Hald, Mid Jutland , Viborg amt

Hald.
Dollerup sogn, Nørlyng herred, Viborg amt.

Hald is Jutland itself, the beautiful magnificent Jutland. Hald's history can be brought back to the 14th century. Several legends have tales about the farm , but they still are legends. The farm is not known until in historical time.

Hald is a typical example of a move from castle bank to castle bank like it has happened to several Danish manors. The farm had during the centuries up to five various building places. The three first buildings are still traceable as banks close to the present main building. The first and oldest is the castle bank a little east of the manor and northwest of Hald sø, Brattingsborg, which is placed upon a high, steep hillside. It is a so-called curia-castrum plan, cut into the hill. It has two square banks, divided by and originally surrounded by up to 20 meter broad, dry moats, which are now rather down-ploughed. The castle bank measures ab. 40 x 40 m and rises 6 meter above the bottom of the moat, while the southeastern bank, with a measure of 40 x 23 m, is lower. No building traces or other cultural relics have been found. According to local tradition was this castle bank established by Valdemar Atterdag during the siege of Niels Bugge's Hald - the bank is also called Valdemarskansen, but this can hardly be true. Brattingsborg origins to the earlier part of the Middle Ages before Niels Bugge's Hald.


Brattingsborg

From the 14th century the manors were built in low places, at rivers, lakes, moors, fens and at the coasts, so the castle by the help of impassable water-filled surroundings could keep away the attackers. The old high-placed castles were often moved down to a small islet in the lake. At such a place is the second Hald, Gammelhald(Old Hald) or Niels Bugge's Hald. It is a round 6-7 high castle bank equipped with banks on the sides towards land. In the meadow, which now surrounds the bank on three sides, is a 10-15 broad moat with a ring-dam in front. In test- excavations were found destroyed foundations of bricked buildings and the rests of a bricked baking oven.


at Niels Bugge's Hald

The knowledge of Hald's history goes back to the beginning of the 14th century. The owner of the farm was probably marsk hr. Ludvig Albertsen Eberstein (+ 1328), whose daughter Margrethe sold her part of the inheritance to her brother Peder Ludvigsen Eberstein, which the king confirmed in 1346. The year before had Peder Ludvigsen pawned his two parts of Hald to Niels Bugge of Nørre Vosborg, and in 1346 he sold farm and estate to him. Niels Bugge was one of the richest and mightiest noblemen in Denmark. He built his strong castle at Hald, which is mentioned in a famous Danish folksong about Niels Bugge's and king Valdemar's feud. Although Niels Bugge owned other farms in Jutland, his name is especially connected to Hald. From here he lead in the 1350s the large rebellion of the mispleased Jutland nobility against Valdemar Atterdag , after the king in vain had tried to bring the nobility on his own side. Niels Bugge was not only the richest nobleman at that time, he was also the most masterful, and he dared to oppose the king. This resulted in king Valdemar's siege of Hald, which is also mentioned in the folk song, where Niels Bugge finally says that he will be able to keep the king away from Hald for nine winters.


at Niels Bugge's Hald

Niels Bugge succeeded in keeping his independence, like he did against grev Gert. The king had to leave without having achieved anything, and at the big danehof (Highest Court-meeting/Denmark's mightiest men) in Nyborg 1354, the reconciliation took place between Valdemar Atterdag and the Danish people, but it did not last for long. The displeasure soon burst into flames. In the end of 1358 Niels Bugge went, granted safe passage, together with two other noblemen to Slagelse (Sjælland) in order to come to an agreement with the king. No reconciliation came off, and already in January 1359 the noblemen went back with no result. When they came to Middelfart (Funen) on their journey home, they were murdered by some fishermen. Was the king responsible?This has always only been a guess, but it is worth to notice that the king solemny disclaimed any guilt. The inhabitants of the houses in Vestergade in Middelfart, where the perpetrators lived, had to pay a yearly tax or blood-money, the so-called Buggespenge, a tax, which was first lifted over 500 years later, in 1874.


