Fort Sheep Hill

Fort Owcza Góra is an auxiliary fort of the Kłodzko Fortress, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, located in the northeastern part of Kłodzko, on the southwestern slope of Owcza Góra. Its main tasks were to prevent the bombardment of the Main Fortress, improve observation and control of the road towards Wrocław, secure the eastern approach to the fortress, and block the valley of the Nysa Kłodzka River. The architecture of the fort is characterized by a austere military style, constructed mainly from rough-cut stone and brick. The fort consisted of the Low Crown and the High Crown, where the Low Crown featured a tenaille system, while the High Crown was equipped with casemates and a redoubt-keep. The fort also included barracks, a caponier, and wells, enhancing its defensive function. The history of the fort is linked to the Seven Years' War, when Kłodzko was captured by the Prussians in 1742. Between 1743 and 1762, the fort was constructed on the orders of Frederick II, with designs by Gerhard Cornelius de Wallrave and Colonel Christian Friedrich von Wrede. The fort was connected to the Main Fortress by a rampart and a trench. Later, in the late 18th century, a complex system of offensive and defensive tunnels was added, though it was never fully completed due to costs. The fort was never formally decommissioned, and in 2002 it was entered into the register of historical monuments, highlighting its cultural and historical significance. An interesting fact is that the fort was additionally surrounded by fortifications in the shape of a seven-pointed star, though most of the renovation plans remained unfinished. Today, the preserved fragments of the fort serve as valuable testimony to the era and military defensive architecture.