Øster Velling church/ Øster Velling kirke, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt.

Øster Velling church, ab. 10 km west of Randers.

Øster Velling parish, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt. 

The church without a tower in Øster Velling has a choir and nave and a new porch on the nort side. The older sections: the choir and nave origin from the Romanesque period, built in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth, but the church was in 1875 rebuilt because of dilapidation, but with use of old material -  and inaugurated 2 january 1876. The porch seems also to have been renewed in 1875, it was rebuilt again in 1940. The three Romanesque windows of the north side are undoubtedly of Romanesque origin, but extended in the lighting. The north door with old kragsten is still in use, but partly renewed.

The inside of the church got its new look in 1875; it has a beamed ceiling, while the choir was remade again in 1940-41, when a new brickfloor was laid. The altar section is from this last restoration with a table of yellow bricks and above this a crucifix group, made by J.Th. Skovgaard. The former altar decoration, a crucifix from 1875, hangs upon the wall. Three Gothic Saint-figures in wood, found at the loft of the porch, was sent to the National Museum in 1940. A Romanesque granite font with male heads and foliage. The strange square-sided pulpit with winding columns and double fields with sawn balusters is in Renaissance from ab. 1600. In front of this an old parish clerk stool with carved year 1588. The bell without inscription in a hole in the gable, is from early Middle Ages. In the west wall of the nave is inserted a gravestone for Søren Pedersen Velling (+ 1624). In the north wall of the choir a stone for parish priest H.M.Berg. (+ 1787) .

At the rebuild of the church was found a piece of a runestone, now in the National Museum, the only left of the inscription is " -- Thorg-- ".


 
















Øster Velling birk: (judicial)  the king had already in Valdemars Jordebog considerable estate in "Wæling". Later it became a special vasalry, which by queen Margrethe I was leased to Stig Andersen (this must be Stig Andersen Hvide). Around 1500 Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz was the vasal, after him his son-in-law Predbjørn Podebusk. 5 September 1569 Ø.Velling birk was deeded to Erik Podebusk, it consisted of 13 farms in Øster Velling, Velling Mølle, Torup and Madegård. If Erik Podebusk died without heirs, his wife must keep the vasalry for life, whereafter it again had to go to the Crown. Since the married couple had no children, the king took over the birk. Ab. 1680 the Thing was held at Helstrup mark (field) by the road to Randers. 

 
Listed prehistorics: 7 hills and two petroglyph-stones which were found in the demolished Mandbjerghøj close to Velling Vandmølle (water mill), one stone has several small circles of which some are rewritten with ovals.
Demolished or destroyed: 20 hills, Mandbjerghøj contained a grave from early Bronze Age with sword and belt with gold plate. 


Names in the Middle Ages: Øster Velling (1231 Wæling, 1355 Østerwælyngh).




Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb.

Klovborg church/Klovborg kirke, Vrads herred, Skanderborg amt.

The church in Klovborg has an undivided longhouse with apse to the east, tower to the west and porch to the south. The western part of the longhouse is the nave from a Romanesque church, built in granite ashlars upon a plinth with a bevel edge. A window to the south and two to the north are bricked. The south door is outside, the north door is bricked and partly destroyed by a newer window.  The western tower was added in the late Middle Ages, it is built in granite ashlars and monk bricks, its vaulted bottom room is connected in a large round arch to the nave, in which are built three bays octagonal rib vaults. In a later rebuild the tower was made lower. In 1591 rigsråd Erik Hardenberg (+ 1604) let the Romanesque choir break down, after which the nave  - where were used old ashlars - was extended towards east, where it was finished in a half round apse in monk bricks. Inserted in the apse wall is a table with Erik Hardenberg's and fru Anne Rønnow's coat of arms in relief. The apse inside has a half cupola vault (half dome), while the eastern extension later has got a plastered barrel vault in planks. From a later period is the porch, built in small bricks and with a plastered wooden barrel vault.The church is partly white-washed (tower, apse and porch) and the roofs are tiled (apse has a leaden roof).   

