The Middelgrund Fort - The Copenhagen Fortifications 1886 -1920

The Middelgrund Fort is a sea fort. It was built during the years 1890 to 1894 with a delay of 23 years.

Together with the other strengthening of the sea fortifications in connection with a new defense system in 1867, there had been some talks of building a fort on the Middelgrunden, which, however, was abandoned at this time.

The task of the fort was to prevent the bombardement of Copenhagen, and to protect the northern mine barrier and to prevent enemy units from penetrating into the straits.

The foundation was built of timber and concrete sink boxes secured by a glacis of boulders.
A pier surrounds the island with the wet moat and the port of the fort.

The Harbour and the throat

Towards the port is the peace time barracks, which on two floors contains accomodation, galleys, officers’ quarters and the canteen.
In the extension of the first floor are the casemates of the fort, which include ammunition storages, war time barracks, the hospital, the power plant, the sea mine control station and the administrative offices.

The war barracks, located in the center of the casemates, are protected in the horizontal direction by 30 meters of soil and in the vertical direction by 13 meters of soil.

The artillery was mounted in batteries on open concrete foundations. They were arranged in a circular shape around a center traverse. All the batteries were connected by a partially covered ammunition passage. The batteries were connected to the ammunition storages below with ammunition elevators.

The fire control centerof the fort was situated around the center traverse, on which a lighthouse also was erected.

The Armament of the Fort

In 1895 the fort was armed with five 30.5 cm. steel howitzers, twelve 17 cm. steel howitzers, six 120 mm quick firing steel cannons, seven 47 mm quick firing steel cannons, eight 8 mm double-barreled mitrailleuses in field layer.

During the First World War, the fort was further reinforced with tree 75 mm quick firing steel cannons, one 75 mm quick firing steel cannon in ballon (AA) detachment and one 47 mm quick firing steel cannon in balloon (AA) detachment

During World War I, the fort was staffed by 733 men.
In 1932, the navy took over the Middelgrunds Fort and it was modernized. The crew was now reduced to 260 men.

During the Cold War, the Air Force took over the Middelgrunds Fort as a HAWK SAM missile launcher area. In this connection a number of the old buildings were demolished.

From 1983 the Middelgrund Fort was abandoned and left empty for some years until it came into private ownership