"Skansin" - Thorshavn Faroe Islands - World War II Sites on Waymarking.com

(da) Færøerne (Føroyar) er en gruppe på 18 øer af vulkansk oprindelse i den nordlige del af Atlanterhavet mellem Skotland, Island og Norge.

Færøerne er en delvis selvstyrende del af det Danske Rigsfællesskab ifølge Lov om Færøernes Hjemmestyre fra 1948 og udøver det parlamentariske selvstyre i et af verdens ældste parlamenter, Lagtinget. Øerne vælger to repræsentanter til det danske Folketing, og de har valgt ikke at være medlem af EU. Administrativt er øerne opdelt i 6 sysler og 30 kommuner.

(en) The Faroe Islands (Føroyar) is a group of 18 islands of volcanic origin placed between Scotland, Iceland and Norway in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Faroe Islands is a semi-autonomous part of the Danish Kingdom and ruled under the Home Rule Act of 1948. The Parliamentary self-government is carried out in one of the world's oldest parliaments, Lavtinget. The islands select two representatives to the Danish Parliament (Folketinget in Copenhagen), and they have chosen not to join the EU. Administratively, the islands are divided into 6 shires and 30 municipalities.

(da) Skansin er en historisk fæstning beliggende på en høj ved havnen i Færøernes hovedstad Tórshavn. Den blev bygget omkring 1580 på initiativ af Magnus Heinason for at beskytte byen mod fjendtlige angreb, efter at byen nær var ved at blive overfaldet af sørøvere. Fæstningen fik den nuværende udformning med bl.a. 21 kanoner i 1790. Skansin er aktiv som fæstning indtil 1865, hvor den og Færøernes militær omdannes til et politikorps. Herefter anvendes Skansin i en periode som politistation og fængsel. I 1884 opsættes en rød lanterne til advarsel for skibsfarten og i 1909 bygges der et fyrtårn.
Under 2. verdenskrig var Færøerne besat af englændere, og de havde deres hovedkvarter på Skansen. I denne periode blev fæstningen forstærket med 2 moderne kanoner.

Færøerne havde i 1940 status af et dansk amt, så da Danmark den 9. april blev besat af tyskerne, måtte det sikres, at Færøerne ikke blev en tysk base midt i havet. Den 12. april 1940 anløb 2 engelske destroyere derfor Thorshavn, og Færøerne blev besat. Det var nu en forholdsvis fredelig besættelse. Færingerne fik i stor grad lov til at styre egne forhold, og rent handelsmæssigt forsynede England øerne med de fornødne varer og aftog store mængder af fiskeprodukter. Perioden havde dog også sin pris da mere end 200 færøske sømænd og fiskere omkom som følge af krigen. Umiddelbart efter afslutningen af 2. verdenskrig forlod englænderne igen Færøerne, men efterlod da bl.a. Vagar Lufthavn, der fortsat er øernes eneste lufthavn. Det var også i denne periode, at det Færøske flag ”Merkið” blev anerkendt som Færøernes officielle flag.

For nogle år siden blev Skansen restaureret, så der nu er et gammelt vagthus og to kanoner fra krigen samt nogle danske malmkanoner fra 1782.

(en) Skansin is a historic fortress located on a hill near the harbor in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. After the city was nearly being attacked by pirates, Skansin was built about 1580 on the initiative of Magnus Heinason to protect the city against enemy attacks.. The fortress got the current design including 21 guns in 1790. Skansin was active as a fortress until 1865, where the military on the Faroe Islands was converted into a police force. Then Skansin was for a period used as policestation and prison. In 1884 a red lantern warning to shipping was established and in 1909 the lighthouse was build.
During WW2 the Faroe Islands was occupied by the British, and they had their headquarters at Skansen. During this period, the fortress was reinforced with 2 modern guns.

Im 1940 the Faroe Islands had the status as a danish county. As Denmark on the 9th of april 1940 was occupied by the Germans it was necessary to ensure that the Faroe Islands not would be a German base in the middle of the ocean. On the 12 th of April 1940 2 british destroyers therefore arrived in Torshavn and the Faroe Islands was occupied. However it was a relatively peaceful occupation. The Faroese were largely allowed to manage their own conditions, and England provided the islands with the necessary goods and purchased high amounts of faroese fish products. The period had also its price since more than 200 Faroese sailors and fishermen perished as a result of the war. Shortly after the end of WW2 the British left the Faroe Islands, but left among other assets Vagar Airport, which still remains the islands' only airport. It was also during this period that the Faroese flag "Merkið" was recognized as the official flag of the Faroe Islands. Not evererything

A few years ago, Skansen was restored, so there is now an old guardhouse and the two guns from the WW2 as well as some Danish iron ore guns from the 1782nd.

Related Website: [Web Link] Supplementary Related Website: [Web Link] Admission Fee: None Opening Days/Times: The area is open at alle times.

Visit Instructions:
Posting a picture(s) of the location would be nice although not required.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   08/14/2023 SpeedCore visited it 04/20/2022 Walking Boots visited it 11/14/2021 Astartus visited it 07/22/2016 gittenielsen visited it 02/05/2014 Ulven7470 visited it

View all visits/logs