“Five machine guns once stood here” echoes in your mind. This is Magelungsfortet. It is a defense installation. It is now nestled between Nynäsvägen and Gamla Nynäsvägen. The fort lies between Trångsund and Skogås in Huddinge.
Magelungsfortet was part of the Southern Front. It was constructed just before and during World War I. The Southern and Northern Fronts formed a key part of Stockholm’s defense. The Northern Front was also known as Korvlinjen. Lännafortet is a well-preserved part of this defense. It was built from 1908 to 1909. It remained in the defense organization until 1952.
Around 1900, defense thinking shifted. Central defense gave way to border and coastal defense. Stockholm’s lake systems were used. Passages between them were secured with around 30 fortifications. These fortifications varied in size. Because of its appearance, the defense line was nicknamed Korvlinjen. Private individuals financed the construction. They gathered in the “Association for Stockholm’s Fixed Defense”. They also gathered in the “Palmqvist Fund for Stockholm’s Fortification”. The military carried out the construction under civilian leadership. Then, the facilities were donated to the military. The defense line was part of the defense until 1952. South of Stockholm, fortifications mainly consisted of trenches. Battery positions stretched from Erstaviken in the east to Flottsbro in the west.
Magelungsfortet gets its name from Lake Magelungen. The lake lies just west of the fort. The installation was meant to cover the Beateberg Pass. This pass stretches between Lake Magelungen and Lake Drevviken. Besides Magelungsfortet, the defense line included Sjotorpsfortet and Lännafortet.
The Beateberg Pass was the largest installation in the Southern Front. It was to be manned by about 3700 soldiers. This included officers, messengers, and medical staff. They were mainly infantrymen from the Landstorm. These were conscripts older than 32 years. They were armed with standard rifles. This was before armored vehicles were considered. Machine guns were still unusual. Air raids were an unknown concept.
Magelungsfortet, high above Lake Magelungen, covered the Beateberg position’s right wing. The installation was built in 1908. The year is on a stone tablet above the entrance. Besides an infantry line, there was a machine gun battery. A 1909 drawing shows space for five machine guns. Three were in the lower part. Two were in the higher part. A newly built road about 180 meters long supplied the battery. It connected to Gamla Nynäsvägen.
Today, as you stand here at Magelungsfortet, imagine the soldiers. They stood ready to defend Stockholm. The fort stands as a reminder of a time when war seemed inevitable. Now, it is a monument. It symbolizes Stockholm’s determination to protect itself.