Fort Ostenburg at Trincomalee

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(3 votes, average: 2.67 out of 5)

A plan of the Ostenburg Fort in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka drawn in the 17th century - From the National Archives of Netherlands — A plan of the Ostenburg Fort in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka drawn in the 17th century – From the National Archives of Netherlands

Fort Ostenburg, hidden within Trincomalee’s forested ridge, is a little-known stronghold shaped by Portuguese, Dutch, and British power struggles. Once a strategic lookout commanding the inner harbour, it now lies largely forgotten, its ruins echoing centuries of conflict, alliances, and shifting colonial ambitions.

Legend holds that King Rajasinghe II (reigned 1635–1687) intended to build a fort at Trincomalee to drive out the Portuguese. By then, however, the Portuguese had already constructed a small stronghold on the hillock where Fort Frederick now stands. Determined to expel the foreigners without relying on another European power, Rajasinghe began to build another fort in Trincomalee but ultimately accepted Dutch assistance and abandoned his own project.

Portuguese Presence in Trincomalee

The Portuguese had established a fort at Trincomalee in 1623 during King Senarath’s rule from Kandy. Although the Dutch had secured permission to build at Koddiyar (Mutur) as early as 1612, the Portuguese destroyed that partly completed defense. A Dutch officer’s 31 December 1638 letter to Governor General Anthonio van Diemen described Trincomalee as a strongly built fort of hard stone taken from an old pagoda around the hillock, surrounded on each side by sandy and rocky bays, resembling a peninsula.

An Archaeological Department officer later identified Fort Ostenburg (within the Naval Dockyard) as the fort Rajasinghe II had begun; while work there was underway, the Dutch had offered to help the king expel the Portuguese (Jayasekara, 2009). Therefore, the fort at Ostenburg Hill was never completed by Rajasinghe II.

Ostenburg Under Dutch

The Dutch, having ousted the Portuguese with Sinhalese assistance, proved no kinder rulers. Feeling secure after their victory, they dismantled the Portuguese-built Trincomalee Fort. The Dutch later enlarged that original fort—then called Fort Trincomalee—renaming the site Pagoda Hill; the British subsequently renamed it Fort Frederick after Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany. The fort the Dutch captured from the Portuguese in 1639 was dismantled on 20 April that year, but renewed fears of French and British expansion led the Dutch to refortify both Trincomalee and Koddiyar forts in 1658. The French arrived in 1671.

Beyond enlarging Fort Trincomalee and adding five bastions, the Dutch constructed Fort Ostenburg (then Osnaburg) on a high ridge commanding the inner harbor’s entrance. According to Valentijn (1726), Ostenburg featured a 3.66 m (12 ft)-wide stone breastwork and two half-points facing south and north; its east side was defended by a moat and a projected gun emplacement at the point’s edge. (De Silva & Beumer, 1988).

Fort Ostenburg Under British Control

During the war between Britain, Holland and France, British forces planned to seize Trincomalee to strengthen the British East India Company’s eastern position. On 5 January 1782, British troops landed at Back Bay and captured Fort Trincomalee by surprise. Much of the Dutch garrison fled to Fort Ostenburg. Three days later Admiral Edward Hughes demanded surrender, sending his summons via Chief Engineer Major Gells, who had conducted a careful reconnaissance (Jayasekara, 2009).

The British then attacked Ostenburg, capturing a hill about 274 m (300 yd) from the fort. The following day they forced entry through the lower fort, suffering one officer killed and 20 men wounded, while two officers and 40 men were wounded on the other side. Ultimately the British took the position with nine officers and 350 men—among them 60 Chinese and Malays held captive—and seized 62 guns from the two forts.

Although less strategically prominent than Fort Frederick, Fort Ostenburg had been used mainly as officers’ quarters before the British takeover. By 1803 Trincomalee contained new barracks for troops and officers; Fort Frederick was then armed with 72 guns and Ostenburg with 50. A small dockyard was established by 1815, and defenses remained in place until about 1905, when much was dismantled. The dockyard reopened in 1923 and evolved into a major Royal Navy base. (De Silva & Beumer, 1988).

During the Second World War the British Admiralty used the Ostenburg site as a wireless station; today the area is utilized by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Fort Ostenburg’s architecture appears more Asian than typical Kandyan styles, suggesting Rajasinghe II never used it; the Dutch later occupied it when threatened by the British. Today Ostenburg is largely overgrown and little known beyond elders who served under the navy.

The Fort Ostenburg in the inner bay of Trincomalee From Valentijn, 1726
(Source : Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796) — The Fort Ostenburg in the inner bay of Trincomalee From Valentijn, 1726 (Source : Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796)

A map of Fort Ostenburg during Dutch era (Source : The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon)

References

De Silva, R. K., & Beumer, W. G. M. (1988). Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796. Serendib Publications.
Jayasekara, K. D. (2009, November 22). Fort Frederick: King Rajasinghe plans to oust Portuguese invaders. Sunday Observer. http://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2009/11/22/spe06.asp
Nelson, W. A. (1984). The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon. Canongate Publishing Limited.

Also See

Map of Fort Ostenburg at Trincomalee

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Traveling Directions to Fort Ostenburg at Trincomalee

Route from Colombo to Trincomalee	Route from Kandy to Trincomalee
Though : Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Dambulla distance : 266 km Travel time : 6-7 hours Driving directions : see on Google Maps	Though : Katugasthota – Matale – Dambulla distance : 185 km Travel time : 3.5-4 hours Driving directions : see on Google Maps