Kristianholm: From Execution Site to Fortress

We are now in the middle of Sandviksbukten and passing Kristianholm, a small islet with a dramatic history. In the Middle Ages, it was called Toluholm, but from the 1500s it became known as Tjuholmen – a name that reveals much about what once happened here. Between 1560 and 1571, sixteen people were executed on this spot for theft – publicly hanged as a warning to others. At that time, theft was considered a serious crime, and public executions were meant to instill fear and maintain order in society. In 1640, the execution site was moved to Nøstet, and Kristianholm took on a new role. In 1653, it was renamed Fredriksholm when two small fortifications made of stone and earth were built here, equipped with 10 to 12 large cannons. This was part of Bergen’s coastal defense during the ongoing Dutch-British naval war (1652–54). The fortress remained part of the city’s defense system for many years. By 1793, it still held three cannons, and after the Battle of Copenhagen Roads in 1801, the fortification was further reinforced. Today, little remains of Kristianholm’s military past, but from the boat, you can still see the remnants of the islet that once served both as a place of punishment and as a key part of Bergen’s defense.