Karljohansvern was the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1850 to 1963, but its history goes back further: the shipyards were started in 1820, and the first frigate launched in 1828. Named after King Karl Johan in 1854, the base grew into a complex of dry docks, arsenals, and officer residences that shaped the entire town of Horten.
On 9 April 1940, Norwegian forces here fought one of the first engagements of the German invasion. The naval attack was repulsed, though German troops outflanked the defenders on land. After the war the Navy gradually relocated to Haakonsvern in Bergen, and the old base found new life as a cultural quarter. Today the area houses the Marinemuseet, galleries, and the Preus fotomuseum, all set among well-preserved 19th-century naval architecture.
On 9 April 1940, Norwegian forces here fought one of the first engagements of the German invasion. The naval attack was repulsed, though German troops outflanked the defenders on land. After the war the Navy gradually relocated to Haakonsvern in Bergen, and the old base found new life as a cultural quarter. Today the area houses the Marinemuseet, galleries, and the Preus fotomuseum, all set among well-preserved 19th-century naval architecture.
