Engum church / Engum kirke, Hatting Herred, Vejle Kommune.

Engum kirke (foto Nordiske Kirker)

Engum kirke lies 8 km northeast of Vejle


Engum church was built in travertine ab 1150 and proably before. The white washed walls rise directly from the ground.

The church lies in the southern part of the small village with open fields to the south and west and with the vicarage as the nearest neighbour to the east. The church is surrounded by broad, double, granite boulder dikes.
At the main entrance by the main village road is a driving gate + small gate with wrought iron wing-doors, a lesser alike entrance to the west. In 1836 the grass covered church yard was being grazed by geese.

Only few Romanesque details are kept, on the northside are dimly seen the bricked- up round-arched windows and inside is kept the Romanesque choir arch with profiled corbels.

Engum church foto Google earth.

The Gothic vault was built ab. 1400 while the broad west tower and the porch were added in late Gothic period ab. 1500.

The choir's triumph wall and choir arch were decorated with Romanesque frescoes from ab. 1200, especially remarkable are the repainted frescoes on the choir arch.

The church was a manor church for the manor Tirsbæk on the northside of Vejle fjord, and it is strongly marked by the aristocratic church owners. A fine portrait stone in early Renaissance is placed over rigsråd Ove Vincentsen Lunge (+ 1540). He was one of the most important landlords in Denmark and started shortly before his death the building of the present Tirsbæk manor.


 Oldest inventory:
The oldest inventory is the Romanesque font in reddish granite, of a simple type.
The communion table is late medieval in monk bricks, but is covered on three sides with a panel. In the table is a reliquary (found in 1979, contents only a piece of green silk) The reliquary was in the shape of a bærealter (an altar to be carried)


The inventory was new-furnished in 1759-60 into Rococo-style: 

The Rococo inventory is from ab. 1760, the givers were Maren Loss of Tirsbæk  and her second husband, the earlier manager of the estate Jørgen Hvass. He was enobled in 1761 with the pretty name Lindenpalm, which was celebrated by gifts to the parish.

Altarpiece, foto Nordens kirker

The altarpiece is from 1759, made by the Horsens-joiner Jens Jensen the Young. In the big field is a pretty carved crucifix. Jens Jensen is also the master of the other Rococo-piece in the church, the pulpit with a cherub. The pulpit is dated 1765, but behind the flowering Rococo is a simple Renaissance stool. The pulpit is decorated with seven women, symbolizing the cardinal virtues, but they seem  to be not the Christian virtues, considering the seven relaxed challenging graces on the sides of the pulpit.

After a thorough restoration the inventory now stands with the original colours and paintings from 1759-60 (red, blue and much gilding)

Cherub, foto Nordens kirker

Altar rails also from 1759-60 and two cherubs with flaming swords guarding by the choir arch.

Well-preserved pews with 35 interesting  emblem-paintings.

Altar silver from Jørgen N. Brosbøll, Vejle
Wafer box 1778 Matthias Winge, Vejle.

Church ship model: five-masted barque, the school-ship "København",  which disappeared in the South Atlantic 1928-29. 


Church bell: 1765 cast by Michael Carl Treschel, Copenhagen
Church bell 1836 cast by C. Frederik Weiss, Horsens.

Several grave memories ( owners of Tirsbæk )

Source: Danmarks Kirker, Niels Peter stilling, 2000,  Danmarks kirker, National Museet.

Photo: Thanks to Nordens kirker. and Google earth.

Granslev church / Granslev kirke and Bidstrup, Houlbjerg herred, Viborg amt.

 

















The church in Granslev has a Romanesque choir and nave in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, but the building is marked by a thorough rebuild in 1766, when justitsråd Lichtenberg re-shaped the room into Rococo and let build a tower to the west,a porch to the south and a chapel westernest on the nave's north side, all in red bricks. The tower has heavy corner pilaster strips and a timbered spire with onion dome-parts under a closed lantern and octagonal peak. The choir, porch and chapel have Baroque-winded, but flat round arched glares.

Granslev in March

The interior is also marked by the stamp of the Rococo - the choir has a highplaced grat-vault, and the nave has a flat, plastered ceiling, while the tower room and the chapel have grat-vaults and the porch a barrel-vault. Most of the inventory origin from the Rococo-rebuild. The altarpiece, a pompous Baroque- structure, probably from 1742 with a painting of Christ. Upon the choir wall panelwork and side-cupboards from the same period as the altarpiece. Heavy Renaissance candelabres, similar to those in Haurum and Sall church. A late Gothic layman's crucifix. A Romanesque granite font with double lions of the "classic" type. A font-edge in wood in achantus-Baroque, a South German bowl from ab. 1575 with pomegranates. Above the font a small crown shaped sounding board. A pulpit in Rococo from the rebuild like the pews, a manor gallery with very non-ecclesiastical landscape-paintings, all in blue, and an organ gallery and the organ, which in an examination in 1942 showed to contain a well-preserved work from early Renaissance-period. A large Renaissance-chandelier. In the tower a clockwork, which according to inscription is "færdet" in 1582 by fru Sidsel Oxe by Laurids Sejermester W.B. (Viborg?) In the chapel, which was abandoned as a funeral chapel in 1879, hangs a large naive 1700s painting of Christ. In the churchyard a worn out gravestone with a woman figure, who holds a cross in her hand.