A new oak communion table (1952) with carved and gilt biblical motifs, made by the sculptor Aksel Theilmann. A three-part altarpiece with biblical paintings by Eileen Hoffman-Bang 1945. The chalice is given in 1706 by Thyge Jespersen and Anne Mikkelsdatter. Altar candelabres from 1936, a pair of candlesticks from 1574 with the initials and coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow were retained at Mattrup (manor) for a long time. A Romanesque granite font with a rope winding under the edge. A baptismal dish in Nürnberg-type (ab. 1550-1600). A brickwork-pulpit, probably from the rebuild of the church in 1591. The pulpit is carried by a bricked pillar and a limestone-plate; it once had frescoe-painted decorations from the Baroque-period, but it was in 1961 decorated with new frescoe-paintings by Ingolf Røjbæk. The gables of the pews are from 1591, the upper pews have the coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow. To the west is a organ gallery. A bell from 1591 with the coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow. 

At the northern wall of the choir is a large epitaph in limestone with portrait figures (5 adults and 4 children) for rigshofmester Ejler Hardenberg (+ 1565), his sons Stygge, Korfits and Erik (with Erik's wife Anne Rønnow and three daughters Karine, Rigborg and Berete) and daughter Kirstine. At the southern wall an epitaph in various marble-colours made by Johs. Wiedewelt for justitsråd Emanuel Thygesen of Mattrup (+ 1764) and with a portrait bust. Under the choir a bricked burial vault with 37 coffins with the families Hardenberg and Thygesen (Thygeson).

Mattrup å river

Tranholm with more than 30 farms was sold to queen Margrethe I in ab. 1406 by rigsråd Johan Skarpenberg. The castle was broken down, and from the estate was established T. vasalry, which Svend Torbernsen (Udsen) in 1467 had from the Crown as a pawn. The pawn was released in 1490 by Erik Stygge (Rosenkrantz), who owned it until his death in 1535, whereafter it went to hr. Ejler Hardenberg (+ 1565) and his son Erik Hardenberg, who in 1573 by exchange with the Crown became the owner of T., which after this followed Mattrup, and from 1670 Væbnersholm (Våbensholm), and in 1688 came to the Crown. The Crown conveyed T. in 1695 to Tyge Jespersen of Mattrup, again in 1721 to Christian Fischer of Allinggård, later of Mattrup.

Peder Mikkelsen sold Flåris to Mikkel Nielsen (Tornekrans);  who in 1455 conveyed it to Christian Jensen. He could in 1462 buy a brotherpart in F. from Terkel Jensen. In 1504 Niels Christensen conveyed a brotherpart to Peder Jensen. In 1560 the Crown exchanged F. to Ejler Hardenberg, and the farm shared fate with above mentioned Tranholm. In 1836 F. was transferred to private ownership.

At Nørskovgård lived Anne Cathrine Ahlefeldt (widow after Corfitz Ulfeld of Mattrup) and her daughters in extreme poverty; Margrethe Ulfeld died in 1713, Anna Margrethe Ulfeld in 1734. At Sønderskovgård lived in 1737 Cecilie Elisabeth Scharffenberg, widow after an oberstløjtnant Zeuerkelles.

Stigsholm lake with islet

Tranholm was placed upon a bank, earlier surrounded by water-filled moats, at Mattrup å. (river) Monk bricks have been found at the bank. Until 1906 was here a farm Tranholmgård, which foundations are still visible.
Upon the small flat islet in Stigsholm sø (lake) was according to legend a castle. There are no immediate . traces.

Skade is mentioned already in 1497 as a vicarage. Skade kirke is probably the same as Klovborg kirke, it is mentioned in 1492.  

In the parish was the farm Ælsgård (1504 Ælsgardh).

Listed prehistorics: 13 hills, one: Storhøj, is in a group of 3 at Rishedegård, it is rather large. In Tranholm plantation lies a group of 4 hills.
Demolished or destroyed:  74 hills.

In Bavnehøj were found two gilt bronze pieces from late Iron Age.

Settlements from Gudenåkulturen are known from Stigsholm and Halle søer (lakes). In Vejle mose (moor) were found a couple of bronze necklaces from late Bronze Age, a couple alike, but thinner, were found at Dalsgård, at Skade were found some early Roman period claypot burials and at Velgårde a burial site from early and late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s: 
Klovborg (1. half of 1400s Kloburgh, 1453 Klabwrgh); Gribstrup (1. half of 1400s Grybstorp, 1455 Gripstropp);  Skade (1. half of 1400s Skadet); Nørskov (1576 Nørskof); Flåris (1455 Floriis); Dalsgårde (1688 Dalsgaard); Tranholm (1. half of 1400s Traneholm gardh, 1455 Tranholm); Velgårde (1573 Velgaard); Tirsvad (1. half of 1400s Tiiswath); Malund (1455 Madelund, 1458 Lille Matheklund, Store Madelund).

