Cannons in Kerteminde
This cannonball most likely origins from the bombardment of 31st October 1659, where Dutch and Danish forces landed at Kerteminde armed with cannons. It is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: René Riis.
Intro
On 31st October 1659, Dutch and Danish forces landed at Kerteminde armed with cannon. Their task was to liberate Funen from the Swedes who had ravaged the island for the past year. The invasion began with the forces firing at the town from the water side.
Occupied Funen
Funen is renowned for its idyllic and fertile landscape, but its people have also experienced poverty, and the island has been taken over and occupied at times – either by foreign powers or by fear.
Occupied by the Swedes, 1657-1720
Frederik 3th declared war on Sweden in 1657. This would prove to be a catastrophe for Denmark and led to a number of wars against our Scandinavian neighbours. In January 1658, c. 8,500 Swedish troops marched across the ice from Hejls via Brandsø to Funen where the Danes suffered defeat at the Battle of Tybrind Vig. From here, the Swedes continued victorious through the country to Copenhagen. The first war ended with a peace agreement in Roskilde in February 1658, after which Denmark was an amputated nation. The great eastern Danish territories of Scania, Halland and Blekinge fell into Swedish hands.
This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.