 

































Bidstrup belonged in 1345 to Peder Jensen (Galskyt),  later to hr. Jens Falk of Vallø, with whose daughter Kirsten it came to hr. Henning Podebusk, who owned it in 1419 and 1421. His daughter Marine brought it to Hans Eriksen; he was written to the farm in 1461-68. In 1498 it belonged to Henrik Eriksen Rosenkrantz ( + 1500),  whose sister brought it to rigsråd Predbjørn Podebusk (+ 1541). In an exchange after him the main part came in 1548 to his daughter-in-law Ermegaard Bille (+ 1564) and her son rigsråd Erik Podebusk (+ 1573). His widow Sidsel Oxe kept B. until her death in 1593, and hereafter it went to Erik P's maternal aunt Ingeborg Bille (+ 1608). One part of B. had gone to Jytte Podebusk m. to Knud Gyldenstierne; it was inherited by the children Predbjørn and Karen Gyldenstierne, and with the last mentioned the part came to Axel Gyldenstierne of Tim (+ 1603), whose son Knud Gyldenstierne  (+ 1636) seems to have bought Ingeborg Bille's part.The sons Arild and Axel Gyldenstierne inherited B., after the death of the last mentioned in 1637 B. was owned by the widow Christence Lindenov (+ 1681), her daughter Øllegaard Gyldenstierne, m. to the famous Kaj Lykke, inhabited the farm at her death 1697,but she had in 1686 let it over to her son-in law Johan Rantzau (+ 1708), whose daughter Christiane Barbara Rantzau brought it to her husband Verner Parsberg (+ 1719). She sold the farm to high court judge Mathias de Poulson (+1729), whose son-in-law Anders Vinding (+ 1766) outbought his co-heirs in 1732, but in 1749 sold B. to Gerhard de Lichtenberg (+ 1764),  who in 1763 had B. and the church and the vicarage established into an entailed estate.

Later owners:  Tycho Honnens, Geert Honnens de Lichtenberg. In 1963 fru Margrethe Honnens de Lichtenberg.  

Bidstrup is listed in class A.

A castle Ilensborg is said to have been placed upon Grønhøj, an isolated bank in Langkær southeast of Bidstrup, but there is no trace of a castle bank. A similar name is connected to two dubious castle banks in Vejerslev parish. 

Listed prehistorics: 17 hills and 3 longhills, of which one is 70 m long. All these hills except one are placed in the forests of Bidstrup, most of them are small.

Demolished or destroyed: 48 hills, several, which have been examined, contained graves from Stone Age's single grave culture.

At Vrangstrup is examined a burial site with 5 partly rich graves from late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Granslev (1343 Grandeslef); Knudstrup (1472 Knwstorp, 1478 Knudsstrop);  Vrangstrup (1369 Wrongstrup); Bidstrup (1345 Bistorp); Rødemølle (1683 Røe Mølle); Voermølle (1664 Woer Mølle).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo 2006/2011: grethe bachmann

Sjørslev Church and Aunsbjerg Manor, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Sjørslev Church, ab. 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Steen Steensen's grave hill in the church yard

Sjørslev Church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a western tower from ab. 1500-1550, but the church is marked outside and inside by rebuilding in 1768-72. Both doors were probably formed as pillar portals - they were destroyed in 1768 and together with other ashlar material re-used as a foot upon Steen Steensen's burial mound northwest of the church. Here are monolite coverstones and ashlars from at least three windows and bases from the door with pearl-rows, akantus leaves etc. The choir has an octagonal vault. In 1768-72 the eastern, western and southern wall was rebuilt with small bricks and the tower got a curved spire with a weather vane, and its bottom floor was furnished as a porch with a western entrance. The tower is built in granite and monkbricks and has a cross vault contemporary with the walls and a round arcade to the nave. On the west side of the choir a profiled wooden beading with rocaillekartouche, the year 1772 and a biblical inscription.

After 1915, when Peter de Neergård took over Aunsbjerg, the choir and nave got new red-tiled roofs, wooden windows and an inside repair. The frescoes from 1550 are restored Renaissance ornaments in rather strong colours - and around the windows are frescoe Rococo frames from 1768-72. Gothich frescoes are below the present frescoes on the choir vault. The nave with a medieval storey-work got a board ceiling and is in four large sections with coat of arms and gilt initials SS MES and the year 1768 in the middle. The ceiling is in blue, red and white colours.