at Hald with the tower in the background
photo 1999: Kai Bachmann

In his second marriage to Ingeborg Pedersdatter Vendelbo Niels Bugge had a daughter Lisbeth, who was married to the Mecklenborg knight Gotskalk Skarpenberg, who for a period had been in service by the Swedish king Magnus Smek and was chief at Båhus. He was now the owner of Hald, but sold it soon after to king Valdemar Atterdag. He did not get any payment for it from the king, and first under queen Margrethe's rule the payment came to fru Lisbeth and her son rigsråd Johan Skarpenberg of Gammellund and Højriis. Already in 1377 was Hald pawned to Timme Limbek, from whom queen Margrethe paid it in 1387 with 600 mark silver. In 1393 the queen gave Hald castle and estate to Viborg bishopric on the condition that the buildings were broken down and the material used for building the Viborg-cathedral, furthermore she wanted a yearly mass to be held for her and her parents' souls in the church.

In the 15th and 16th century are no informations if Hald was fortificated. The latest Catholic bishops resided sometimes at Hald, and they had probably a farm-building, where their bailiff lived. But the last Catholic bishop in Viborg, Jørgen Friis, lived at Hald. He moved here in 1529 from Viborg and thereby placed the large estate of the bishopric under Hald Castle. Hans Tausen had begun his reformatory work in Viborg in 1525, and there was a lot of trouble around this, so maybe Jørgen Friis preferred to withdraw to his fortificated farms in the bishopric. He was a great building-master at Hald. He built the still preserved bank at a low foreland in Hald sø, northeast of Niels Bugge's castle, with strong embankments towards land, from where the attacks might come.


Jørgen Friis' Hald

Only a rest of one of the buildings is preserved, namely the circular tower, which is partly built into the western bank; it is built in red monk bricks, and its full diameter is ab. 12 m. The bottom room was probably used as a prison-cellar, above this were at least two storeys, and round about were narrow light-openings. Unfortunately the tower is partly destroyed by a heavy-handed "restoration" in the beginning of the 20th century. At the southeastern corner of the bank were found a couple of bricked rooms and the rests of a secret passage or gate, opening a little above the surface of the lake. The castle was as to fortifications an early example of a consistent use of heavy earthworks as a protection against larger calibre fire-weapons.

The Viborg-bishop built a large and strong castle, and his thoughts were not only about the beyond, but he also claimed his position as one of the great lords of Nørrejylland. The castle was undoubtedly his work. There is also a written source from that time saying that the bishop built a fortificated castle at Hald. In spite of the thick walls and towers it ended sadly for the strong bishop. The reformation came quickly to Viborg, and when the grevefejden broke out, Jørgen Friis had to join Christian III, but this connection to the Lutheranian king was probably not meant honestly. There were several lawsuits against the bishop, and in 1536 he even had to be imprisoned in his own prison tower at Hald.



Jørgen Friis' Hald

Hald became, like many other manors, a royal vasalry after the reformation. All church- and kloster estate were confiscated by the Danish monarchy. Most of it was transferred to the Crown; the nobility had to be content having the estate back, which during time had been given to the church as soul mass gifts; the king got all the bishops' estate, the kloster estate and the bishops' taxes. The economic advantages by leaving the Catholicism and join the Lutheranism probably weighed heavily in this change of belief. Hald became a main vasalry, it was transferred to the Crown's estate in Fjends and Nørlyng herred and upon Mors, later came Rinds and Middelsom herred. The vasals had Hald transferred as an account-vasalry, they got wages for governing, while the other income went to the king. The position of the vasal was like a modern official, he could also be removed on the king's wish.


at Hald sø and inside the tower.

Up till 1660 a flock of the best noblemen of the kingdom were vasals at Hald. Some only a few years, others for decades. The first vasal was the Holstein Henrik Rantzau of Nienhus and Eskildsmark; he achieved several vasalries, since the king had borrowed money from him. From 1541 till 1544 was Christoffer Stygge Rosenkrantz vasal at Hald, and after him came the famous rigsmarsk Otte Krumpen, who had the vasalry until his death in 1569. In Frederik I's rule Otte Krumpen had an influential position. When the grevefejde broke out, he showed like many other Catholic noblemen an insecure and failing attitude; he joined Christian III and was therefore imprisoned by Copenhagen's citizens together with other rigsråd, i.e. Anders Bille, Oluf Rosenkrantz and Knud Pedersen Gyldenstierne, but after grevens fejde was in 1540 a reconciliation between the new government and the old Catholic noblemen. In 1544 Otte Krumpen achieved Hald as an account vasalry.

