Mariager Abbey /Mariager Klosterkirke , Mariagerfjord Kommune

Mariager klosterkirke, Mariagerfjord Kommune, Region Nordjylland

 










Mariager Abbey  (Danish: Mariager Klosterkirke) was a Bridgettine abbey founded in 1430 which became an important pilgrimage site, in the present town of Mariager in northern central Jutland. The abbey was established in the rule of king Erik of Pommern in the period 1425-1432. The real founding year is regarded as 1446, where Pope Eugenius 4. confirmed a transfer of the two earlier Bridgettine abbeys in Glenstrup and Randers to the Bridgettines in Maribo. .

In the abbeys of the Bridgettines lived both monks and nuns, but in separated buildings on each side of the church. The nunnery consisted probably of 3 wings which formed a closed yard, where the church was the south wing. The monastery were several buildings south of the church and the north wing as an addition. Preserved till present is the church and the north wing of the monastery, while the other buildings were demolished once in the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s.


Mariager abbey, (Mariager Klosterkirke) lies in the town Mariager by the beautiful Mariager fjord
Like in Maribo at Lolland a small town grew up around the abbey, but Mariager is still one of the smallest market towns in Denmark.

The abbey in Mariager was built as a three-naved church with a characteristic stepped east gable and a later added slende tower to the west. The reformation meant the final days of the abbey, although it was first abolished as late as 1588. The large church became the parish church of Mariager town - and during the next 200 years there were financial problems about maintaining the large building. The town management gave up in 1788, and the church was rebuilt in 1788-1789. The drastic rebuild was a demolition of the four eastern sections, including the choir, while the rest was rebuilt from a three-naved church into a cross-armed church, supported by outside pillars. At the cross arm was in the 1930s rebuilt a longhouse choir

Inventory
Frescoe on the north wall of the choir is a fragment of a freso from the first building period,. a magnificent descriptions of persons, artistically some of the best frescoes from the 1400s. Upon a pillar in northern cross arm is a strange image, meant to show a coat of arms of Thor Degn from the 1200s, but it was obviously painted much later.

In the tower room are two famous procession- figures, the wooden sculopturres are realistic but also typical for the period ab 1500s. The figures are concentrated about Christ and his suffering and death.

The Renaissance pulpit is a simple work ab 1720s, the decoration is from 1724. The altarpiece is a fine Baroque woodcarving  from 1690. In the big field is the big supper which is the main motif with the crucified Christ above, surrounded by the nearest , Maria, Johannes and the apostles in woodcarved free-standing figures.

Upon the south wall of the nave hangs a large late Gothic crucifix . The baptismal font is in wood from the middle of the 1700s and given to the church by its benefactor etatsråd Matthias de Thestrup (+ 1769), whose burial chapel was abolished in 1931. From earlier burial chapels were Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz from 1495, which was abolished in the 1560s when Jørgen Rosenkrantz of Rosenholm collected the bodies of his late forefathers in Hornslet kirke. Also the family Løvenbalk from the manors Tjele and Aunsbjerg had built and owned a burial chapel by the church.

by the kloster lake

The most famous headstone in Mariager belongs to the last Catholic Børglum bishop, the excessive Stygge Krumpen, who died in Asmild kloster in 1551,  a magnificent portrait stone celebrateds his memory,but he is not buried under the stone, his mummified body was shown to the public until 1871- 1873 in an open coffin, but common good manners demanded that the body was moved to the burial chapel of the noble family Krumpen. The bodies from this chapel were in 1931 buried in the church yard.





On the big church yard are kept pieces of pillars and some debris of graves from the abbey period. The church yard was extended in 1894 and is marked by the civil grave memorials of the market town Mariager. 

by the klosterlake.

Source: Danmarks kirker, Niels Peter Stilling, 2000; Nordens kirker ; National Museum; 

 photo: grethe bachmann

Møgeltønder churchMøgeltønder kirke and Schackenborg, Tønder, Højer and lø herred, Tønder amt.

