Monday, November 23, 2009

Marie Magdalene church / Marie Magdalene kirke, Sønderhald herred, Randers amt.


Marie Magdalene Church, 27 km west of Grenå
Marie Magdalene sogn, Sønderhald herred, Randers amt.


The stately church has a nave and a choir with an apse, a western tower, a southern porch and a big burial vault at the south side of the choir. In spite of the Romanesque ground plan the church was built in the Gothic period, in the 1400s by marsk hr. Otte Nielsen Rosenkrantz and his wife upon a place where:"skov og træer stode, og de havde ladet bortrydde" (cleared some forest) . The church is built in red monk bricks upon an ashlar plinth from an earlier church.The flat- curved south door is preserved , the north door is bricked-up. The white-washed porch in monk bricks is an addition from the end of the Middle Ages, and two rowan trees grew from the wall only a short time ago. The tower from 1593 is also built in monk bricks by Mogens Juel of Ryomgård. The vaulted south chapel was possibly built as a burial chapel for the family Kruse. In 1904 were found frescoes in apse, choir and nave from the Catholic period; biblical themes (i.e.Doom's Day) and the coat of arms of Otte Nielsen Rosenkrantz of Hevringholm and wife, fru Else Holgersdatter Krognos, bishop in Århus (1423-1449) Ulrik Stygge and Niels Eriksen Rosenkrantz and wife Birgitte Olufsdatter Thott. Upon the vault of the choir are plant ornaments. The nave got a vault in ab. 1500, probably at the expense of Niels Eriksen Rosenkrantz and wife. Restoration of church in 1962-63.

The communion table is monk bricks, the altar piece is a magnificent Rococo piece from 1557 with the coat of arms of Jørgen Fogh Wilster, at the expense of his widow, Anne Margrethe Galten. The original painting in the middle field was placed in the altar piece in 1946. The granite font is from the same time as the building of the church and has the coat of arms of Otte Rosenkrantz, Else Krognos and bishop Ulrik Stygge and the patron saint St.Clemens of Århus bishopric. The font has 1716 been equipped with festoons and a sounding-board. The baptismal basin is Nürnberg-type from the 1500s. A late Gothic crucifix is upon the wall on the nave. The Baroque pulpit and sounding-board are from ab. 1650. At the pulpit is an hourglass. The pews are from the 1700s.


Kolindsund, former sea bed.

Ryomgård belonged to Birgitte Eriksdatter Rosenkrantz, m. to landsdommer Mogens Pallesen Juel (+ 1605), who in 1606 conveyed it to his brother Børge Rosenkrantz of Ørup (+ 1614), who the same year sold it to Axel Galt (+ 1614). In 1608 he had the farm by law after a feud with Dorete and Anna Vestenie; but in 1613-18 is Gunde Galde written to the farm. It later belonged to Enevold Kruse of Stenalt (+ 1621), his widow Else Marsvin (+ 1632) and the son Jørgen Kruse (+ 1666), whose heirs disclaimed disabilities on succeeding to property . Later owners: Pogwisch, Fogh Wilster,Hoff, Wodschou, Brockenhuus,Castenschiold, Scheel. Owner in 1953 Postmester O. Nielsen.

Gammel Ryomgård/manor is placed upon a peninsula in meadows, which are rests of Kolindsund. The north wing of the main building was built by Jørgen Kruse and is listed in klasse B. Upon the middle of the north wing was a stair tower and on the north east corner was an octagonal tower. Gammel Ryomgård was heavily rebuilt in ab. 1768. Rests of an earlier main building were found about 30 m south of the present. The fine farm buildings were built by Jørgen Kruse and are listed in klasse A.

West of the church was once a very visited sacred well, Marie Magdalene kilde, according to legend two virgins Marie and Magdalene were healed here, and as a thank they built a chapel, which later was demolished and replaced by the church. There was also a sacred well at Bøjstrup.

The village Ryom (1470 Rydum) with 14 farms was closed down ab. 1644 after an extensive fire. By the church was earlier a farm Estrup or Astrup (*1460 Æsterop hoos sancte Marie Magdalene 1574 Astrup, which is now named Marie Magdalene).

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Marie Magdalene (* 1458 Marie Magdalene kirke); Pindstrup ( 1467 Pinstrvp); Bøjstrup (1607 Boystrup); Brunmose ( 1688 Brunmosehuuset); Klemstrupgård (1470 Clemestrop); Viborghus
(1688 Wiborg Skoufhuus); Lille Bøjstrup (1664 Lille Bøystrup).

Listed prehistorics: two round dolmens, one passage grave, 5 hills and 3 røser (stone-graves ). The round dolmens , both at Klemstrupgård, have polygonal chambers without cover stones, the passage grave is Randershøj north of Marie Magdalene, only a few cover stones are visible.
Demolished or destroyed: Two long dolmens, two dolmen chambers, 18 hills and one røse (stone grave).

Behind Ryomgård Realskole (High School) was a settlement from dyssetid (Stone Age) examined, and along the country road in the west end of Ryomgård was a burial site from early Roman Iron Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963


photo 2003/2008: grethe bachmann

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