Successors at Hald were i.e. Corfitz Viffert 1569-73, the owner of Næs, the present Lindenborg; later Niels Skram and Jørgen Skram of Tjele, Henrik Below, Knud Gyldenstierne, who during the years 1627-29 stayed in Copenhagen under the enemy-invasion in Jutland, when Wallenstein's lansquenets robbed and plundered the Danish manors, churches and cities. It was Europe's wildest hordes of Croatians, Germans and Cossacks, who made their entry into the Danish kingdom, and everything was confusion, noblemen and citizens took flight, many to Norway, while the peasants took cover in forests and moors; money and treasures were buried to hide them from the enemy. Later in the 1600s Christian IV's son with Vibeke Kruse, Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, became vasal at Hald.


Hald sø seen from Dollerup bakker

The kings have visited Hald from time to time, many letters were issued here by the king. Christian III stayed at Hald for a period in 1558 and Frederik II in 1567, 1578 og 1587. The hunts in the forests of Hald were probably attractive. Frederik II announced his arrival to the vasal and ordered to make good rooms ready for him and the queen and enough food, beer and bread for him and his entourage. During this period a drawbridge led from the land to the castle. There was a bricked house in two storeys with east and west gables, besides was a bath for the royal visitors, a two storey half-timbered house with offfice and two bed chambers, a building, which contained kitchen and servant's hall and the large bricked tower. Upon the opposite land was the vasal's stables , the smitty and a high corn house, and farther away was the farm building, a four winged building with cattle house and barn.


Hald sø near Niels Bugge's Hald

After 1660 Frederik III pawned Hald to the Dutch jews, the brothers Jacob Isak and Samuel de Lima, and in 1664 they got a deed on the farm. The firm de Lima was one of the king's largest creditors , especially in the difficult years around the Swedish war, where the king often had to borrow money from them. The brothers hardly stayed much at Hald. During their old age they had economic trouble and had to sell some of the land. When the last brother died in 1687 and left the farm to his wife Rachel, she had through all her life to fight creditors and reminders . At last she gave it all up and sold in 1703 Hald for ab. 10.000 rigsdaler to generalmajor Gregers Daa.

New times arrived for the old castle. Gregers Daa broke down the old buildings, but let the large tower stand. He built a four-winged main building in one storey in bricks and half-timber upon the high bank down to the lake and established a French garden. But in the Great Nordic War 1710 Gregers Daa was appointed generalmajor in the cavalry. In the battle at Gadebusch 1712 he was wounded and died the same day as the last man of his family. Three days before his wife Jeanne Marie Ruse had died. She had earlier been married to baron Christian Juel-Rysensteen and had in this marriage a son Ove Henrik Juel-Rysensteen, who became the owner of Hald. He sold the farm already in 1717 to amtmand Jens Jørgensen Seerup. After his death in 1736 the owner was his son-in-law landsdommer, justitsråd Enevold Heug, and after his death in 1739 the son, købmand Christen Heug.

In 1745 was Hald sold to baron Vilhelm Gyldenkrone, who was a stiftamtmand of Viborg stift. In 1750 the farm was sold to landsdommer Frederik Skinkel, and now there was again quiet conditions at the old castle, although its owner was an aggresive and difficult gentleman. Skinkel was married to a daughter of the civil regimentsskriver Niels Olsen Molderup, had three children, of whom two died babies, the third was the daughter Charlotte, who was the main character in Steen Steensen Blicher's story "Eneste Barn". (Only child). She fell in love with a young officer Martinus Braëm, but her parents did not approve this relationship and sent her to Aunsbjerg to etatsråd Steen de Steensen, who was a brother-in-law of her father. Blicher met her at Aunsbjerg and heard the sad story of her life. At last she got her officer and as a dowry her father's curse, but her marriage was not happy.


