Haldum church / Haldum kirke, Sabro herred, Århus amt.

The large church in Haldum has a Romanesque choir and nave and a late medieval western tower with a pyramid spire from the main restoration in 1865, when a porch was demolished. The original sections are in limestone- and travertine ashlars,decorated with corner pilasters and round arch friezes upon small consoles. To the north are three windows kept in the nave and one in the choir, while an eastern window is bricked-up. The choir arch is probably original; it has a bevel-edged kragbånd.  The tower is built in monkbricks, mixed with a few granite ashlars in the bottom, but face-walled in 1865 , when the church had a concrete plinth and the longwallks were enheightened with a bricked cornice. Upon the eastern wall of the tower are traces from the nave's earlier roof. the original door of the tower is now bricked-up. The entrance is through the western tower door. Choir and nave have late Gothic vaults upon corner pillars. In the choir and nave are frescoe decorations, probably from the late 1800s, copies of the common type of the district, repainted 1937.

bottom wall, tower

Along the dike

A large four-winged canopy altarpiece from 1599 with newer biblical paintings upon canvas, restored 1895 and 1937, when all inventory was painted. Altar chalice and dish with names and coat of arms of Chr. Friis and Øllegaard Gersdorff. A heavy altar candelabre in pewter, stamped A S H 1711 (?). A magnificent granite font, decorated with double lions with human heads in strong relief, similar to the font in Lyngå church. A baptismal dish ,south German from ab. 1550-75, stamped R S. A pulpit from 1615, with biblical reliefs in the big fields; and bad decorations from 1937. New pews, gallery and chandeliers. A bell without inscription from the 1300s. Upon the north wall of the choir a coffin plate for krigsråd Jacob Adler (+ 1756); a goldring found in his grave is placed above. In the tower room three worn-out gravestones: 1) a stone for a child 1638, Søren Rasmussen (+ 1637), 2 years. 2) 1633, for herredsfoged Rasmus Rasmusøn Balle (+ ?), and wife Mergret Sørensdatter (+ 16-). 3) 1700s, for Niels Jensen Skriver (+ 17-), and wife Anne Tommisdatter; upon the other side of the stone an earlier worn-out inscription for a man, residing in Sandby, a son of Jep Rasmussen and ? Sørensdatter, and his wife Karen. In the north door of the nave is inserted a gravestone for kancelliråd Niels Hansen (+ 16-), and wife Anna Elisabeth; in the south door of the nave is a stone for a married couple. Upon the church yard a stela for farmer Jørgen Rasmussen (+ 1843).  

Upon Sandby mark was according to Pontoppidan's Atlas a manor Eggelund. This information is according to Trap Danmark probably not true.

The church in Haldum and the farm was by bishop Peder Vognsen transferred to Århus chapter.

From disappeared farms are mentioned Ellegården (1683 Ellj gaarden) in Hår; Gledensgård (1573 Gledensgrdt) and Lindgård (1573 Lindgrdt) in Haldum. The stationsbyen (=city with railway station) Hinnerup was earlier often called Hinnerup Broby after the old Hinnerup Brogård by a bridge across Lilleå.  

Listed prehistorics: two hills, both in the Frijsenborg forests: the large Melhøj at Hinnerup railway station and a hill in Vesterskoven.
Demolished or destroyed: 22 hills, of which 9 were in a group southeast of Haldum. 

At Sandby was examined a burial site with claypot graves from early Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Haldum (1203 Hallum); Sandby (1432 Sandby); Hår (1499 Hare). 

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.

photo March 2012: grethe bachmann