Fort Sekondi
Coordinates: 4 ° 55 '50 " N , 1 ° 43' 22" W.
The British Fort Sekondi was founded in 1682 by the British in Sekondi, Ghana, in agreement with the local leaders, in direct competition with the Dutch Fort Oranje , which is located across the street . When the Dutch saw the establishment of this British trading post before their eyes, they accused the locals of treason because they insisted on an exclusive trade right and withdrew from Sekondi to their Fort Witsten in Takoradi . At the request of the Sekondi representatives, however, they soon returned to Sekondi, as the conditions for trade were better here. As part of the fortress exchange on the Gold Coast between the British and the Dutch in 1867/68, the fort became Dutch, and then again British in 1872 as part of the Sumatra Treaty . Today only a few traces of the old fort are preserved.
There is a plan of the fort by William Smith from 1772. According to this, the fortress had a layout similar to the British fort in Kommenda , which was also opposite a Dutch fort, but was much smaller: a large square fortification with bastions at the corners and extra reinforced ramparts on the side facing Fort Oranje. Inside the complex there was a smaller, inner fortress, which was surmounted by a tower in the middle. This construction offered great security at the expense of the space available.
See also
literature
- Albert Van Dantzig: Forts and Castles of Ghana. Sedco Publishing Ltd., Accra 1980, ISBN 9964-72-010-6 .