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.   


photo 2002: grethe bachmann

     

Sdr. Stenderup church / Sdr. Stenderup kirke, Nørre Tyrstrup herred, Vejle amttland, Vejle amt.

Sønder Stenderup parish with many castle banks and small manors. 

Sdr. Stenderup Church, Nørre Tyrstrup herred, Vejle amt.

The large church in Sønder Stenderup has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave with a late Gothic western tower and a porch west of the tower, probably from 1869. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a faintly marked, double plinth. The northside is almost untouched, where the nave has three, the choir two round arched windows. The other walls are very re-built, especially in a thorough repair in 1869, when the apse was rebuilt and the roof of the choir lifted in the same height as the nave. The apse has inside a late Gothic rib vault, while choir and nave have flat plaster-ceilings with stucco-decorations from 1869. The choir arch was removed. The late Gothic tower has a cross-vaulted bottom room with a pointed tower arch and a pyramid spire. The other parts of the tower are on the southside rebuilt in 1806 with iron anchers and initials of Chr. VII and C.W. von Ahlefeldt etc.

The altar piece is a joinery , probably from 1869, with a painting. Some apostel figures and a small crucifix, which is a fine carving from ab. 1500, all from an abandoned altar piece are kept in the church. The figures of the crucified robbers are in the museum at Koldinghus, while some other figures of Mary, Sct. Antonius and two bishop-saints are at the National Museum. The chalice is from ab. 1850, probably given by parish priest Johannes Petersen. Three pairs of altar candelabres: 1) very heavy early Renaissance ab. 1575 2) 1794, given by Jess Hansen Beck; 3) from 1886. Besides a fine early Gothic choir arch crucifix from ab. 1300 or a little earlier. A couple of side figures from ab. 1400 are in the museum at Koldinghus. A Romanesque granite font, smooth basin upon a circular foot with archades. A smooth copper bowl from the 1700s. A pulpit in neo-Renaissance, probably from 1869. A simple Renaissance-pulpit from 1618 is in the museum at Koldinghus. By the western and northern walls are galleries. Some plaster-reliefs by Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen, pre-works of the kathoveddør (cat's head door) in Ribe Cathedral, were given to the church in 1922 by the artist and placed on the walls.  Bells: 1) 1886, by P.P. Meilstrup, re-cast from a bell from 1793 by Gamst; 2) 1901, by L. Andersen, Aarhus from a bell from 1701, Claus Rasmussen, Husum.  

Sdr. Stenderup, view from church yard.

in church yard

Many small manors in the parish:
Catrinebjerg , built 1923, threewinged, red bricks, whitewashed details. Owners: Jes Sørensen ( + 1818), Paul Tonnesen, 1883 Peter Chr. Juel Bogh, 1909 N.P. Stenderup, 1940 J.J. Bech.

Tygesminde, built 1873, red walls with decorative details. Owners: 1855 P.J. Brodersen, 1899 baron Preben Charles Bille-Brahe-Selby, 1908 Nis Schrøder-Jørgensen, 1938 H.C. Buhl, 1944 C.Vestergaard Frandsen, 1949 H.K.Madsen, 1950 captain L.K. Pay, 1957 count W. Schulin-Zeuthen.

Lykkesgård, built 1858-62, yellow Flensborg-bricks in carved granite ashlars with several decorative details. Facade painted white with grey details, other walls are yellow and blank. Owners: 1697 Jes Madsen, 1720 Anker Hansen, 1743 the son Hans Andersen, 1762 Jes Mikkelsen, 1800 Jes Thygesen, 1838 the son Jes Thygesen, 1886 his son cand. jur. Jes Thygesen (+ 1910) , 1912 O.L. Juhl, 1959 his son H.C. Juhl.

Lauridsminde, bilt ab. 1860, bricked, whitewashed. Owners: Laurids Poulsen, 1803 his son-in-law Hans Johansen, 1825 his son Laurids Hansen, 1857 his son Christian Christoffersen Bramsen, 1885 his son Laurids Hansen Bramsen and 1924 his son Christian Bramsen, 1948 the sons L. and A.C. Bramsen.

Juelsminde, built 1883, red bricks, one floor above high cellar. Owners: from 1723 the family Juhl, 1875 Claus Jensen Juel  (+ 1891), 1910 the son J.P.Juel, 1939 the son-in-law K.K.Back (+ 1940), 1940 his widow fru I.Back.