Tønder, Højer and Lø herred 
(the history of the whole district is so complicated that three herreds are assembled in one).                                                                                       

                                                                          
 























 The large, interesting church in Møgeltønder is consegrated to Sct. Nicolai. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Romanesque or early Gothic extensions to the east and west, a late Gothic tower to the west, a stairhouse to the gallery from 1692 at the north side of the nave, a burial chapel from 1763 at the north side of the choir and a porch from 1898 at the south side of the choir. It is probable that the original section of the nave was built at an earlier choir, of which are kept a few granite details in the western section of the building and a couple of window lintels in a house in Slotsgade, but the present building is built in monk bricks. The oldest section is the eastern part of half the nave from ab. 1200, which longwalls are crowned with round arch friezes, with no contact to the corner lisens/pilastres. There are left no details, except some faint traces of windows. The early choir with three round arched windows to the south is in early Gothic style, probably from ab. 1275. It was extended to the east. The gable got a three-window-group, which outer windows are bricked, while the middle is extended.  The whole choir was overvaulted with two octagonal vaults, very related to the vaults in Løgumkloster church. At the same time the nave was extended to the west, and this section has to the north two round arched windows and a round arched door in a faint protrusion. The south door is point arched.  The western nave section was somehow disturbed by the building of the late Gothic tower, which eastern wall rests upon a interposed wall. The walls to the north and south are drawn in at the roof-height of the nave and rest upon a strange udkragning ( free beam) with several buestik (like bricks placed vertical). Both nave and tower room have flat beamed ceilings.

The octagonal pyramid spire with four partly re-newed pointed gables was finished in 1630 as a replacement of a 15 alen higher spire, which broke down in a storm shortly before Christmas in 1628. (Danish alen = 60 cm) The grevelige (county) burial chapel at the north side of the choir was built in 1763 with rustik-ashlars on the corners and a curved Baroque gable. It was earlier in connection to the choir in a round arched door, which was bricked in 1853, when a portal in Baroque style was inserted in the northern gable. The oddly placed porch at the south side of the choir replaced in 1898 an older porch at the same place. The church is white-washed except the upper section of the tower in red monk bricks. The spire has a slate roof, the stairhouse has a tile roof, the rest is roofed with lead.

In and around the church are many burial memorials, epitaphs, ( one from 1592 for Pether Henricson who died 127 year old, with a portrait). Some of the epitaphs are richly decorated. Many grave stones from the 1700s and 1800s, there is a burial crypt under the southern part of the choir, probably equipped for the Rantzau family in the 1500s, but in 1696 for the Schack family. Here are three similar Baroque sandstone sarcophagus with members of the Schack family, and furthermore three children coffins. In the Schackenborg- burial site north of the chapel are burials of members of the family Schack. Upon the church yard is a memorial from 1922 for the killed soldiers from the parish from the WWI 1914-18.



 

Upon the vaults and walls of the choir and the western gable of the nave are frescoes from various periods.  There are rests of a biblical decoration in circular fields from ab. 1275, vine decorations from the beginning of the 1300s and a rich decoration in early Renaissance which has been kept un-restored upon the western wall of the nave, while all the other frescoes were heavily restored in 1894-98 by A. Wilckens who did add large parts of frescoes, like two gentlemen, grev Hans Schack and son, and also a frescoe of himself.


The inventory is unusually rich and varied. The communion table is in monk bricks, probably contemporary to the choir extension, it is covered in a panel with hammer-shaped fields from ab. 1650. The altarpiece is a pretty four-winged late Gothic piece from ab. 1500 with a Golgatha-scene with many figures in the middle and the apostles in the inner wings. Upon the outer sides and the outer wings are eight Passion-paintings. In ab. 1700 was added a top piece with a Resurrection-relief and achantus-wings from Peter Petersen's workshop in Tønder. From some disappeared side-altarpieces are kept two large figures from the late 1400s, a Madonna and a bishop figure, probably Sct. Nicolai, and a pretty relief of the birth of Christ. The altar chalice is from ab. 1550, the foot from the 1600s and a cup from the 1700s. The oblate-box is from ab. 1750 with a rich filigree-work , it has the initials of Anna Ernestine grevinde v. Schack. The vine jar is from 1674, similar to the vine jar in Tønder, it has the initials of Hans greve v. Schack.

There are four pairs of candelabres: 1) early Gothic, 2) late Gothic upon lions, 3) Baroque, 1659, given by ridefoged (bailiff) Jens Andersen and wife Margrete, 4) late Baroque , ab. 1750, in brass plate with flowers. Upon the altar lies Chr. IV's Bible in original black binding with brass mountings. The crucifix upon the chasuble origins from an earlier chasuble. A mass bell from 1650.  The altar railings are from the 1700s and the high choir grating from 1653. A late Romanesque granite font, carved in one stone, with waves of garlands upon the basin and foot. A smooth dish from ab. 1700s. A six-sided sounding board in Renaissance from ab. 1625.  A Baroque pulpit with Corinthic corner pillars from 1694 was made in Peter Petersen's workshop and given by Nicolaus Tych. The foot section of the pulpit is shaped as a group of children in play. The previous pulpit from 1580 is in Keitum church upon the island Sild.

