Augustin Ehrensvärd

Field Marshal count Augustin Ehrensvärd (25 September 1710 – 4 October 1772) was a Swedish military officer, military architect, artist, creator of the Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) fortress, Svartholm fortress and the Swedish archipelago fleet. He was born in Fullerö Castle, Barkarö and died in the village of Saris, Mynämäki.

For other members of Ehrensvärd, see Ehrensvärd.
Field Marshal
Count

Augustin Ehrensvärd
Portrait of Augustin Ehrensvärd, by Olof Arenius
Born(1710-09-25)25 September 1710
Fullerö Castle, Sweden
Died4 October 1772(1772-10-04) (aged 62)
Saris, Mynämäki, Finland
Buried
Suomenlinna
Allegiance Sweden
Service/branchSwedish Army
Years of service1739–1772
RankField Marshal
Battles/warsRusso-Swedish War (1741–1743)

War of the Austrian Succession

Pomeranian War
Awards
Spouse(s)Catharina Elisabeth Adlerheim
ChildrenCarl August
Relations
  • Johan Jacob Ehrensvärd (father)
  • Anna Margaretha (mother)

In 1747, he was chosen by king Frederick I of Sweden to design and construct a maritime fortress near Helsinki in Finland, then a part of the Kingdom of Sweden. Building the fortress of Sveaborg became a life's work for Ehrensvärd, who kept expanding the island fortress until his death in 1772. Ehrensvärd's design was a low-profile bastion-type fortress that would follow the natural contours of the islands and thus remain inconspicuous to enemy fleets. Many of the constructions in Sveaborg are considered to be architectural masterpieces. Augustin Ehrensvärd was also the commander of the Swedish archipelago fleet from 1756 to 1766, and from 1770, until his death in 1772.

In addition to architecture, Ehrensvärd's interests included painting, educational psychology and botany. Upon his death in 1772, Ehrensvärd was promoted to the rank of field marshal. He was also well respected by the Finnish people, who appreciated his efforts in the construction of Sveaborg, an important cultural and economic centre in the eastern part of 18th-century Sweden, which later would become modern Finland. Ehrensvärd's burial monument in Sveaborg was designed by king Gustav III of Sweden himself.

Ehrensvärd was elected a member of the member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739, the year it was founded.

See also

References

    Further reading
    • Oscar Nikula (1960), Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710–1722), Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113528409
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