The pretty inventory is marked by Rococo and Classicism. The earliest inventory is the Romanesque granite font , one of the main works among "the Lion Fonts". A choir crucifix is from ab. 1475. Or else the inventory is Rococo and Renaissance. The stools are partly Renaissance and Rococo . The pulpit is Rococo. From a Gothic pew-set from Karup Church are preserved some gables. A large fine bronze chandelier. A klingpung (small purse or bag placed upon a long stick, used for collection ) given 1706 by Samuel Olufssøn. Two iron cast wooden money boxes from ab. 1775.

Upon the church yard was in 1938 built a chapel inspired by an oriental mosque.

Source: Trap Danmark , Viborg amt, 1962.
photo Sjørslev kirke 2006: grethe bachmann.

Aunsbjerg Herregård/Manor


Aunsbjerg, 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Information from "Danske slotte og herregårde":
Aunsbjerg is an old farm/manor, first mentioned in king Oluf's time, when it belonged to Niels Eriksen of the family which took the name Løvenbalk after its family-coat of arms. (A blue lion above golden beams) The family Løvenbalk owned Aunsbjerg for more than 150 years. The family was said to be of royal blood, descending from Christoffer II and a lady of the Lunge-family, and the blue lion in the coat of arms suggests that it might be the truth. This seems probable since Niels Eriksens father was named Erik Christoffersen - he was the owner of Aunsbjerg in 1340.

Niels Eriksen had with his wife Sophie Johansdatter Rantzau only one child, a son hr. Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk, who became the next owner of the Aunsbjerg. He was landsdommer (High court judge) in Nørrejylland and rigsråd , mostly known for his killing Jens Jensen Brock of Clausholm. He died very old ab. 1438 and left a large family, of whom one son was the ancestor of the Løvenbalk-family at Tjele, another was Erik Jensen Løvenbalk who was the owner of Aunsbjerg, which later belonged to his two sons, Peder, who died early, and hr. Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk, who later became sole owner of Aunsbjerg and still was alive at the end of the 1400s, but died soon after. (Note: One of Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk's daughters Marine Jensdatter Løvenbalk was married to Jens Kaas of Kaas.)


at Aunsbjerg

The family's economic deroute began with Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk. He had from time to time pawned a big part of his estate to Niels Clementsen and after his death his son Gert Eriksen and four daughters continued these mortgages, which gradually became sheets. In the years 1509-12 Gert Eriksen Løvenbalk and his two sisters Sophie and Pernille had two thirds of Aunsbjerg handed over with much adjoining land, but the last third came from the other two daughters to hr. Predbjørn Podebusk of Vosborg.

Aunsbjerg was split in several inheritances after 1609. One of the owners in the middle of the 1500s was Mogens Gjøe, who build the pretty half-timbered main building upon a medieval motte. The name of the manor is known as a part of Danish literary history thanks to Steen Steensen Blicher's novel "Skytten på Aunsbjerg" ( The Gamekeeper at Aunsbjerg). Blicher was named after his uncle Steen Steensen who in 1752 inherited Aunsbjerg after his father. He was ennobled with the name de Steensen. When he was a child Blicher often stayed at Aunsbjerg where his aunt taught him that his "will was in her pocket". Aunsbjerg was in 1838 sold to Peter C. Neergård.

The main building - where the old wing is listed in class B - is placed upon a big motte; the old moats are partly preserved. The big cross house was probably a three storey building, but was reduced in the beginning of the 1800s by the godsslagteren (the manor slaughter) Lindahl. The north wing is built 1917-18. In the dining hall is a fireplace with the coat of arms of Peder Marsvin and Mette Brahe.

Source:
Danske slotte og heregårde, Midtjylland, bd. 13; Trap Danmark, Viborg amt;
Jytte Ortmann: Slotte og herregårde i Danmark; Niels Peter Stilling, Danmarks slotte og herregårde, 1998.


at Aunsbjerg

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Sjørslev (* 1430 Siørsløff, 1498 Sørsleff); Demstrup (* 1429, 1499 Demstrup); ØsterVandet (* 1477 Østeruandett); Mellem Vandet (1683 Middel Wandet, Mellom Wandit); Vester Vandet (1498 Vanneth, * 1512 Westerwandett); Aunsbjerg ( * 1377 Awænsberg, 1396 Awendsberg); Humle vandmølle (* 1425 Homelmølle).

In the parish was a village Skovstrup (*1329 Skoustrop marck) which was abandoned in the 1500s. The land came under Aunsbjerg. North of Demstrup was a farm Kistrup (* 1511 Kiistrup). Furthermorer is in the parish mentioned the farm Lille Medelhede (* 1496 Medelby,
* 1543 Lidell Melhede) and the house Graverhus (1683 Grafver Huus March ).

Listed prehistorics: 10 hills, of which Egenhøj at VesterVandet is rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 85 hills, mainly in the northern part of the parish, and at several places large groups, like at Brødløsgård north of Sjørslev and northwest of Demstrup.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.


photo Aunsbjerg/Sjørslev 2006/2008: grethe bachmann