Christiansborg Castle — Osu Castle
Osu Castle · Fort Christiansborg
Atlantic slave trade (1659–1850 Danish)·Danish / Norwegian / Ga / British·🇬🇭 Greater Accra, Ghana
About
About Christiansborg Castle — Osu Castle
Christiansborg Castle (1659 Danish, 1661–1850 Danish–Norwegian slave fort) is on Osu rocky promontory Accra, now Presidential seat (until 2013) and museum. Quadrangle 40×35 m with bastions 8 m, vaulted slave dungeons 15×12 m for 300 (Door of No Return to beach 30 m away), Governor's residence with Danish tiles. Danish exported 1,500 slaves/year to Danish West Indies (St Thomas). British 1850 purchase £10,000. UNESCO 1979 Forts subset.
Why it mattersBest preserved Danish slave fort and only Presidential slave-fort conversion; Danish archives intact.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 011694 revolt slave governance details
Theories
- 01Christiansborg as Danish tropical Versailles (Hopkins)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 1659 Swedish fort; 1661 Danish rebuild; 1682–1685 stone rebuild
- Period
- Atlantic slave trade (1659–1850 Danish)
- Culture
- Danish / Norwegian / Ga / British
- Builders
- Danish Guinea Company → British
- Purpose
- Slave fort for Danish West Indies and gold entrepôt — 1,500/year
- Abandoned
- 1850 Danish sale to British
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
1659
Swedish Fort Christiansborg founded
1694
40 slaves revolt seized fort 1 year
1979
UNESCO World Heritage 34 (Forts Volta)
On the ground
Structures & features
5.5480° N · 0.1830° W · 12 m · 3 mapped features
Danish Slave Dungeon (Vault 15×12 m)
dungeonVault 15×12×2.5 m for 300, chain rings and 30 m tunnel to Door of No Return beach
5.5475° N · 0.1835° WGovernor's Residence & Danish Tiles Hall
palaceUpper 40×12 m hall with 17th c Danish Delft tiles and presidential balcony
5.5485° N · 0.1825° WRock Promontory & Sea Bastion
fortification20×15 m rock 5 m above Atlantic with bastion 8 m and cannon embrasure
5.5480° N · 0.1830° W