The pews are mainly from second half of the 1500s, some probably from 1554,others a little later. The gables of the pews were cut down ab. 1740. A priest-stool from 1690s, a parish clerk-stool in late Gothic from ab. 1550, but remade in the 1690s. In the south door is a Gothic door-wing, changed in the 1600s, and between the nave and the tower room is a door-wing, probably from 1578. There are three galleries: 1) in the west end of the nave, the original sections are from 1578 and the gallery carries the organ, 2)  upon the north wall of the nave, from 1691, narrowing to the east, where it meets 3) Schackenborg's stool from 1692 with entrance from the stairhouse outside at the north side of the nave. The interesting organ is from 1679 and is considered the oldest in use in  DK.  A series pastorum is made from an epitaph from ab. 1640. Upon the south wall of the nave almost life-size priest-portraits: 1) Lago Johannis, + 1707 and 2) Godske Møller, + 1741. Furthermore a painting of lensgreve Hans Schack + 1905. Two paintings of the guldhornene from Gallehus is now at Schackenborg. A church ship "Margrethe" from 1934 or 1935. A tower watch from 1663. Bells: 1) 1333 with casting-mark,  2) 1642 by Baltzer Melchior.


Schackenborg, Møgeltønder belonged from old times to Ribe bishopric, and a bishop's manor is mentioned already in 1258 to which the peasants had to pay some taxes. Later this manor was called Møgeltønderhus. It was broken down in 1265, probably during a feud between the bishop and hertug Erik; but it must have been rebuilt soon after, since king Erik Menved in 1288 promised to assist the castle if it came under the siege of hertug Valdemar. From 1407 it is assumed that Møgeltønderhus with estate was incorporated in the Danish kingdom as a part of the West Schleswig- enclaves. During the fights between Erik of Pommern and the Holsteiners Møgeltønderhus was in 1417 endowed to the ridder from Zealand, Morten Jensen Gyrstinge; later the vasalry came back to Ribe bishopric. Its last episcopal vasal was Peter Rantzau, who in the reformation-years had to transfer the castle to the royal vasal Detlef Ahlefeldt, to whom it was pawned in 1546. On his request the pawn was redeemed in 1562, and he was followed as a vasal by Niels Lange (1562-64), who also was a vasal at Riberhus. The vasalry was already pawned again in 1564 to the successor Claus Rantzau. His widow Magdalene kept it until 1573, when Bendix Rantzau acceeded. He bought the vasalry in 1583, but it was bought back to the Crown in 1599, and it had thereafter vasal together with Riberhus. Albert Friis was the vasal in 1601, after him Albret Skeel 1601-39, Gregers Krabbe in 1639-51, Mogens Sehested in 1651-55, Otto Krag 1655-58 and from 1658 feltherre Hans Schack. (military chief). In the Torstensson-feud 1643-45 and in the Karl Gustav-war 1658-59 the castle and the vasalry suffered a great damage; among other things the forest Lindskov disappeared completely. In Bendix Rantzau's time a big deal of peasant-estate was included under the main farm-taxt. After the Torstensson-feud the farm-operation was discharged, and the serfdom was reduced.

In 1661 Hans Schack was endowed for life with Riberhus and Møgeltønderhus as a renumeration for "troskab og villig tjeneste"(loyalty and willingness). His widow got after him a yearly pension.of 3000 rigsdaler. The son Otto Didrik Schack could also for life enjoy the income from the estate. Shortly after the endowment in 1661 Hans Schack bought the whole estate with Møgeltønder, Ballum and Lustrup judicial rights and with jus patronus and church taxes of the churches in Møgeltønder, Daler; Ballum, Vesterland-Før and Amrun. After he became a count, the estate was extended in 1673 by buying land in Højer, Lø and Hviding herred and jus patronus and church tax in Emmerlev parish. With some smaller buyings later the estate was divided in 30 villages, but the condition for being a county was still not quite enough, anyway the county Schackenborg was established 23/6 1676. In the erectile letter there were rights to operate oyster fishing in the Vesterhavet (North Sea) as far as the front-beaches of Schackenborg stretched along the coast. Hans Schack had died a half year before,  and the county and the other estates, Gram and Gisselfeld, were taken over by his son lensgreve Otto Didrik Schack, who from 1674 was stiftsbefalingsmand in Ribe (military title). In 1682 he renounced to the king Sønderland at Rømø, List on Sild, Vesterland-Før and Amrum, and he and his son was in return paid 1000 rigsdaler a year.

