Silent sentinels guarding secrets of a bygone era. That is what comes to mind when standing before the Brøndbyvester Batteri.
Brøndbyvester Batteri stands as a testament to a time of conflict. It highlights a need to protect Copenhagen. This double battery formed part of Vestvolden’s impressive artillery array. Vestvolden was designed to keep enemies at bay.
Imagine this area bustling with activity. Cannons were strategically placed to engage the enemy. They aimed to strike from a distance of six to eight kilometers. The artillery batteries were essential for this strategy.
Brøndbyvester Batteri featured two sets of four cannons. A subterranean concrete magazine sat at the center of each half-battery. These magazines held munitions ready for deployment.
Most of the permanent batteries along Vestvolden included concrete platforms. They also possessed underground magazines. Brøndbyvester Batteri’s design reflects this standard construction.
The artillery primarily comprised 12 and 15 cm rifled breech-loading guns. These cannons were mounted on high carriages. Some 9 cm field guns augmented these, positioned near the caponiers as auxiliary weapons.
As World War I approached, many reinforcement batteries were added. These were less elaborate than the permanent ones. Constructed of simple earthworks, they sat just behind the main rampart. These batteries included smaller concrete magazines.
The cannons from permanent batteries were stored in artillery magazines. These magazines sat three to four hundred meters away. Poppel batteri was an exception as it lacked an artillery magazine. The location where its guns were kept remains unknown. Only one intact artillery magazine remains today in Brøndby.
Vestvolden included ten permanent batteries. Among these were Paradisbatteri, Poppelbatteri and Brøndbyvester Batteri. Other significant batteries included Vibebatteri and Vestbanebatteri. Also included were Hvissingebatteri, Tinderhøj batteri, Harrestrupbatteri and Nordvestbanebatteri.
In 1919, after World War I, a photo captured the north side of Vestvolden. It showed the northern ammunition battery in Brøndbyvester Batteri. This was just south of Pkt VIII. The railway track and encientesporet are visible. “De Spanske Ryttere” or Spanish riders were assembled into bunkers after the war.
Batteries north of Avedøre primarily housed 15 cm guns. The permanent batteries in the Avedøre section mainly used 12 cm cannons. Auxiliary flanking guns and reinforcement batteries used 9 cm guns.
The guns of Brøndbyvester Batteri stood ready. They waited to defend Copenhagen. Today, the battery offers a glimpse into Denmark’s military past. It reminds us of the strategic thinking of that era.