Gustavia was a 19th-century unfinished Swedish town on the island of Rügen, the construction of which began and had to be aborted during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Swedish Empire was involved in several wars, with Swedish Pomerania frequently turning into a battlefield. Not having a port on the isle of Rügen proved disadvantageous in situations when access to nearby Stralsund was blocked by enemy forces on the mainland.[1] In situations like that, Swedish landing forces often suffered casualties when they were deployed at Rügen's unsecured beaches.[2] Thus, in 1806 plans for a port city on Rügen's southeastern shore were drafted.[3] Furthermore, Sweden hoped to be able to easily block any naval access to Stralsund, Greifswald and Wolgast with a fortified port city on the Mönchgut peninsula.[2]
This port was to be named after the contemporary Swedish monarch, Gustav IV Adolf,[3] who planned Gustavia not only as a naval base, but also as a trading town ("köping").[4]
From July to August 1806, officers Boye and Gripenberg completed surveying the area around Groß and Klein Zicker, attesting that the nearby bay Zicker See would make a good harbor for three to four hundred vessels once the sand splits barring the inlet were dredged.[3] Boye also drafted first plans for the town.[4]
Constructionedit
On 11 September 1806, Gustav IV Adolf ordered the port to be constructed, entrusting Ljungberg with the oversight. Construction started the same month with blasts and earthworks west of the village Groß Zicker and the erection of landing bridges at the beach. In October, the plans of the future town became more precise with 30 objects being suggested for construction, including a shipyard, a dock, a naval academy, an esplanade with representative residential buildings, a nursery and a school for craftsmanship and agriculture. In December, the site was surveyed again by Johan Daniel Sabelström and Fale Fjellström.[3]
In 1807, the French army seized Stralsund and occupied Rügen in October. All constructions of Gustavia were deconstructed or levelled by the French occupation forces. When Sweden regained control of the site, construction was not resumed, and in 1812 it was again occupied by French forces. After their final withdrawal in 1813, Sweden constructed two landing bridges nearby, one in Zickersches Hövt and one in Göhren. When the Congress of Vienna ended the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Swedish Pomerania was assigned to Prussia, and while the Prussian navy did occasionally use the former Gustavian port and in 1849/50 erected some dolphins therein, Prussia was not interested in resuming the Swedish project.[2]
Underwater wooden cases filled with rocks, remains of the landing bridge built in 1813, are all that is left from Gustavia.[4]
Asmus, Ivo. (in German and Swedish). rügen.de. Archived from the original on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
Krüger, Joachim. (PDF) (in German). Schwedenstrasse.com, a corporate research tool and information site of the Swedish embassy in Berlin, the cities of Greifswald, Stralsund, Wismar, Prenzlau, Wittstock/Dosse and Fremdenverkehrsverband Vorpommern e.V. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
gustavia, rügen, gustavia, 19th, century, unfinished, swedish, town, island, rügen, construction, which, began, aborted, during, napoleonic, wars, gustavia, plan, stockholm, krigsarkivetgustav, adolf, swedenposition, zicker, zicker, gustavian, port, rügen, mai. Gustavia was a 19th century unfinished Swedish town on the island of Rugen the construction of which began and had to be aborted during the Napoleonic Wars Gustavia plan in the Stockholm krigsarkivetGustav IV Adolf of SwedenPosition of Zicker See Zicker Bay the Gustavian port on Rugen main map and in Mecklenburg Vorpommern small map Site of Gustavia today Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 See also 4 Sources 4 1 References 4 2 BibliographyBackground editThe Swedish Empire was involved in several wars with Swedish Pomerania frequently turning into a battlefield Not having a port on the isle of Rugen proved disadvantageous in situations when access to nearby Stralsund was blocked by enemy forces on the mainland 1 In situations like that Swedish landing forces often suffered casualties when they were deployed at Rugen s unsecured beaches 2 Thus in 1806 plans for a port city on Rugen s southeastern shore were drafted 3 Furthermore Sweden hoped to be able to easily block any naval access to Stralsund Greifswald and Wolgast with a fortified port city on the Monchgut peninsula 2 This port was to be named after the contemporary Swedish monarch Gustav IV Adolf 3 who planned Gustavia not only as a naval base but also as a trading town koping 4 From July to August 1806 officers Boye and Gripenberg completed surveying the area around Gross and Klein Zicker attesting that the nearby bay Zicker See would make a good harbor for three to four hundred vessels once the sand splits barring the inlet were dredged 3 Boye also drafted first plans for the town 4 Construction editOn 11 September 1806 Gustav IV Adolf ordered the port to be constructed entrusting Ljungberg with the oversight Construction started the same month with blasts and earthworks west of the village Gross Zicker and the erection of landing bridges at the beach In October the plans of the future town became more precise with 30 objects being suggested for construction including a shipyard a dock a naval academy an esplanade with representative residential buildings a nursery and a school for craftsmanship and agriculture In December the site was surveyed again by Johan Daniel Sabelstrom and Fale Fjellstrom 3 In 1807 the French army seized Stralsund and occupied Rugen in October All constructions of Gustavia were deconstructed or levelled by the French occupation forces When Sweden regained control of the site construction was not resumed and in 1812 it was again occupied by French forces After their final withdrawal in 1813 Sweden constructed two landing bridges nearby one in Zickersches Hovt and one in Gohren When the Congress of Vienna ended the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Swedish Pomerania was assigned to Prussia and while the Prussian navy did occasionally use the former Gustavian port and in 1849 50 erected some dolphins therein Prussia was not interested in resuming the Swedish project 2 Underwater wooden cases filled with rocks remains of the landing bridge built in 1813 are all that is left from Gustavia 4 See also editPomerania during the Early Modern Age History of Pomerania 1806 1933 Carlsburg WeserSources editReferences edit Kruger pp 2 3 a b c Kruger p 3 a b c d Kruger p 2 a b c Asmus Bibliography edit Asmus Ivo Gustavia Ein schwedisches Hafen und Stadtprojekt fur Monchgut in German and Swedish rugen de Archived from the original on 24 February 2007 Retrieved 20 December 2009 Kruger Joachim Gustavia Ein Hafenprojekt aus dem Jahre 1806 auf der Insel Rugen PDF in German Schwedenstrasse com a corporate research tool and information site of the Swedish embassy in Berlin the cities of Greifswald Stralsund Wismar Prenzlau Wittstock Dosse and Fremdenverkehrsverband Vorpommern e V Archived from the original PDF on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 20 December 2009 54 17 19 N 13 41 45 E 54 28861 N 13 69583 E 54 28861 13 69583 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gustavia Rugen amp oldid 985436901, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