O.Schack tried to re-introduce the serfdom, but the peasants protested by going to Copenhagen in 1672 in a regular peasant-procession. The case caused long-winding processes, which ended in the Supreme court, and they gave their judgment in 1678. But still after the turn of the century the Lord of the manor and the peasants were in a feud and a new process was brought before the Supreme court in the 1720s, and here it was resolved that the widowed countess Anna Sophie, née Rantzau (+ 1760), had bribed højesteretsjustitiarius (top-member of the Supreme court ) Chr. Scavenius , who was discharged because of this in 1725.

Otto Didrik S. (1.) died in 1683 and was succeeded in the estate by Hans (2.) (+ 1719), who again was succeeded by Otto Didrik ( 2.) (1710-41), for whom his mother Anna Sophie administered the county, until he was of age. During his successor, the son Hans (3.) (1735-96) an administration-commission was in 1768 deployed because of debt. The commission introduced some reforms which were also of benefit for the subjects of the estate. The king granted in 1770 that the peasants could have their farms as property tenant farms, and they could be freed of the rests of the serfdoms by paying a yearly tax and a recognition in change of ownership. The main part of the manor land was left to the peasants as copyhold, and in 1771 the farm buildings, except a barn, were broken down. This barn burnt in 1891.

After generalmajor Otto Didrik S (3.) (1758-1809) the county went to Hans S. ( 4.) (1786 - 1814), under whom an unsuccessfull attempt was made in 1804 to sell the county in an auction,  and then to lensgreve Otto Didrik S (4.) (1810-1856), who started the plant of Gallehus forest.
Later owners: lensgreve Hans S. (5) (1852-1905), lensgreve Otto Didrik S. ( 5),  who died in 1949, from 1949- 1978 lensgeve Hans Schack (6).

Schackenborg today: (1978-1993) Kongefamilien, (1993-) H.K.H. Prins Joachim
            
Schackenborg slot is listed in klasse A.

cattle in the marsh, by the inner dike.

Råde (Røj) in 1500 Peter Bennicketsen is mentioned on R., in 1578 Laurids Mikkelsen got Fr. II's letter that one of his sons could get the farm after him, later it was bought by Bendic Rantzau of Møgeltønderhus, but in 1601 the above mentioned Laurids Mikkelsen's son Laurids Lauridsen got a kongebrev (royal letter) that he should have the farm  as a tenant. In 1617 Michel Chistensen (+ 1646) was a tenant at R., whereafter Claus Lauridsen or Lorentzen owned it until 1664, when he sold to Hans Schack. The farm was thereafter under Møgeltønderhus main farm tax, and the lands were rented out in 1667 to the inhabitants in Møgeltønder and Daler parish. Only a little piece of land stayed with the buildings, but the later tenants rented land from the castle field.
Later owners: Søren Jochumsen (1740-1798), Anna Maria Adolphs (1798-1807), Chr. Boysen (1807-1813), Redlef Brodersen (1813-1817), Garmsen (1817-1823), Boy Feddersen from 1823, after him his brother Berend Feddersen, Preussian domain in 1903. Lessee from 1904-26 H. Reuter, in 1951 folketingsmand Peter Petersen (Røj),  the farm burnt in 1915. In an exchange R. came in 1951 under Schackenborg.


Slotfelt, farm under Schackenborg.

sheep in the marsh

Ved Åen were 13 farms in the middle of the 1600s. All farm buildings were placed on værfter (small banks), some of them were by Hans Schack included in the main farm taxt  and then abolished or outrented for higher sums than before. Among the important marsh farms was Vesterfelt,  and V. Anflod . Some værfts (banks) from previous farms are still visible in the marsh.

Trægård. In 1489 Rewer Feddersen is mentioned in Trægård. Claus Iversen Rosenkrands of Kogsbøl (mentioned ab. 1500) had the son Erik Clausen (mentioned 1515), who was written of Trægård. He was accused of murdering the bailiff of Højer herred, but was acquitted. Trægård belonged later under Kogsbøl in Emmerlev parish. The farm was desolate in 1599. A smallfarm lies at its site now.

