Møllerup, Djursland, East Jutland, Randers amt

Møllerup, ab. 12 km northwest of Ebeltoft
Feldballe parish, Djurs Sønder herred, Randers amt.

Møllerup is the scene of the meeting between marsk Stig and his wife in the famous Marsk Stig-song, where he after the regicide in Finderup rides to Skanderborg, where the king's son the young hertug Christoffer cries to him "that he has to leave the country if I'll be the king". The documents about the first owner of Møllerup tells about hr. Stig Andersen, the marsk of the Danish kingdom. Under the present main building are foundations of a castle, which might be built by hr. Stig or might be even earlier.

In 1920 the remains of the medieval Møllerup were brought to light during the rebuild-works of landowner Poul Carl. Both under the floor in the main building and under the pavement in the yard were remains of granite-foundations and monk-brick-walls. The National Museum led in 1920-21 a systematic excavation, which the landowner paid. It showed that the medieval plan had three wings, a main wing to the south and two short side wings to the east and west. The east wing was the best preserved section; remains of all four walls are still under ground ; it shows that it was a free-standing building. The south wing has only kept few foundations, and in the cellar is seen a piece of the granite boulder foundation.

The wall work in Møllerup's parish church in Feldballe, which was built in the first half of the 13th century, is very similar to the preserved wall work at Møllerup; it is the same long, but narrow monk brick from the late Romanesque period, which is used in both places. The walls which were brought to light migh be the castle where marsk Stig met his wife, fru Ingeborg. Stig Andersen was one of the leaders of the Danish magnates and he owned much estate; in Jutland he had besides Møllerup also Bjørnholm and Hjelm, at Funen Eskebjerg ( now Scheelenborg) and at Sjælland Tygestrup (now Kongsdal). In 1275 he was rigens marsk and leader of a war expedition to Sweden; he joined the opponents of king Erik Klipping and was outlawed after the regicide in Finderup 1286 although he proved his aliby. In 1290 he built at castle at Hjelm (small island east of Djursland), where he died in 1293. He was married thrice, his second wife was Ingeborg Pallesdatter Little.

rigens marsk (rigsmarsk):
Number 3 leader next to the king, he was first army commander, appointed by the king and had to be a nobleman.



In the agreement at Hindsgavl in 1295 Erik Menved had to give back the confiscated estate to the outlaws or their heirs. A son of marsk Stig, hr. Anders Stigsen got Møllerup, Bjørnsholm etc. He confirmed in 1304 a letter, which his father had issued in 1287, where he secured the Århus-canons their estate at the Skramsholm-area. In 1313 he joined the peasant-revolt and had - after it had been subdued - to go into exile in Sweden; his estate was confiscated; not until Christoffer II's accession he returned caused by the decisions of coronation charter. His son Stig Andersen, the younger marsk Stig, who inherited Møllerup, Bjørnholm and Tygestrup after his father, played a very prominent role in the days of the Holstein-power and Valdemar Atterdag. Valdemar Atterdag appointed him his marsk and entrusted him the important task to lead the transfer of Estonia to sværdridderne (Livonian Brothers of the Sword), and in 1352 he was one of four regents in the king's absence. But then it happened that five parishes in Galten herred, which was given to him by grev Gert, was taken from him by the Crown. Therefore he broke with the king and was the rest of his life one of the leaders of the displeased and rebellious Jutland magnates. When his son Ove Stigsen was murdered together with hr. Niels Bugge of Hald at Middelfart 1359, Møllerup and Bjørnholm went at his death in 1369 to his son's son Anders Ovesen, who became the last man of marsk Stig's family at Møllerup.

Anders Ovesen lived a more peaceful life than his forefathers and died before 1426. This year his widow fru Else Holgersdatter Krognos got married to rigshofmester hr. Otte Nielsen Rosenkrantz, to whom she brought Bjørnholm. Møllerup went to her daughter Inger, who was married to rigsråd hr. Jacob Flemming (+ 1457). Anders Jacobsen Flemming left the farm to his daughter Inger, who was alive in 1525 and widow after Oluf Jensen Skovgård, after whom Møllerup came to her sister's daughter Magdalene Emmiksen, who was married to Albert Maltesen Viffert, who still lived in 1585. The two upper pews with their coat of arms in Feldballe kirke were put up by this married couple. Their son Christen Albertsen Viffert had taken part in the Seven Year's War and had in the battle of Axtorna conquered a banner, which was hung in Feldballe kirke; it has now disappeared, but the church still owns a chalice and a desk with his and his wife fru Anna Tidemand's coat of arms.