Fensbjerggård built 1864-66, large yellow washed at the edge of  Nørreskov. Owners: Jep Lauesen Beck, 1894 the son Christian Lauesen Frost , 1937 H. Andreasen (+ 1946), 1946 the son K.E.Andreasen.   

Varmarkgård built ab. 1800, large, whitewashed. Owners: 1818 Jep Pagh, 1839 Frederik Petersen, 1893 the son Anker Petersen, 1912 H.C.Juhl, 1913 R.P.Juhl, 1924 konsul A.C. Gjørding, 1928 graduate in agriculture K.W. Framming, 1941 J.O. Juhl (+ 1948), 1948 his daughter L. Juhl.

Stenderup Vargård (1564 Vargaard) belonged to Hartvig Smalsted ( ab. 1482) and the son Timme Smalsted, whose sister Helvig was m. to Anders Ebbesen (Ulfeld) (+ 1523). The farm came to their son Jost Andersen (Ulfeld) (+ 1563), whose son-in-law Mads Eriksen Vasspyd 1585 exchanged the farm to the Crown. 

Jens Pedersen of Stenderup is mentioned in1315. Birkefoged (bailiff) Jens Hugger owned in 1519 some land in S. and was in 1523 given Stenderupgaard by Frederik II. In1787 S. belonged to C.L.Zoega (+ 1829),  then to his widow Christiane Sophie Erichsen, from 1832 to J.C.Thygesen, then to his son P. Thygesen (+ 1888), and from 1894 to his son J.C. Thygesen, who 1913 sold it to P Juhl. In 1918 S. was sold by Ravn to Hansen, but P. Juhl bought it again. In 1922 it was sold to H. Wilckens, whose son G.P. Wilckens took it over in 1953. - The white washed main building was built 1807 by C.L. Zoega.

The closely built together Stenderup village burnt down in a violent fire 27 June 1807, which started at Stenderupgård; after this moved many large farms out and were rebuilt in their fields.

Skinkelsborg birk (judicial district). In 1407 bought queen Margrethe Skinkelsborg (1407 Skinkelsborgh, Skinkelborgh) from Claus Limbek. The farm had earlier been owned by Henneke Skinkel. 11. June 1442 was Eggert Frille endowed with Skinkelsborg vasalry. Still in the 1500s was the area a special vasalry, to which in 1542/1543 belonged some estate in Sdr. Stenderup, Agtrup, Sdr. Bjert, Binderup, Skartved, Strårup and Rebæk. In 1518 was the area a special birk (judicial district).

Many castle banks in the parish: 
In the moor ab. 650 m west-south-west of Lykkesgaard lies the (earlier large) medieval castle bank Skinkelsborg, which has been ploughed for many years. It has gradually been levelled. It is an irregular,  square castle bank ( ab. 58 x 53 m and earlier ab. 4 m high). To the north divided by a narrow moat is a lower bank , ab. 38 x 25 m, up to 2 m high. To the west is a border of meadows, while the other sides are surrounded by an up to 10 m broad moat, and outside by an up to 12 m broad damn. Outside this is the swampy moor, except to the northeast, where a 7 m broad, outer moat cuts off the plan by a natural rise in the meadow. Here are found rests of bricks.

The castle bank Borgsted Bakke (upon Griese's map from 1718-17 named Stensborg) lies by the coast ab. 700 m southeast of Rønshoved. It is a rounded-off castle bank, diameter ab. 25 m, placed outermost on the cliff towards the beach, a dry pit surrounds it on the landside and continues down to the beach protecting it on both sides with a steep natural slope. In the northern part of the bank was according to tradition  a place for canons in 1864.

By the beach, ab. 350 m north of Skovridergaarden lies another castle bank, placed in a natural edge of land stretching out towards the coast. The almost rectangular castle bank is to one side protected by a natural slope down to the beach, while a 3 m deep dry moat is laid out to the other sides. The top area of the bank is a little hollow and has some strange circular forward corners towards the landside.

In the northeastern outskirt of Sønderskov, about 200 m southwest of Dorthealund, lies the castle bank Husvold. A landtongue, which once stretched to the east out into the almost dry beach meadow, has been isolated from the higher placed land to the west by a large, originally water-filled L-shaped moat. This created  an almost triangular castle area (diameter ab. 60 x 70 m). The out-digged earth from the moat has been put up as banks on both sides of this castle area. The plan almost gives the impression of a prehistoric bygdeborg. ( a castle for a settlement).