The parish was plagued by floods in 1436, 1578, 1582, 1630, 1634, 1655 and 1825.









The unusually well-preserved buildings at Kærgårdshof, which possibly was built in 1777, iare listed in klasse B. The farm was in the ownership of the family Brodersen from 1663 until 1924, it lies upon a high værft ( bank), and it is seen far and wide with its large hipped thatched roof. The four winged closed plan is built in darkburnt redpurple stones with finely profiled cornices. The farm with its richly carved and painted wood is a witness of the marsh farmers solid wealth, it was in 1951 thoroughly restored with fundings from Det særlige bygningssyn after a long period of neglect.

the marsh by the coast.

The buildings at Supskog, which are listed in klasse B, were until a few years before 1966 the best example of a preserved marsh farm, but a heavy rebuild 1957-58, where the thatched roof was replaced by a large eternit roof, which was built across the yard, where the walls were partly broken down, has strongly reduced its worth. The red brick farm (rebuilt barn 1836) has however kept its wonderful placement upon a high værft and is visible far and wide across the low marsh land.

The listed buildings(klasse B) at Nr. Sødam represent a little older and less solid cast farm-type than the impressive, architectonic marsh farms like Kærgårdshof. The farm is built in large redpurple bricks upon a plinth of granite boulder, it lies upon a high værft and has a long living building, which holds rests of a very old construction. Upon the east gable is the year 1734. The barn was built in 1761, but the walls were later re-newed and the hipped thatched roof was replaced by an eternit roof.

Lindskov mølle (mill) listed in klasse B, is a fine three-winged thatched redbrick-plan from the late 1700s, the barn is from 1856. The water mill, which has been out of work since 1941, where the mill pond surrounded by high dams was  out-dried in 1955, has kept its old machinery, which is a witness of Frisian-Dutch influence.

café in Slotsgade, Møgeltønder

                                                                                         

The town Møgeltønder has kept its unusually fine and unique cultural townscape. The high quality of the settlements with the beautiful and balanced proportions cause that even the smallest houses are able to stand up. They have a simple and strong colour effect in the burnt redpurple bricks with the white joints and the white-painted woodwork and the large, soft, thatched roofs. the main street slotsgade, was probably built ab. 1680 by Otto Didrik Schack.


Gallehus was, so far you can go back, only two smaller farms and some minor houses. They were placed in a triangle around a large open place. At Gallehus was the former rettersted (court place with gallow).

A house in Gallehus (kådnerhus) is listed in klasse B. It is a pretty little, thatched redbrick building just west of the two memorials which were raised by Otto Didrik Shack at the finding place of the two guldhorn (Golden horns).

Much estate in Møgeltønder belonged to Ribe bishopric already in the 1200s. It came to the king at the reformation and became a n independent vasalry.  On the 3/3 1661 Hans Schack got a deed on Møgeltønderhus, (later Schackenborg), Møgeltønder judicial birch and all estate, which had belonged to the vasalry.

At the place called Lægan was in the old days a quay or harbour .

There are no preserved prehistorics in the parish, but there were a dolmen and 9 hills. The dolmen close to the former railway-station was Holger Danskes Høj with 5 supporting stones and a large cover stone. Two hills were Tinghøj and Galgehøj north of Møgeltønder. A hill in town had possibly a passage grave. In a large sand pit in the western part of town were found several clay pots of various age, from the single grave culture of Stone Age till early Roman Iron Age.

  

Source: Trap Danmark, Tønder amt, 1966

photo 2002: grethe bachmann

  

Gram Castle/ Gram Slot, Sønderjylland, Haderslev amt.

Gram slot, Sønderjylland

ab. 25 km west of Haderslev 

Gram sogn, Frøs herred, Haderslev amt.

The district around Gram is an old cultural area, and in Gram parish was a large farm in the Middle Ages. In the beginning of the 1230s - while the main part of the document was made in king Valdemar's Jordebog - was this farm the king's estate, it was as big as 3-4 common peasant-farms.  Like other properties of the king the farm was also the Crown's estate. Gram played early an important role as a castle, and its strategic situation close to the beaten track, and close to an important crossing  by a river meant that it was fortificated early, but it also meant that it played a part in the many battles and wars, which swept over this part of the country in the Middle Ages.

