Stouby church/ Stouby kirke and Rosenvold, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

Stouby church, ab. 15 km east of Vejle, photo: gb

Stouby kirke
The large whitewashed church in Stouby is in its present look a Gothic longhouse building with a tower to the west and a porch to the south. From the original Romanesque travertine church is left only the northside of the nave with a late Romanesque extension to the west. A single round arch window is seen as an outside niche, the extension, which wallwork is thicker than the original wall, has in the top a frieze of narrow *lisens. In the Gothic period, probably ab. 1400-1450, the building was reshaped into a longhouse with a triangular choir finish, which in the east wall has a *firpasblænding. The high, light room has inside four cross vaults with profiled ribs and very narrow *gjordbuer and a half star vault in the choir section. The tower to the west in monk bricks is a little newer than this rebuild, and it lost its vaults at a later date - there is now a beamed ceiling in the tower room, which opens toward the nave in a new tower arch. Its upper sections are cut down till a little above the height of the nave, probably in 1817 (iron numbers  and initials for F.Rantzau). The tower stairway  is in the southwest corner of the nave. The building was restored 1877 and the porch origins from this time.

* lisens = protruding pilastres/bands
* firpasblænding = a glare similar to a fourclover
* gjordbue = a reinforcement curve of a vault


Interior: In the choir are 4 pretty mosaic windows from 1952 by Kresten Iversen. The altarpiece is a skilled carving from 1731 , it was given by Dean Jørgen Knudsen Beesche and made by Jens Jensen or Jørgen Slache. An altarpainting, copy  after Carl Bloch, hangs in the porch (1964). Chalice 1786, given by Carl Adolph Rantzau and Christiane Ernestine Frederiche Vedel. A Romanesque granite font with four horisontal angels, one is Sct Michael, fighting a monster. A pulpit in late Renaissance 1640 with old decorations. A bell from 1708, Friderich Holtzmann.

Rosenvold slot, photo: gb

Rosenvold is mentioned the first time in 1575 when Karen Gyldenstierne, widow after Holger Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Boller and their heirs at R. had permission to seek to Stouby church, while the ealier owners of R. had seeked to Barrit church.  Their son Frederik Rosenkrantz is written of the farm in 1599, but he was exiled the same year because of his relation to Rigborg Brockenhuus and died in 1602. His brother Otte Christoffer Rosenkrantz took over R., but at his death in 1621 R. and Boller had, because of debt, to be sold to Ellen Marsvin, who inn 1630 had to give the farms to her daughter Kirstine Munk. She died in 1658 and her daughter Elisabeth Augusta sold R. in 1660 to stiftamtmand, gehejmeråd Henrik Rantzau (+ childless in 1674). The farm was inherited by his brother's son  kammerherre Henrik Rantzau (+ 1687), his brother grev Otto Rantzau (+ 1719) the son generalmajor grev  Frederik Rantzau (+ unmarried 1726), his brother viceroy in Norway, grev Christian Rantzau (+ 1771), who in 1756 established "Det grevelige Rantzauske Forlods af R".   

Later owners: The family Rantzau up till present.


Rosenvold, the main building is listed in class A.

Some extra details in history: 
The castle ruin is still seen in the forest northeast of Rosenvold. Staksevold was probably withdrawn and broken down by queen Margrethe I in her work of gathering Denmark and the Nordic countries in the second half of the 1300s.

In front of the coast banks on the low meadows towards Vejle fjord and a few hundred meters from the sea Karen Gyldenstierne built her dower house Rosenvold in 1585. Before this her husband Holger Rosenkrantz had established Rosenvold as a main farm ab. 1570. He had bought the areas of the earlier Staksevold, a "røverborg" (robbers' castle), which was a stone tower with a bank and moat and outside with wooden buildings and a stable.
At the death of Karen Gyldenstierne her two sons took over Rosenvold, first Frederik Rosenkrantz, who run into bad luck because of his relation to the queen's Lady in Waiting Rigborg Brockenhuus from Egeskov. As a punishment she was immured at Egeskpov, while Frederik contracted the wrath of the king and was exiled. His brother Christoffer took over the estate, but he got some economic problems and had in 1621 to sell Rosenvold to Ellen Marsvin of Holckenhavn , wjo was the big collector of estate at that time and the mother-in-law of Christian IV. In 1630 Ellen Marsvin was at the kings command ordered to give Rosenvold to her daughter Kirsten Munk, since she was banished from the court after having refused the king access to her chamber. Kirsten Munk's heirs had to sell Rosenvold in 1660 to Henrik Rantzau of Schönweide in Holstein and stiftamtmand in Århus. The Rantzau family is still the owners of Rosenvold and has been for almost 350 years. (source.: Rosenvold.dk/)  