After hr. Christens death in 1592 Møllerup came by will to two brothers Herman og Hartvig Kaas of the Mur-Kaas-family. Hartvig was married to a daughter of Axel Juul of Villestrup. The married couple lived at Møllerup and gave Feldballe church the pulpit, the later badly treated altar piece and a magnificent altar candelabre; their gravestone with life-size relief pictures is in the north wall of the choir in a beautifully carved oak-wood-frame. After the childless Hartvig Kaas' death in 1649 Møllerup went to his son-in-law Predbjørn Gyldenstierne of Damsgaard. His son Knud Gyldenstierne, who is described as a stately and handsome man and a head taller than most people, was in 1680 engaged to Elisabeth Rosenkrantz (1657-1721), who was a daughter of Erik Rosenkrantz of Rosenholm and Vosnæsgård and was brought up at Gammel Estrup by Christen Skeel the Rich. He would not bring this posh bride home to the medieval house at Møllerup; he let it break down in 1681 and let build the present Møllerup upon its place. In 1682 the wedding was celebrated, but he died already the same year, only 30 years of age. He had ordered not to make too much fuss of his funeral and that all arrears of his peasants had to be forgiven.



In 1683 fru Elisabeth gave birth to a daughter Hilleborg, and she managed farm and estate on her behalf. The estate included 28 farms, of which one half was in Feldballe parish and the other half in Agri, Bregnet and Thorsager parish. Fru Elisabeth married the second time in 1695 to general Joachim Schack of Sneumgård, but when he died in 1700, she returned to Møllerup, where she stayed for the rest of her life. She is described as an authoritative, energetic and pious woman. She kept each holyday evening song and gave lessons to her household about spiritual things, and she was very charitable. The old school in Feldballe, which still is situated at the church yard left of the gate, was built by her, and she saw to that the teacher here and in Nødager parish received their salary. While she lived at Møllerup were made large building activities. In the year 1709 an incendiary put fire to the farm building, which burnt completely down, and the main building was saved only with great difficulty. The perpetrator was caught end executed. A new stable- and farm building was built . A public road divides the stable-building from the farm-buildings.

When Hilleborg Gyldenstierne (+ 1734) was adult, she married major Christian Trolle of Ryegård (+ 1709). It seems that she mostly stayed on her husband's farm at Sjælland. Her son kammerherre Knud Trolle (+ 1760), who with his wife Birgitte Restorff got Broksø and Holmegård at Sjælland, built in 1743 the east wing of the main building in half-timbered oak. Above the present entrance-door of the main building is a sandstone-tablet with the name and coat of arms of this couple and an inscription in Danish which says that this house was built in 1751. Knud Trolle let face-wall the main wing's half-timbered facades. This made the building look like a new house, a palace of yellow bricks. Since the couple was childless they decided that when the longest living had died, the farm and estate should go to the lord of Rosenholm Frederik Christian Rosenkrantz, who bought the other heir major Peter Lassen von Post's part of both farms, but already in 1796 he sold them on auction.



Møllerup was bought for 70.000 rigsdaler by birkedommer Morten Leemeyer and landvæsenskommissær Rasmus Müller. He, who already the same year outbought his partner, transferred in 1799 Møllerup to birkedommer Erik Christian Müller, who was a son of an alderman in Århus. He owned for a period several other manors, i.e. Mariager kloster. At his death in 1827 his estate was insolvent. The farm was sold at auction to Rasmus Schmidt from Skæring Munkegård. He sold it in 1863 to greve Frederik Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1834-88), who showed a considerable building-activity and gave the farm its look which it kept until 1920. Grevinde Louise Ahlefeldt, née de Neergaard, outlived her husband for 12 years ; after her death in 1900 her son cand polit. greve Frederik Wilhelm Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (+ 1929) became the owner of Møllerup, which he sold in 1915 for 485.000 kroner to his lessee Christian Wester, who sold it in 1918 to skibsreder (ship owner) V. Müller for 1.300.000 kroner. He sold the farm in 1920.

The new owner was skibsreder Poul Carl (+ 1939). During two years he renovated Møllerup. The old decayed manor was in its new look a stately mansion, mirroring in the clear water of the moats. The interior was completely changed. In 1921 was added the farm Eriksminde, which is situated east of the garden and earlier had belonged to Møllerup. In 1936 the cattle-stable was rebuilt and modernized. In 1941 was added several boxes in the horse-stable, and both stable-buildings got red tile-roofs. In 1918 was built a forester's house. After landowner Poul Carl's death in 1939 fru Kiss Carl took over Møllerup, where she during many years run a well-known stud farm. She handed over the manor to her daughter's son greve Flemming Lüttichau in 1967. And he handed over Møllerup to his daughter and son-in-law, Anne Sophie and Stig Gamborg in 2002.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 14, Djursland, Møllerup af bibliotekar, cand.mag. Ejler Haugsted.

Møllerup i dag
In 1969 the inspector-house was rebuilt into an inn. In 2004 the building was renovated and is rented to parties and holiday-guests. See Hubertus Kroen.

Guided tours can be arranged.


photo Møllerup 2003: grethe bachmann