cases of deaths of people stationed in Nyholmen, not accustomed to consuming certain products. However strange it may sound, they died because of too good meals.

The war ended for Norway in 1814 and the fort was closed. Unlike the Hammerfest facility, it never take part in the battle. In 1835 the cannons from Nyholmen were directed south to Trondheim and the fort itself was demolished. The stones, which were defensive fortifications up to now, allocated to building blocks for the developing city or use them as a ballast on ships.
In 1994, a reconstruction group of a dozen or so people named Nyholm Skandses Compagnie decided to rebuild the fort. Thanks to the original plans preserved, this was done. 2,000 tons of stone were allocated for the construction of the new Nyholm fort, and the cannons that decorate the object are an exact copy of those from two centuries ago.
At present, the Nyholm skanse is an attraction open all year round and a place for walks for both Bodø residents and visitors. Its size and strategic significance could never even be compared to the Fredriksten fortress, but it still has some charm. And in good weather, the views of the city and the mountains rising behind it make an amazing impression. During important national days, there are saluts fire from fort’s cannon.