At that time was the farm placed about 3 km longer to the northwest. Here is still seen the old and very delapidated castle bank, which held the oldest fortificated Gram. According to a tradition the castle was built in 1314 by hertug Erik of Sønderjylland, who had the farm in custody. The bank lies desolate in the southwestern outskirts of Gram Storskov (forest) out in Hornbæk eng (meadow) like a circular, low rise, only a few km from the road. 

The hertugs (dukes) of Sønderjylland were in periods of the 1200s at Gram - and in 1317 the king renounced all the Crown's estate in Sønderjylland. In 1347 is mentioned Jonas Iversen Vind of Gram, he was probably bailiff at the farm, maybe for the Holstein grafs, who at that time owned most of the Jutland peninsula. According to the historian Huitfeldt it was endowed to Erland Kalv, who in 1372 was at Riberhus as the hand of the Holstein grafs and fought against the lord at Gram, maybe because the lord was loyal to the king, or maybe it was just a local feud. During this feud decided the people of the town Ribe at their city-thing that no one in the town were allowed to bring goods or commodities to Gram. An immigrate from the Rheinland tried to bring some contraband to Gram, and this cost him his life. The most interesting in this connection was that the article he brought to Gram was a mixture of sulphur and salpetre, named "bøssekrud" (gunpowder), and the story about this affair is one of the oldest stories about the use of gunpowder in Denmark. Gram must at that point have been very strongly fortificated, since a castle like Riberhus considered it an opponent.

Supposedly had king Valdemar Atterdag during some of his reign Gram in his hands, but after his death the control went to the Holsteiners, and hertug Gerhard VI could in 1394 give Gram herred (district) as a pawned vasalry to the mighty Henneke Limbek of Tørning, who already earlier seems to have been in control of Gram castle.  In the beginning he had the castle as a vasalry, but later he and his son became the owners of Gram. Henneke Limbek was a son of Valdemar Atterdag's drost Claus Limbek and like him he was a political opportunist. He followed hertug Gerhard on the expedition to Ditmarsken og was killed here at his master's side in 1404. Henneke Limbek resided mostly at Tørning, he let Gram be managed by bailiffs - in 1398 is mentioned væbner Henrik Raspe. In 1399 Henneke Limbek is written on two deeds "of Gram", which indicates that he also resided here in periods.

The son Claus Limbek the Young, who took over Gram, was alike his father and grandfather. He also followed alternating political lines, soon against king Erik of Pommern - and at last the king summoned him for treason at Gram herred's Thing and in front of his bridge at Tørning, but since he did not arrive, he was summoned the second time. Claus Limbek now joined openly the Holsteiners, since he in 1421 from hertug Henrik had a livsbrev (letter for life) on four districts of Tørning , the so-called Tørning vasalry. This was an acknowledgement from the grafs in their role as hertugs of Schleswig. The break with the king was not possible to mend now, and Claus Limbek had to defend hinself at Tørning against the king's armies. He died a few years later when Tørning vasalry in 1428 with a pawn of 4.550 mark was transferred by the hertugs Gerhard and Adolf to hr. Henrik Ahlefeldt, who was married to his sister Catharine.

Gram disappeared from the Limbek family, since Claus Limbek probably did not leave any children,  but it was not Henrik Ahlefeldt who owned Gram. A few years after the last Limbek had died, it was Joakim Bjørnsen Bjørn from the wellknown Funen noble-family and probably son of queen Margrethe's faithful man, the knight Bjørn Olufsen Bjørn, who became the lord of Gram. After his death in ab. 1467 Gram went with his daughter Sophie to Tielluf (Ditlev) Reventlow from the Holstein line of the family, which now owned Gram for about 100 years, son after father.

Ditlev Reventlow was an energetic politician and collector of estate. After his death Gram was inherited by his son Joachim Reventlow who died in 1519 and was followed by the son Johan (+ 1563). The last Reventlow left only daughters, and Gram then came into the hands of a son-in-law Ditlev Buchwald of Pronstorf in Holstein. From his time is kept more information about the conditions at the estate than before. At the main farm were 150 oxes and 50 cows besides many horses, young cattle and sheep  - and in the forests were fattened up about 1000 oldensvin. (pigs living from mast). Furthermore were several farms, a mill and an inn  

a part of the estate.

