General Johan Caspar von Cicignon, who was chief inspector of fortifications, was responsible for the new town plan of Trondheim after the great fire of 18 April 1681.

[1][2][3] The fortress was built during the period from 1682 to 1684 and strengthened to a complete defence fortification in 1691 by building an advanced post Kristiandsands bastion in the east and in 1695 with the now vanished Møllenberg skanse by the river Nidelven.

[4] The main building featured in the picture is the defensive tower - Donjonen - with artillery, quartering and stores was the centre of the defences.

In the final years of the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden initiated a second invasion of Norway in the fall of 1718.

Camping in the open and poorly fed, many of Armfeldt's troops fell ill and his capable forces were reduced to 4,000 men.

On their way back across the mountains, almost the entire army was lost, mostly because of snow, cold temperature and a strong blizzard; the retreat has been likened to Napoleon’s from Moscow for the severity of casualties.

During German occupation of Norway in World War II the Nazis executed a number of Norwegian patriots at Kristiansten.