Dollerup kirke

Frederik Skinkel built in 1789 the present main building, the fifth Hald. He probably thought of establishing a private chapel at the farm, but this brought life to a myth that he wanted to make the building a parish church. He was in 1769 allowed to break down Finderup and Dollerup church (this did not happen). After Skinkel's death in 1794 Hald went to the married couple Braëm, who in 1796 had permission to sell the copyhold-estate, but they already sold the reduced property in 1798 to earlier gehejmestatsminister Ove Høegh-Guldberg. He was a skilled farmer, but he was of the opinion that a peasant could only do his work by force; he became a tough master for the peasants at Hald. In his time Skinkel's building was furnished as a main building, but several buildings from Gregers Daa's time were still existing shortly into the 19th century. Two small garden pavillons are still preserved.

After Høegh-Guldberg's death in 1808 his heirs sold Hald to landsdommer Henrik Muhle Hoff. Two years later Hald was sold at auction to Jakob Engerslev Rosbord and C. Tolstrup of Sødal. The State took over Hald in 1847. In 1851 Hald was sold to Frederik Anton M. Krabbe (of Damsgård), and after this Hald was in the ownership of this family until 1918, where it was sold to the Norwegian skibsreder Steen Giebelhausen, and in the following time the farm changed owners, until it in 1937 was bought by godsejer Poul Arkner, who let it repair and modernize and restored the two garden pavillons.


Hald main building and Niels Bugges Kro

In 1943 Hald was sold to direktør M. Mikkelsen, who took over the farm at once, but it attracted attention all over the country that the authorities according to the laws during the war-conditions denied to register the deed. Therefore was the farm resold in 1944 to entreprenør Kristensen, whose father got a deed on it, but after the war the State demanded 1,8 mill kr. from Kristensen because of collaboration; Hald was transferred to the State. An international students' center opened in 1951. Although much have disappeared at Hald during time some have been preserved. Skinkel's pretty old building still stands, and from Gregers Daa's time origins the French garden plan and the four terasses, connected by stairs. In the main building several paintings remind about the earlier owners.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 13, Midtjylland, Hald, af cand. mag. Elin Bach, 1966.


photo 1999, 2006, 2010: grethe bachmann

Nørre Vosborg, West Jutland, Ringkøbing amt.

Among many permanent castles built in West Jutland during the Middle Ages was Vosborg, one of the castles with the oldest history. It was originally built southwest of the present farm and close to the place where Storåen (river) runs out into Nissum Fjord. The name Vosborg is from Old Norse óss = mouth of å. Oseborg/Osborg with a first letter pronunciation: w = wosborg.

The castle Oseborg was situated north of the river, the farm buildings were south, and between was a valuable salmon-farm. The outlets of the river have moved longer to the north and the castle bank lies  by a rest of the earlier river: Gammelå. (Old river). The legend tells about a castle at the bank, which the mighty Niels Bugge of Hald let build by an English building master. Niels Bugge inherited the place from his father Bugge Nielsen of Hegnet. At the castle bank are vaguely traceable foundations, maybe from a very large four-winged building with a tower.

Niels Bugge was murdered in Middelfart in 1359. His widow Ingeborg Pedersdatter Vendelbo survived him for many years and has probably owned Vosborg for a period, possibly until 1388, where she held administration of hr. Niels' estate. From his numerous estates the manors Vosborg, Støvringgård and Lundholm (a main farm at Skagen which was destroyed by sand) went to his daughter Eline (Ellen), who was married to marsk hr. Christiern Vendelbo, the owner of many Jutland farms. All his daughters (sons of him are not known) were married to men from the finest families in the country, the daughter Ingeborg of Vosborg to the widower Predbjørn Podebusk of Egholm at Sjælland, a son of Valdemar Atterdag's og dronning Margrethe's faithful man. Vosborg stayed in this family for some years.


