Fort Prinzenstein

Fort Prinzenstein
Fort Prinzestein in 1970
LocationKeta, Ghana
Built1784
TypeCultural
Criteriavi
Designated1979
Part ofForts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Reference no.34
The main building before the major erosion started in mid 1980s
Fort Prinzestein (image 1) in 1970
Fort Prinzestein (image 3) in 1970

Fort Prinzenstein (Danish: Fort Prinsensten) is a fort located at Keta, Ghana, which was used in the slave trade.[1] Many such forts were built in Africa, but Prinzenstein is one of the few that lie east of the Volta River.[1] Keta served as an open port until the Tema Harbour commenced its operation to the west in 1962.[2] The fort has been designated a World Heritage Site (along with several other castles and forts in Ghana) because of its historical importance and testimony to the Atlantic slave trade.[3][4]

It was built by Danish traders in 1784 for defensive purposes after the Sagbadre War against the Anlo Ewe and to keep the area safe from other colonial powers.[5] The majority of the materials, especially the stone used for the building of the fort, came from Accra.[3] The fort is among the four major structures that were built by the Danish.[6] The fort significantly played an important part in the slave trade, which involved Europeans in West Africa.[7] Aside from the slave trade, the fort served an active purpose in the trade of imported and exported goods such as gold and ivory in a give-and-take for muskets, brandy, iron rods, textiles, cowries shells etc.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Fort Prinzenstein". ghanatourism.gov.gh. Archived from the original on 2006-10-09.
  2. ^ "Keta | Ghana". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  3. ^ a b c "Ghana - ICOMOS World Report on Monuments and Sites in Danger 2002: Heritage @ Risk". www.icomos.org. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  4. ^ "Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 9 Oct 2022.
  5. ^ "MONUMENTS AND SITES IN GHANA". unesco.no. 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  6. ^ "The Keta Fort (Fort Prinzenstein)". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  7. ^ "Fort Prinzenstein | About Ghana". ghana.peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 2019-10-19.