Holsteinborg Slot, Slagelse Kommune, Southwest Zealand

 Church and Manor

The stone bridge and the gate to the castle yard, flanked by the headless shield carriers.(GB)

in the castle yeard/ photo:gb

The large estate Holsteinborg Slot is situated in the southwestern part of Zealand about 13 km east of the town Skælskør. It was built by the Trolle family between 1598-1651, but was from 1707 in the ownership of the Holstein family during 12 generations. The impressive main building consists of four coherent two storey-wings surrounded by moats. By the castle is a large park with a hilly terrain which to the south slopes down to Holsteinborg with a view across the bay (Smålandshavet), Storebælt and the idyllic little islands Glænø and Ormø. 

photo GB

Holsteinborg is marked by both Renaissance and Classisistic style and in the middle of the 1800s the buildings were subjected to a restoration which made an attempt to correct the style confusion.  In 1949-1955 the various building periods and style expressions of Holsteinborg were retrieved in a thorough restoration.

Holsteinborg 1860, wikipedia.

In 1778 a church was inaugurated at the west wing and this church is today the parish church of Holsteinborg parish. The church covers two storeys in the northern section of the west wing. The entrance is via the gate. The interior  is completely marked by the Baroque period. The altarpiece with a painting by Hendrik Krock covers the northern wall of the church room

Holsteinborg ( Google Earth)

At the moat, (photo gb)

The moat system is preserved on the northside and at the farm building. A stone-lined bridge leads to the gateway which is flanked by two strange headless skjoldbærere (shield carriers) who symbolize the headless troll in the Trolle-family's coat of arms. Two lions - also carrying a shield - flank the west gate of the castle yard. In the yard is a prehistoric stone (with hollows)  and a vildtbanepæl from the 1700s with king Frederik 5.'s initials  (poles like this marked the king's hunting territory, and it meant death if someone violated that law)

The park is open to the public. The Baroque garden was laid out in 1725. One of the pretty avenues with trees is a 2 km long lime avenue stretching from the center of the main building. The southern section of the park is a landscape garden.  In the summer season are guided tours on Wednesdays and Sundays
 

The Poet H.C.Andersen was a frequent guest at Holsteinborg estate, in total 17 visits of various lenghts, from a few hours till several weeks. His first visit was in 1856 after many invitations from grev Ludvig Holstein and grevinde Mimi Holstein. He was received with great cordiality and hospitality, and he found  much inspiration for his stories and fairy tales at Holsteinborg..







History

Ulrich Adolph Holstein

about 1870 (wikipedia)

The history of Holsteinborg goes back to about 1200 where the place was a fortification as a protection of the nearby navy point Bisserup havn. With the later name Braade it was known as an estate under Roskilde bishopric up till 1536, where the Crown took over. The oldest preserved information in the Jordebøger (land registers)  are from 1290 and 1370. King Frederik 2. tried to create royal precincts in North Zealand and this brought on much exchange of estate, among others with Niels Trolle (the elder) of Torupgaard, who in 1562 instead got the estate of Braade, which he gave the name Trolholm. The present name Holsteinborg arose in connection to the new owners from 1707, the family Holstein. The large estate has three belonging manor farms Fuirendal, Snedinge and Kulgravgaard. Holsteinborg was from 1708 the main quarter of the grevskab (county) Holsteinborg and the homestead of the family Holstein Holsteinborg.

Herluf Trolle

Niels Trolle (the elder) was the brother of the wellknown Danish naval hero Herluf Trolle who also made some exchange business with the king (Herlufsholm(Frederikssborg). In 1565, in the Seven Year War, Niels Trolle lead the the warship "Danske Christoffer" in the battle at Femern, where Herluf Trolle was killed, while Niels Trolle in a later battle at Bornholm had both his legs shot off and went down with his ship. His son, Børge Trolle, bought out his siblings and became the owner of Trolholm. He followed in his father's footsteps and was the chief of a flotilla, which accompanied Christian 4. on his North Pole journey in 1599, described by the Danish author Thorkild Hansen in "Jens Munk".

 Ghosts
 Holsteinborg is the homestead of many ghosts. A man in a Renaissance costume has often been seen and was described by H.C.Andersen in a letter he wrote during one of his stays. Furthermore a male ghost with big boots, and a flying ghost haunting the east wing - and there is some rustle in the library in the south wing.  .

Holsteinborg (from Google Earth)

Owners of Holsteinborg

• (1357-1536) Roskilde Bishopric
• (1536-1562) The Crown
• (1562-1570) Niels Trolle
• (1570-1582) Jakob Nielsen Trolle / Børge Nielsen Trolle / Anne Nielsdatter Trolle
• (1582-1610) Børge Nielsen Trolle
• (1610-1615) Anna Povlsdatter Munk , married Trolle
• (1615-1667) Niels Børgesen Trolle
• (1667-1676) Børge Nielsen Trolle
• (1676-1707) Anders Nielsen Trolle
• (1707-1737) Ulrich Adolph lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1737-1749) Frederik Conrad lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1749-1759) Christoph Conrad lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1759-1760) Cay Joachim Detlev lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1760-1796) Heinrich lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1796-1836) Frederik Adolph lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1836-1892) Ludvig Henrik Carl Herman lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1892-1924) Frederik Conrad Christian Christopher lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1924-1945) Bent lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1945-1965) Erik Frederik Adolf Joachim lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1965-1977) Ib lensgreve Holstein-Holsteinborg
• (1977-) Ulrich greve Holstein-Holsteinborg

Source: 
Danmarks slotte og herregårde, Niels Peter Stilling, 1998, 
Slotte og herregårde i Danmark, Jytte Ortmann, 1994, 
Holsteinborg, wikipedia.   

photo: grethe bachmann
photo: wikipedia and Google earth.