From Stenderup Hage went the Swedish troops 30 January1658 across the ice over Lillebælt to Fønsskov.
Stenderup village burnt down in 1591. In Sdr. Stenderup burnt on 27. June 1807 21 farms and 36 houses and the vicarage. By the vicarage was a sacred well, Stenkilde.  


Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Sdr. Stenderup (1304 Stenthorp); Gammel Ålbo (1649 Gammelahlbode).

Listed prehistorics: 4 long dolmens, a dolmen chamber and 34 hills, mostly placed in the statsskovene (forests belonging to the State), the largest is a two-chambered long dolmen with a cover-stone near Skovridergaarden. Two large hills lie in the forest close to Fensbjerghus and in the garden of Kongens Hørgård.
Demolished or destroyed: a long dolmen, a round dolmen, 2 long hills and 70 hills.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt. 1964.

photo 11 August 2009: 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.

Skærvad, Djursland, East Jutland, Randers amt,

Skærvad, ab. 10 km west of Grenå
Ginnerup sogn, Djurs Nørre herred, Randers amt.

Hr. Ture Knudsen of the family Dyre died ab. 1385; he owned Skærvad together with another nobleman by the name of Vilhelm Svave , but had before his death transferred it to queen Margrethe, who in 1386 conveyed it to hr. Jens Andersen of the later wellknown nobility family Brock from Gammel Estrup. He had contrary to his mother Johanne Brock supported Valdemar Atterdag and even been his drost for a while. Queen Margrethe undoubtedly trusted him, and Erik of Pommern confirmed her deed in the year 1400. Jens Andersen died in 1408, and his estates were shared among the heirs. When his son Jens Jensen was killed in 1404, Skærvad came to his son Lave Jensen Brock, who died in 1435; he also owned Clausholm. This farm came with Skærvad to the son Axel Lavesen Brock. Axel Lavesen was not the sole owner of Skærvad, hr. Svend Udsen had also a share, which with his daughter came to her husband hr. Niels Munk (Bjælke-Munk) of Sostrup and Brusgaard (died ab. 1460). Axel Lavesen bought him out in 1455 after having rented out Skærvad a year before to the væbner Niels Munk of Ballebo. Hr. Axel had probably manor enough in the much more prosperous Clausholm - furthermore he owned the manor Græsegård at Sjælland. Skærvad was already in the Middle Ages a secondary manor, where the owners almost never lived.

Hr. Axel Lavesen Brock died 1498 as rigsråd and one of this period's greatest landowners; his only child Pernille Axelsdatter Brock had already died, her husband Albrecht Engelbrechtsen of the family Bydelsbak had also died; but their daughter Mette Albrechtsdatter Bydelsbak inherited Skærvad among much else estate and was the last member of the family Bydelsbak, when she died in 1513. She left heirs in her marriage with the very famous rigsråd and rigens hofmester (master at court) hr. Mogens Gjøe, they had not less than 7 children. The large estate was now being spread. One of the children, fru Elline Gjøe made a fine memory for her parents in 1552 by collecting letters in a jordebog (= with description of estates) , named "Eline Gøyes jordebog" with informations about Skærvad. When comparing other farms it is obvious that Skærvad (the economy) was at least fourfold a large peasant-farm . The original Skærvad was situated at Skærvad Mill, where a castle bank with a moat and outside this another bank is traceable. Here was in the 1700s the bailiff's house, while a half-timbered four-winged farm was east of this; old fish ponds bear also witness of earlier buildings.


Skærvad came to Eline's sister Ide Gjøe, who by marriage brought it to Otte Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Næsbyholm; he died 1557, fru Ide in 1563. Skærvad was inherited by the daughter Sophie Rosenkrantz, who died in 1571; she was survived by her husband, rigsråd Jakob Enevoldsen Seefeld of Visborggård, who died 1599 after in 1586 having bought the manor Sostrup, whic was situated in the same herred as Skærvad. The son Enevold Seefeld owned Skærvad in the first time, then his brother Hans Seefeld, who in 1608 also achieved Sostrup. He sold the farms in 1612 and 1613 to rigsmarsk Jørgen Skeel, who via his marriage to Jytte Brock got part in hr. Eske Brock's large estate, first of all Gammel Estrup with additional peasant-estate. Jørgen Skeel died 1631, Jytte Brock in 1640. Their son Christen Jørgensen Skeel inherited the large estate, where Skærvad was only a smaller main farm, but it came with Sostrup for a long time."Go together like Sostrup and Skærvad" was and expression which probably came from this. The legend says that Hans Seefeld gambled these farms away.