Nørre Vosborg before restoration


Nørre Vosborg after restoration 2008

A letter is by accident preserved from 1407, where a Danzig-captain in Low German complains that he had stranded "vor deme slote Oseborgh in Jutlande in ghebede heren Prittberns van Potbusch", whom he partly had to give some cloth as salvage money, partly sell some cloth at a moderate price, which he else had to bring to queen Margrethe. It is understandable that the captain was displeased, but the treatment of shipwrecked people was generally very ruthless, so it seems that Predbjørn Podebusk was rather humane compared to others. He still lived in 1425, very old. His widow, who lived 34 years later, possibly owned Vosborg long after his death. Then it came to the son Claus Podebusk, who died in the middle of the 1470s. He had several children with his first wife Jytte Evertsdatter Moltke. The son Predbjørn became the owner of Vosborg during a couple of generations.

Hr. Predbjørn Podebusk, who already is mentioned of "Osborg" in 1477, which he owned until his death in 1541, became - partly by inheritance, partly by marriage, first to Vibeke Rosenkrantz of Bidstrup (+ 1506), then to Anne Gyldenstierne of Aagaard og Bregentved, who was a widow after hr. Oluf Krognos of Krapperup - one of the richest men of his time. Via his family connections and his riches and possibly also because he was a clever man, he played an important role during his long life, but he was very repulsive, brutal and obstinate, quarrelsome and self-willed. He early became a member of rigsrådet, he had many large vasalries, i.e. Riberhus, by which his wealth was increased. He joined, when the reformation-rebellion started, the Catholic party.


before the restoration


after the restoration

When Niels Bugge according to legend had built his magnificent castle , he was foretold that someone in a blue cape would come from the west and break down the castle and the tower. The person in the blue cape was Vesterhavet (North Sea). This prophecy came true in 1532 when a great storm broke all barriers and caused terrible havocs in West Jutland. In a king's letter at Christmas time the king described the great storm and all the damage.

Since the old Vosborg was so close to the fjord and in a low terrain, it is probable that it was damaged badly. The owners might have thought that now was the time to be in more safe surroundings. A new castle was built about one kilometer to the northeast. There are possibly nothing left from those buildings, but the earth works and moats around farm and park suppossedly origin from that time. It is obvious that the great plan was not a common fortification. Undoubtedly was the outer bank mostly a dam/dike, which had to secure the castle against a new storm like in 1532, but to the east, where the attackers had firm ground under their feet, the plan worked as a fortification.


before the restoration


after the restoration

The old quarrelsome Predbjørn Podebusk died in 1541, but first 7 years later was held administration of estate after him, and Vosborg came to his son-in-law Knud Gyldenstierne, the Catholic bishop of Fyns Stift, who after having been forced to give up his crocier had married Predbjørn's daughter Jytte, who was a widow after Niels Brock of Estrup (+ 1534), together with her sister's son Gregers Holgersen Ulfstand, whose mother Anne Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk had died after only one year's happy marriage to rigsråd Holger Ulfstand of Skabersø (+ 1542).

In 1551 the two owners shared farm and estate. Thus arose two farms, the original farm got later the name Nørre Vosborg, while the new farm was named Sønder Vosborg after its placement to the south. It was originally built upon the place, where the old destroyed castle had been or maybe at the place of the farm-buildings south of the old outlets of Storåen (river). Sønder Vosborg was at Christmas time 1593 exposed to a new storm, and after this it was moved to the northeast and existed as a manor until 1799, when a company of manor-slaughters killed it completely. The estate now exists as a smaller proprietær-gård (farm.)


at café and restaurant before restoration

The cosy café has now been moved and changed....


into a cafeteria........

Among Nørre Vosborg's many wellknown owners was Knud Gyldenstierne -one of the most prominent. He was very important to Vosborg, also by in 1550 to buy Oluf Munk of Tvis Kloster's estate in Ulfborg parish, among which was the present Skærum Møllegård at Storå (river), which was a large estate. He transferred it to his main farm, which thus was considerably increased. He also became the owner of Skærum chapel, which he a few years later was told sharply by the king to break down since it had become known that it was used for "idolatry and other bad habits". The tradition says that materials from here was used for building the eastern wing of Nørre Vosborg.

