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The story of Bohus
The history of Bohus Fortress begins at the Göta River. The Göta River is a place where Danish, Swedish and Norwegian history intertwine. The river’s role grew in importance during the Iron Age, and control over it was of course of strategic importance. In the 1250s, the Norwegian king built a fortress on Ragnhildsholmen to protect the town of Kongahälla. In 1308, a wooden castle was built on Bagaholmen and named Bagahus, later Bohus.
The history of Bohus Fortress is characterized by power struggles and for more than 300 years it was expanded and strengthened by Norwegian and Danish kings, most notably Christian IV, who visited Bohus and Norway more times than all Danish kings combined. From 1450 to 1658, Danish kings ruled Norway. Bohus withstood hostile sieges 13 times, but in its heyday Bohuslän became Swedish in connection with the Peace of Roskilde. The Renaissance castle is emptied and now belongs to the Swedish king.
In 1789, King Gustav III ordered the fortress to be razed to the ground, but in 1838 Carl XIV put a stop to further destruction of the landmark. Here you can read more about the exciting history of Bohus, the fortress’s decay and restoration, Bohus as a feared prison, how the fortress became Swedish, siege and power struggles. This is the history of Bohus Fortress.
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