Rosenvold Marina, photo:gb

Gravengård etc was by hr. Oluf Stigsen (Krognos) pawned in 1497 to bishop Niels Clausen in Århus, later it belonged to the son hr. Mourids Olufsen (Krognos)(+ 1550), with whose daugther it came to Holger Rosenkrantz of Boller in 1662. G was from Boller laid out to Gabriel Marselis at Havreballegård.

The medieval castle bank Gravengård was situated close north of Lille Gravengård about 500 m northwest of Stouby kirke.  A farm was earlier  situated at the castle bank. After a fire in 1926 the farm was outparcelled and the site was levelled. The castle bank lay in a pond which water surrounded it on three sides, upon the fourth side was probably a moat. In the 19th century were probably destroyed some banks. Upon the castle bank were buildings in monk bricks.

Rohden was in 1662 two farms belonging under Rosenvold. In 1758 grev Christian Friis (of Vadskærgård) of Frijsenborg deeded both farms to manager Hans Erik Saabye, later of Brantbjerg, and in 1771-72 justitsråd Jørgen Hvass de Lindenplam of Tirsbæk deeded the two farms to Christen Mikkelsen Kjær, who in 1789 only owned one farm, Neder Rohden. This farm his son Jens Kaj Kjær willed shortly before his death in 1826 to his daughter Christiane Kjær, in 1827 m. to Jørgen Hansen, later of Borchsminde.
Later owners: Jacob Lund Eggertsen, Jens Simonsen Buch, Nicolai Jensen Jelling, Johannes Brorson, Flemming Lerche, Folmer Lüttichau.

Niels Jensen of Ullerup is mentioned 1340-46.  

Jysk Nervesanatorium at Vejle fjord, built 1898-99. = Vejlefjord Sanatorium.

According to Pont Atlas Gammelby was originally called Stouby, but since a part of the town burnt down and was rebuilt about 1 km from there, the new town was called Stouby, while the rest was called Gammelby. Since the vicarage lies here, the parish was for a period called Gammelby parish.

forest at Fakkegrav, photo: gb

At the beach were some farms Falsterbo (1664 Falsterboe). Northeast of Hugholm were some houses called Himmerig. From dissapeared farms are Smedegård (1497 Smedegard) in Hyrup and Bjerregård (1683 Bierregaard, Berrgord). Furthermore the houses Knoseborg or Hulvejen (1664 Huolweyen or Knoseborrig), Sanderbækhus (1683 Sanderbech Hues) and Strandhuset (1688 Strandhuuset), de two last mentioned were fisherman's houses. Fakkegrav was earlier named Favrdal (1683 Fougerdal) and later Pakhuset. 




Listed prehistorics: At Rosenvold is Tehøj in which top are two cover stones, probably for a passage grave, and a somewhat disturbed dolmen chamber. Furthermore a large hill south of the church and two hills in Ullerup skov.
Demolished or destroyed: not less than 19 stone graves, of which two were long dolmens, one with 4 chambers; a dolmen chamber and two passage graves. In Pont. Atalse is mentioned at the vicarage a stone -surrounded hill with several chambers,which the parish priest let abolish.

From Rohden is known a small heap of shells from early Roman period.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s: Stouby (1399 Stoby, 1498 Stowby); Gammelby (1498 Gamelbi); Hyrup (1477 Hyrop, Hyrøp); Hostrup (1300s Horstorpmark, 1497 Hostrup); Belle (1459 Bælle); Fakkegrav (1664 Fastjgrau); Stoubyskov (1664 Stoubye Schouff); Hjerrild (1610 Herildtt); Hugholm (1683 Hugholm); Grund (1477 Grwnnæ); Rosenvold (1575 Rosenvold); Rohden (1474 Rode, 1475 Rodhe); Grundgård (1495 Grundegaardtt, Grunegaardt); Rønsholtskrog (1683 Rønsholt Sovhues); Gravengård (1462 Grawengart); Bobæk (1664 Boebech); Over Ullerup (1340 Vgelthorp, 1474 Wllerøp), Stoubylund (1511 Stobylundt); Årup Mølle (1458 Arrvp Mølle, Arwp Mølle) .     



Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964.

photo 2011: grethe bachmann

Uth church / Uth kirke and Boller, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

Uth church, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt, ab. 5 km south of Horsens

The large church, which has replaced a granite ashlar building from  Roman time, is mostly built 1575-77, but this uniqe Renaissance building was in 1869 recreated into a neo-Romanesque basilika -a very regretful loss.

The Renaissance church from 1575-77 , built by fru Karen Gyldenstierne after her husband's death, was shaped as a three-naved, rectangular, longhouse with round-arched vaults in the mid-nave and point arched in the side-naves, all under one roof. Here was a western tower and a burial chapel to the south.  In 1869 was this building reshaped into a three-naved neo-Romanesque basilika with beamed ceiling in the mid-nave and grat-vaults in the side-naves. The walls of the mid-nave were enheightened and had double round-arched windows, in the eastern gable a high-placed circular window.

The tower had a high pyramid roof, and the main entrance was placed at its west-side. Above the portal is a granite thympanum with the image of a tree of life. It probably origins from the Romanesque granite ashlar church.  The chapel has kept the character of the Renaissance building. Upon the eastern gable of the nave are the initials of  Karen Gyldenstierne and upon the tower the initials of Erh. Wedel-Friis and wife and the year 1773.

The altar piece is a Lutheran triptychon in early Renaissance; it was given in 1577 by Karen Gyldenstierne and repaired in 1724 by count Reventlow. The large ore candelabres from 1594 have the coat of arms and initials of Otto Christoffer Rosenkrantz and Gisele Podebusk. A pretty Romanesque granite font of Horsens-type with lions and palmettes.Baptismal bowl of Netherland -type from 1622. Pulpit from 1793, a simple work in provinciel Baroque. Bell 1868 by Stallknecht, Horsens.

Old house in Uth

The chapel is divided from the church by an iron grating. In the wall is a strange epitaph with horisontal stones for Holger Ottosen Rosenkrantz of Boller and Rosenvold, vasal at Skanderborg and Bygholm (+ 1575), Mette Krognos (+ 1568) and Karen Gyldenstierne. Next to the warrior between two wives are the figures of two small girls, Margrete and Ellen. Upon the wall a painted oil portrait from 1578 of Holger Rosenkrantz and Karen Gyldenstierne with 4 children. Furthermore a marble sarcophagus with the bodies of Jens Kraeg-Juel-Vind of Juellinge (+ 1776), his wife Cathrine, née Gram (+ 1810) and Cathrine W. Juel, née Wedell-Jarlsberg, (+ 1786) In the tower room a gravestone for jomfru Margrete, Holger Rosenkrantz' daughter ( + 1551), a trapeze-shaped stone with 2 coat of arms. Also for Jens Nielsen, Boller Mill ( + 1698) and wife. A gravestone for Otto Holgersen Rosenkrantz (+ 1525) was originally in Lübeck, but was moved to Uth and finally to Hornslet church, Randers amt. In the choir a memory-tablet for officers from the battle at Heide in Ditmarsken 13 June 1559 and a frescoe-painted coat of arms for Holger Rosenkrantz and Karen Gyldenstierne and year 1575. In the church are buried rigsråd Holger Rosenkrantz (+1575) and the nobleman Otte Christofffer Rosenkrantz (+ 1621).