Knud Gyldenstierne's son Predbjørn became in 1560 Nørre Vosborg's owner. He was like most of his predecessors a man who played an important role in his time and from 1596 a member of rigsrådet. After the death of his first wife Birgitte Rosensparre he married in 1589 Mette Hardenberg, who a few years later was afflicted by a serious disease, which created a great stir at that time, because people meant that "the evil spirit" persecuted her. He "has beaten her and allured her when she has mentioned God, so that her body is one bloody flesh " it was said and he pricked in her shinbones, "so they are still in cracks and wounds", but finally she got rid of the evil spirit and was "pretty, healthy and felt fit". These troubles did not afflict her at Vosborg.

Predbjørn Gyldenstierne was buried below a magnificent epitaph in Ulfborg church in 1616 beside his first wife, and 13 years later fru Mette was buried here too. She had spent her last years on her paternal farm Skovsbo at Fyn (Funen). Their son Knud Gyldenstierne, who was oppressed by debt, had already in 1626 sold Nørre Vosborg to his brother-in-law Jens Juel of Åbjerg. It was the first time in 300 years the farm changed owner in this way. The new owner belonged to a respected family and was also a man in high positions. He was like his predecessors a member of rigsrådet, but also vice regent in Norway for some years. After having bought Nørre Vosborg it seems that he regarded it his real home. After his early death in 1634 his widow Ide Hansdatter Lange - who also owned (1638) Aabjerg, Udstrup and Stenumgård - lived there until 1649, when she was killed in an accident.This couple had no sons, and their sons-in-law shared their estates.



The chancellor in Norway,the later assessor in statskollegiet and højesteret, gehejmeråd Ove Bielke of Østråt became the owner of Nørre Vosborg. He had been married to a daughter Maren Juel, who died in 1644 after having given him a daughter Ide Sophie, who later was married to Knud Gjedde of Vadskærgård, who sometimes is written to Nørre Vosborg, but since Ide Sophie died long before her father without leaving any children, the relationship by marriage ended and the farm came at Ove Bielke's death in 1674 to the daughter Maren from his second marriage to Regitze Gjedde. Maren was in 1671 married to amtmand in Trondheim Joachim Frederik Vind of Gundestrup in Skåne, who in April 1687, a few months before his death, sold Nørre Vosborg by contract for only 10.000 rigsdaler to oberst Herman Frans von Schwanewede of Sønder Vosborg.

Schwanewede had distinguished himself several times in the Skånske Krig, which gave him a reputation as a magician and a quick advancement. He was not a peaceable man, he quarrelled with God and everyone. Buying Nørre Vosborg brought him into a long-winded process and he was always in a quarrel with the other landowners by Nissum Fjord. There were many tales about him, one told that he at his death in 1697 hardly escaped the claws of the devil, but that one of the parish priests came to his rescue. His wife fru Christence Dyre survived him till 1705, and the married couple was buried in the Gyldenstierne-chapel in Ulfborg church. Their heirs kept Sønder Vosborg for a time, but put in 1706 Nørre Vosborg at an auction. It was bought by the rich Christen de Linde's son-in-law Niels Leth, who was enobled two years later, mostly because he had got married into a new nobility family.



the park is known for its 1001 rhododendron

Leth's widow fru Maren de Linde kept the farm from her husband's death in 1711 until 1745, where she sold it to her son Henrik Johan de Leth. She was in straitened circumstances in the last years of her life, and it seems that her son was not much better off, even though he was a skilled farmer, who in many ways tried to improve the property. Since he was very strict to his peasants and according to tradition a bully towards them, he was later told to be a ghost in many stories. He died in 1754, the year before his mother, and three years later in 1757 his widow Sophie Kirstine de Linde,who was his cousin, sold farm and estate to her son Christen Linde de Leth, but was like her mother-in-law living at the farm until her death 30 years later.

