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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Trøndelag,Norway |
| Coordinates | 63°27′05″N10°22′57″E / 63.4515°N 10.3825°E /63.4515; 10.3825 |
| Area | 13,000 m2 (140,000 sq ft) |
| Length | 480 m (1570 ft) |
| Width | 200 m (700 ft) |
| Administration | |
Norway | |
| County | Trøndelag |
| Municipality | Trondheim Municipality |
Munkholmen[1] (Norwegian:Monk's islet) is anislet inTrondheim Municipality inTrøndelag county,Norway. The 13,000-square-metre (3.2-acre) island sits in theTrondheimsfjord about 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) northwest of the island ofBrattøra and the mouth of the riverNidelva in the center of thecity of Trondheim. The islet has served as a place of execution, amonastery, afortress, aprison, and aWorld War IIanti-aircraft gun station. Today, Munkholmen is a populartourist attraction and recreation site.[2]
In the years prior to the founding of the city ofTrondheim in 997 by KingOlav Tryggvason, Munkholmen had been used as an execution site by theJarls of Lade. The arrival ofOlav Tryggvason to Norway in 995 coincided with a revolt againstHaakon Sigurdsson, who was killed byTormod Kark. The severed heads of both Haakon and Kark were placed on stakes on Munkholmen facing out into thefjord to serve as a warning to visitors. The tradition of displaying the severed heads of criminals and political opponents was continued for some time, but the heads were now placed so that they faced the city of Trondheim to deter its citizens from committing crimes.[3][4]
The term Munkholmen was not originally in common usage. Rather, the site was known as the location of the monastery at Nidarholm. In the early 12th century, and possibly even earlier,Benedictine monks lived on the island inNidarholm Abbey. The monastery burned down three times during theMiddle Ages, the last time in 1531. By the time thatLutheranProtestantism came to Trondheim, the buildings had fallen into decay and the former monastery came under the ownership of the royal estate in Trondheim. The monastery buildings disappeared during the 17th century as Munkholmen was fortified.[4][5][6]
Construction of a fort on the island began in 1658 following the Swedish siege of Trondheim during theDano-Swedish War in 1658-1660. When it was completed in 1661, the fort was also used as a state prison for society's rejects. CountPeder Griffenfeld, Munkholmen's most famous prisoner, was transferred from the fortress ofCopenhagen in 1671. Griffenfeld was kept at Munkholmen for 18 years, after which he was released, having contracted a terminal illness. From 1700 to 1704, the commander of the fort was MajorCurt Christoph von Koppelow. The fort remained in operation until 1893.[7][4]
Nazi Germanyinvaded and occupied Norway in 1940. After capturing Trondheim early on in theNorwegian Campaign, the Germans quickly established asubmarine base, exploiting the natural protection provided by the fjord. At this time, Munkholmen was fitted with anti-aircraft weaponry. A large portion of the fort was retrofitted to hold ammunition, and the flooring planks were nailed in with wooden nails to prevent explosions caused by soldiers' boots striking metal nails. TheGerman occupying forces remained in Norway until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. Remnants of the installation still exist in the upper levels of the fort.[4]
Today, Munkholmen is a popular summertime tourist attraction and hangout for residents of Trondheim. From May to September, boats depart from Ravnkloa on a regular basis. Once on the island, visitors can take a guided tour (in English and Norwegian) or roam freely. There's also a small cafe/restaurant available.[4]
