Stockholm's permanent defence
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Stockholm's permanent defence consisted of fortification structures built in the Stockholm region to defend the city against hostile attacks from sea, land, and air. The oldest installations date back to the 13th century, and the last ones were built as late as the 1970s. In the 16th century, the construction of Vaxholm Fortress began. During the second half of the 17th century, the council of war Erik Dahlbergh was the prominent fortification architect. Many sconces were modernized or newly built along the Swedish Baltic Sea coast during the Russian Pillage of 1719–1721. Throughout the 19th century, the question of Stockholm's protection against attacks, mainly from the east, was debated. Proposals for fortifications in 1808 and 1826 did not yield any concrete results.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a new defence policy emerged, replacing central defence with border and coastal defence. Around the turn of the 20th century, private individuals organized themselves into the Palmqvist Foundation for Stockholm's fortification and the Association for Stockholm's Permanent Defence, donating money to construct fortifications around Stockholm, known as the "Korvlinjen."
Even before the outbreak of World War II, the importance of anti-aircraft defence was recognized, and defence measures in the Stockholm archipelago were strengthened. However, little was initially done for the defence of the capital. It wasn't until 1943 that serious concerns arose, and by 1944, around fifty anti-aircraft positions were established in and around Stockholm.
Stockholm's permanent defence also tells the story of 700 years of war or the threat of war and how attempts were made to protect Sweden's capital with often limited financial resources. Many projects remained on paper or were prematurely abandoned due to "lack of funds." During peacetime, defence works deteriorated, only to be hastily and seriously reinforced during times of unrest or war.
Today, many of Stockholm's permanent defence installations have been demolished to make way for new development, but numerous fortresses, sconces, bunkers, tank barriers, and artillery emplacements still exist. They can be found along the Baltic Sea coast, in the Stockholm archipelago, in Stockholm County municipalities, and especially within the City of Stockholm. They represent an important and tangible part of Stockholm's history. Some are protected as listed buildings, designated as cultural landmarks, or enjoy archaeological protection. Stockholm's defence remnants from the wartime preparedness years are not legally protected and will not achieve heritage status until 2044.[1]
After the Defence Act of 2000, all ERSTA batteries along the Baltic Sea coast were dismantled except for the ERSTA Battery at Landsort (gun number 3), which is to be preserved and made accessible to the public, serving as a reminder of "the Swedish people's defence efforts during the nuclear threat of the Cold War." The ERSTA system can be considered the endpoint of the era of permanent defence in Sweden.[2]