The new owner became in 1761 landsdommer in Nørrejylland, later byfoged in Holstebro and herredsfoged in the two neighbour-districts, in 1774 he became justitsråd. He lived a merry life at Nørre Vosborg, which did not help much on the modest conditions. He died in 1778 by falling off his horse on his way from Holstebro to Nørre Vosborg. The next year was the farm on auction and bought by a relative Christen Linde Friedenreich of Sønder Vosborg, who was a simple man, who lived in peace and understanding with his peasants and took care of his farms and bullocks, of which he in good years had 5-600 in the stable - and about 60-100 at Nørre Vosborg.
Linde Friedenreich was not married, and shortly after his death in 1786 his estates were on auction and sold for a little more than 170.000 rigsdaler. Nørre and Sønder Vosborg were bought by two brothers købmand Peder Tang in Ringkøbing and kancelliråd Søren Tang of Tim. It must have been a great day for the brothers, when they took Niels Bugge's old farm in possession, since they were the sons of a copyholder from the estate.

Nørre Vosborg was very dilapidated and Peter Tang had enough to do bringing the neglected farm back on its feet. The farm building burnt down in lightning in 1647 and was very ramschackled. He built if again in 1788 from the ground. In 1790 he built at the eastern entrance a monumental, pilaster-decorated gate tower. He gave Nørre Vosborg ab. 1797 to his only child, the son Niels Kiær Tang, a fine and friendly personality, who was a judicial candidate. He became landvæsenskommissær and kammerråd. He died already in 1814 and his widow Marie Cathrine Meinert (+ 1855) married two years later amtsprovst dr. theol. Conrad Daniel Koefoed in Ribe, who then became the owner of the farm. He died as bishop in 1831.




In 1824 Koefoed sold the farm and estate to his three stepsons, of which the two eldest, the priest Peter Tang and later justitiarius Christian Noe Tang, two years later sold their part to the youngest Andreas Evald Meinert Tang, who owned it for many years. He improved and embellished it and collected all the legends in its history - and he made by his hospitality the farm a center of the district. He bought parcels and other estate which had been sold from the farm and also bought most of the sold copyhold farms. Nørre Vosborg was complete again in 1834. He was probably the first in the area, who started to drain (1856) with pipes from his own tile works, and he was among the first, who had the courage to plant a plantation that close to the North Sea. He made more changes at Nørre Vosborg, and in 1868 the south wing was extended to the east so it was in line with the east wing. Thus the castle yard had got its present look. At the entrance to the farm buildings Tang built in 1853 for his eldest brother, the priest Peter Tang (+1876) a villa in style like the east wing of the manor and named it Vosborglille, later used as a dower house.

After his death in 1868 his widow Marie Elise, née Fenger (+ 1885) lived at the farm for some years after having sold a large part of the estate. She transferred Nørre Vosborg in 1878 together with Skærum Mølle, Nørre Tang and the rest of the estate to her son-in-law bryggeriejer Henrik Stampe Valeur, who in his short ownership established the large plantation northeast of the farm down to Storå (river). Since his early death in 1880 Nørre Vosborg belonged to his widow, etatsrådens oldest daughter fru Christine Lorentze Tang Valeur, who in her long life faithfully held on to the paternal traditions and protected the rich memories of the farm and the family. In 1923 she gave Nørre Vosborg to two sister's children, skoleinspektør frøken Anna Tang Barfod and her brother Peter Niels Andreas Tang Barfod. At the end of 1931 the brother became the sole owner and moved into Vosborglille.

In 1946 it looked as though Nørre Vosborg's time as a manor was out. Godsejer Tang Barfod sold it to a couple of property-dealers who wanted to outparcel the old manor. Some areas had already been sold, when overretssagfører Janus Frederik Krarup, owner of Nordfeld, intervened on behalf of the family, since he as a great-grandchild of Niels Kiær Tang, suddenly arrived as a buyer. The old family estate was saved, the main part of the culture-historical valuable inventory, the old furniture, family portraits etc. were allowed to stay in their old place. Krarup worked until his death untiringly to consolidate the neglected estate ; after a fire in 1949 the southern farm wing and the dilapidated castle was restored in 1954-60. After Janus Krarup's death Nørre Vosborg was owned by his widow fru Margrethe Krarup.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 13, Nørre Vosborg, by arkivar, cand mag. S. Nygård.

Nørre Vosborg was recently restored with finish in 2008.

Nørre Vosborg today:

photo 2006/2008: grethe bachmann