Akershus Fortress

Akershus
slott og festning
Castle and Fortress
Oslo, Norway
Akershus Castle and Fortress
TypeCastle
Royal residences
Site information
Controlled byGovernment of Norway
Norwegian Army
Norwegian royal family
Site history
Built1290s
In use1290s–present
MaterialsStone
Garrison information
Past
commanders
Haakon IV
Haakon V
Knut Alvsson
Ove Gjedde
Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen
Christian Roy Kaldager
Akershus Castle and Fortress seen from Oslofjord

Akershus Fortress (Norwegian: Akershus Festning, pronounced [ɑkəʂˈhʉːs ˈfɛ̂sːtnɪŋ])[1] or Akershus Castle (Norwegian: Akershus slott [ɑkəʂˈhʉːs ˈslɔtː])[2] 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 centre 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, a prison and is currently the temporary office of the prime minister of Norway.[3]

  1. ^ Berulfsen, Bjarne (1969). Norsk Uttaleordbok (in Norwegian). Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co (W Nygaard). pp. 20, 92.
  2. ^ Berulfsen, Bjarne (1969). Norsk Uttaleordbok (in Norwegian). Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co (W Nygaard). pp. 20, 294.
  3. ^ "Kontakt Statsministerens kontor". 14 June 2006.