Rhododendron in the park

The younger sons of Ditlev Buchwald were given Gram as their paternal inheritance. At this point the farm Nybøl was taken out as an independent property, which was the cause of century-long feuds between the owners of the two farms. From 1585 the owner of Gram was Christoffer Buchwald, who was called "Christoffer the Tall". In 1585-1630 were made economical improvements at Gram, and the main land was three- or four-doubled . Christoffer Buchwald was followed in 1614 by his son Ditlev Buchwald, under whom Gram became very indebted.  He sold (probably in the year 1638) the estate to Christian IV, who shortly after transferred it to the strange adventurer Dionysius von Podewils, who had been married to Christoffer Buchwalds' daughter Anne. 

Von Podewils was the most interesting owner of Gram since the Limbek-family's time. He was born in 1590 in Pommeranian and was from a noble family. He had in his youth been on many foreign universities and had travelled all over Europe. When he was 26 years old, he served as a hofmarskal by hertug Hans the Young of Sønderborg, 2 years later by hertug Adolf of Gottorp and later by the Gottorp hertug Frederik III. At this time Christian IV was  aquainted with him and valued him, he made him hofmarskal in 1634 by den udvalgte prins ( crownprince), where he was given the job to manage his wedding to princess Magdalene Sibylle.  In this period he became the owner of his first wife's paternal farm Gram. Ab. 1641 he gave up his office by the crownprince and crownprincess and was until his death serving the king as a very used diplomatic negotiator. 

He still had a good relation to the crownprince, and he died on  a travel with him in 1647 in Dresden. He left his wife of second marriage, Cathrine Hedevig  Ahlefeldt from Søgaard (+ 1680). He had in his home at Gram an excellent library, which was destroyed by the Swedes in 1644, and the Swedish vandalism at the estate shook Podewil's not especially strong economy. His son from second marriage Gregers von Podewils was only a child at his father's death. The family had to sell Gram at a compulsory sale in January 1664 to rigsgreve Christoffer Rantzau, but he transferred it already the next day to rigsfeltherre Hans Schack of Møgeltønder, in whose male line it stayed until 1821.

When Hans Schack took over Gram a new and bright period began in the historiy of the ancient farm. He was an energetic collector of estate and a wise administrator. His history actually belongs to Schackenborg castle, since Gram was considered a small estate. He bought at once some peasant-estate and started negotiations with king Frederik III about buying a large number of farms and houses in Haderslev amt, which belonged to the Crown. In June 1664 he bought 68 farms and houses, which were called Ny Gram (New Gram) but the farms were in a bad condition after the Swedish wars -  and only a rich man like Hans Schack was able to make the estate alive again. The estate was now almost doubled and much better off. Later in 1673 gave Christian V  Hans Schack the churches in Gram and Fole and the yearly income from these, which actually was a small income.  

The building at Gram was in a very bad condition when Hans Schack took over. At that time Gram had already been moved from the old castle bank. In the eastern wing of the present three-winged castle are rests of a building in late Gothic style. Hans Schack rebuilt Gram, and his and his wife's coat of arms are seen on a sandstone-tablet in the front of the building. He died in 1676 and was followed by his son Otto Didrik, lensgreve of Schackenborg (+ 1683). In fact there was a competition between Gram and  the main residence Schackenborg. Gram was more cosy and with a more idyllic situation, several owners resided for long periods at Gram -  and the place was always used as a dower house. Otto Didrik Schacks' widow, the spiritual and energetic Sophie Dorothea, born Marschalck, lived here after 1683. She had a close friendship with the members of the royal house,especially the women,  and she was very popular far and wide. The kurfyrstinde (kurfyrst = Elector) of Hannover wanted in 1702 to have her as a member of her court-staff, but no until two years later she gave up her peaceful life at Gram and became overhofmesterinde by queen dowager Charlotte Amalie. 

Grevinde Sophie Dorothea loved Gram and did much to make the place prettier. She was interested in the garden. It was in fashion during this period. She extended it and decorated it with avenues, terasses and all kinds of water fountains, even a water-fall. In the end of the middle avenue she built an Italian salon with a grotto. From the kitchen garden lead an avenue to a small grove with lovely walking paths. In the castle lake she had a large rowboat, it was large enough to hold a dinner table for 20 persons. This knowledge about Gram is due to an enthusiastic story from an intelligent traveller, the British envoy Vernon, who visited Gram in 1702. He is filled with admiration of the garden, where he found the prettiest promenades he had ever seen, and he is not less enthusiastic about the garden's creator Sophie Dorothea. He is more than taken in by the beautiful and natural way in which he - although not invited - was recieved, and he acknowledges her spirit and learning. Sophie Dorothea died shortly after having moved to Copenhagen in 1707, only 51 years of age, and the eldest son, Hans Schack the Young, became the owner, but 3 years later his wife died in childbirth at Gram after having given birth to the future lensgreve Otto Didrik. 