Boller (Castle) belonged 1350 to Otte Limbek, later to hr. Mogens Munk (Bjælke-Munk), after whose death in 1410 queen Margrethe was accused of having taken his possessions in Bygholm and Boller; in 1435 was delclaired that the queen had given his brother hr. Stig Munk back a large part. B. belonged in 1461 to Mogens Munk's daughter Anne Munk (+ ab. 1462), married to rigsråd hr. Henrik Knudsen Gyldenstierne ( + 1456), whose son-in-law hr. Erik OttesenRosenkrantz ( + 1503) from before 1483 owned the farm. (1477 was væbner Jes Ulf bailiff at B). Already in 1494 he laid out the farm as heritage  to his son Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz, and after his death in 1496 to his children in 1499. Among these died  Holger Rosenkrantz childless in 1534, while hr. Otte Rosenkrantz (+ 1525) left several children, who in 1542 outbought their father's brother-in-law hr. Christian Friis (of Haraldskær),of Krastrup and hr. Axel Brahe of Kragholm. Rigsmarsk hr. Holger Rosenkrantz (+ 1575) became the sole owner, and he and his widow Karen Gyldenstierne (+ 1613) rounded off the estate by exchanges with the Crown. In 1592 was B. taken over by the son Otte Christoffer Rosenkrantz run into a large debt, why the heirs soon after his death in 1621 sold B. and Rosenvold to fru Ellen Marsvin.

Chr. IV had possibly lent her the money, since he in 1630 could force her to give the farm to her daughter, the king's wife Kirstine Munk, who fell into disfavour and was allowed to live at B. in the future, almost as a prisoner.After her death in 1658 at B. the heirs had to give up the farm because of some debt to Mogens Friis of Favrskov, who in 1672 established the county Frijsenborg. B. followed this county as an "allodial" estate until 1844. The county was abandoned in 1920, and at the death of lensgreve, Mogens Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs in 1923 was B. inherited by the daughter, komtesse Agnes Louise Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, married to lensgreve Erik Bernstorff Gyldensteen of Gyldensteen. She sold the estate in 1930, which was Boller, Christiansminde and later lesser tenant-farms and 1384 ha forest to the State. Main building and park were sold to the sick-benefit associations in Skanderborg, Horsens and Kolding, and they established B. as a resting home. 

By the moat

The main building lies upon a large rectangular castle bank upon a flat coast- plain towards Horsens fjord. It is surrounded by waterfilled moats. The plan, which is mostly from the 1500s, is strongly marked by rebuild and reduction and has lost all its outer splendour ; it is now dressed in a simple suit from the 1700s. The northern house of the 4 houses is the oldest, undoubtedly built by Holger Rosenkrantz shortly after he came to stay at Boller in 1548. In 1551 he became the sole owner.In the middle of the bottom floor is preserved a magnificent overvaulted hall with cross-rib vaults upon pillars of early medieval origin, probably from a demolished church. Upon the facade of the east wing is a very pretty sandstone tablet with the coat of arms of Rosenkrantz-Gyldenstierne. Upon the wall in the yard-area is placed an early medieval gravestone for Peder Gødesen Pot. In 1759 and some years ahead let lensgreve Chr. Friis the whole plan have a thorough rebuild and modernizing. The inside was splendidly furnished, and in 1769 was a memorial tablet therefore inserted above the south-wing's main portal by lensgreve Erh. Wedel-Friis. The main buiklding is listed in class A.

The old oak

In the rose garden

In the large park are many old trees. The big lime tree, under which was set a table for 180 people during Chr. VIII's visit, blew down in the Christmas storm in 1902. At Boller was established the first fasaneri (pheasant farm ) in Denmark. A large avenue of  lime trees leads to the motor road  - and from 8 avenues went some of them down to Horsens fjord. According to Pontoppidan's Atlas was a now disappeared arbour in the forest.

Sejet was earlier a parish with church. In 1574 Holger Rosenkrantz had a deed on the church with church yard and land and with allowance to demolish the church and use the material to improve Uth church to which Sejet parish was moved. A memorial stone is raised at the demolished church's place in 1962.

Listed prehistorics: Upon Sejet mark (field) a partly collapsed dolmen chamber and 9 hills, of which 8 in Boller's forest.
Demolished or destroyed: 13 hills.  

Kitchen middens are known from Boller Nederskov and an Iron Age settlement in Klokkedalen.

Names from the Middle Ages: Uth (1492 Voed, 1495 Wodh); Sejet (1416 or 1418 Sede, 1511 Seydt); Neder Ustrup (1477 Wrstrop, 1556 Udstrup); Boller (1350 Boluer, 1435 Boluer, 1442 Boller).

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964.