Anne Sophie, born Rantzau, became Hans Schack's second wife, and she gave more than anyone else lustre to Gram. She removed Gram from the lensgrevskab  by in 1736 buying it from her stepson, the lensgreve at Schackenborg. She let do some thorough rebuild of Gram and gave it its  present look. From her time origins the fine fir-planting in the park- the oldest firs in Denmark. She became a widow, when she was only 30 years old,  and during the 41 years she still lived she became one of the 18th century's greatest collectors of estate in the country .In the same year when she became the owner of Gram she bought from admiral C.C.Gabel the Zealand properties Giesegaard, Spanager and Ottestrup. In 1752 she bought Juellund and two years later Nybøl, which thus again was reunited with Gram. In Copenhagen she bought the Thott-palace and one of the Amalienborg-palaces , where she finished the palace, which later was called Christian IX's palace. She also bought a farm in Ribe.     

This energetic lady was very strict towards her peasants. She overburdened them with villeinage-work and tried to raise their taxes. The peasants however were stubborn and demanded their rights and protested by striking. She used the economic and judicial power she had as a landlord, but it seems that she did not use violent steps. The peasants' hatred had grown so strong that she after her death was referred to as "the evil grevinde". She had built several schools for the village children at the Gram estate, but this was not enough to reconcile the peasants. In her last years she wanted to sell her farms in Sønderjylland and sold them in 1759  to her stepson's son, lensgreve Hans Schack, whom she wanted to leave the Amalienborg-palace. Hans Schack told her that he could not afford this palace, and the old lady became angry and offered to rebuy the estates he had just bought from her. At last he let her have the estates again and took over the Amalienborg-palace. But the old lady could not forget and forgive. A few days before her death on 28. Septemer 1760 she made a will where all her estate in Sønderjylland and at Zealand had to be inherited by a brother of Hans Schack, namely greve Frederik Christian Schack (born 1736) and the will said that if he died without heirs the properties at Zealand had to go to Frederik's Hospital and Gram and Nybøl to Ribe Hospital. They must no go to Hans Schack at Schackenborg!

Grev Frederik Christian Schack was heavily in debt and the inheritance came to him as a lovely surprise, although he could not have the estate until its debt had been paid. The administration of Gram  succeeded however to get rid of the debt. In 1773 took grev Frederik over. He had a special interest in the garden and drafted some gardeners from abroad. In those years came some radical general improvements for the farmers and peasants . When Schack in 1774 had managed a contract with the peasants, he leased out Gram and Nybøl. Gram's fields were now split up in parcels, which were leased out to a tenant. In 1777 his estates were changed into the entailed estate Giesegaard and this Zealand manor became his residence. Gram was after this closely connected to Giesegaard. He died in 1790, and until 1798 were his properties administered for his underage heir by his widow grevinde Ida Schack, née Scheel Bille and major Rosenkrantz. 

Is he catching gold fish?

His son grev Knud Bille Schack took over in 1798 and in his period was Gram leased out. He was not popular by the peasants at Gram, since he tried to regulate their taxes after a new price increase. But there were several improvements at Gram during his ownership. After his death in 1821 the entailed estate Giesegaard went to his sister's son Henrik Adolf Brockenhuus and was the year after adopted into the grevskab (county) Brockenhuus-Schack. His properties were under private adminisration and Gram was in his time managed by kammerherre von Krogh. Grev Henrik died in 1847, and grev Knud Bille Ludvig Anton Brockenhuus-Schack took over the entailed estate. In his time were made several improvements of the estate. Both grev Knud and his succesor from 1892, the son grev Adolf Ludvig Brockenhuus-Schack (+ 1938) were of great importance to the district caused  by their national example, and Gram became a center of the Danishness. Grev Adolf let in 1905-06 the castle restore and the garden plan was re-laid. He was much more interested in Gram than his predecessors and the castle was used much more than before. The various farms in the estate were still leased out to tenants. 

In 1945 was the owner A/S Gram and Nybøl godser. 

Source:

Danske Slotte og Herregårde, bd. 16, Sønderjylland,  1967, Gram slot, lektor dr. phil Vilhelm Lorenzen

photo Gram slot, May 2007: grethe bachmann