After Christen Skeel the Rich's death in 1688 the son Jørgen Skeel inherited the two farms together with much other estate, which after his death in 1695 came to his son Christen Skeel , who was born in his father's year of death. He founded a grevskab (county) Scheel from the main farms Sostrup, Skærvad, Ørbækgård and Skjern with additional peasant-estate. After this the family in this line called themselves Scheel. The son Jørgen greve Scheel took since over the grevskabet (county); he achieved the highest positions and titles inside the court, and died in 1786. He was probably the one who built the present half-timbered buildings. The county came at his death in 1786 to his paternal grandson Jørgen; the son Christian greve Scheel had died in 1771 as Danish minister in Skt. Petersborg. Grev Jørgen was still under age, but later drew attention to himself by his extravagance and his unwise economy; he is portrayed in a book " En Greve." (author: Hugo Matthiessen). He succeeded in destroying the county after it had existed ab. 100 years.


Both Sostrup and Skærvad was bought by the Danish State, and in 1829 the State conveyed the two manors together with Ørbækgård for 230.000 rigsbankdaler silver to ritmester (captain of horse) Jacob von Benzon. In 1829 was established a new entailed estate named Benzon. Skærvad was in 1840 sold to Chr. Fr.O.v. Benzon, who had the estate a few years only. After some changes of ownership Skærvad came in 1856 to the brothers Christian Frederik Carøe and grosserer Johan Fr. Carøe. Chr. Fr. Carøe took care of the farm management and lived there. He was a skilled and progressive farmer who in his time as a lessee in Vendsyssel had introduced the first threshing machine in 1848 in Vendsyssel. Skærvad was now known for its fine stock of pure Jutland dairy cattle and its fine malt barley. He was one of the leading farmers of the district and the education of young farmers at Skærvad was highly valued, a large circle of these raised a memorial stone for him in Skærvad skov. After this his brother Joh. Fr. Carøe owned the farm, but died already in 1893, and it was taken over by his children, grossererne Nicolai and Carl Johan Carøe, Reverend Martin Carøe and Augusta Christiane Trock-Jansen, née Carøe. In 1912 it was sold to proprietær J.Skriver. In 1920 it was sold to Randers Amts Udstykningsforening (Union for outparcelling), which in 1921 let outparcel 17 small-holdings from Skærvad's land. More outparcelling was done later. Owner in 1957 fru G. Bøystrup.

owners today: Lone and Bror Moldrup

Skærvads web-site:
The farm was in 2006-2008 renovated and rebuilt by Lone Moldrup. The rebuild includes a large riding ground-plan and a manor-stable. From one of the old buildings, where Lone Moldrup in 2007 decided to replace most of the timber framing and the roof - there is a view to the old castle bank, the terraces, the path-system and the old carp ponds, which gave fresh fish to the castle during the winter season.


foto Skærvad Marts 2009: grethe bachmann

Gammellund, Mors, North Jutland, Thisted amt.

Gammellund, ab. 20 km southwest of Nykøbing Mors
Øster Assels sogn, Morsø Sønder herred, Thisted amt.

Gammellund is is now situated far from the beaten track on the southernest tip of the island Mors, where the hills end in the salt beach meadows along the coast of Limfjorden. The farm is now unimpressive and outparcelled, but it was once a grand place. Lund or Lundegård was the king's permanent castle, placed by the important arterial road (adelvejen = nobility road), leading from Thyholm through Mors, first across Tambo Sound to Jegindø, next a short sailing trip to Hester Odde at Mors. Between Sillerslev Øre and Nymølle in Salling was a ferry route of importance.

There were often feuds about the disposals of the ferry routes among the inhabitants in north and south - in 1598 Henrik Below of Spøttrup tried in vain to prevent the vasal at Lund, Thomas Fasti, in using the ferry at Nymølle (belonged to Spøttrup) - and as late as ab. 1850 Gammellund's owner fought with the Jegindø- commoners about the ferry-privilege. The first historically known owner of Lund, hr. Johan Gotskalksen Skarpenberg, who wrote himself of the farm in 1404, had a large estate south of the Limfjord, among others Spøttrup.


Salling, Nymølle nær færgested "Pinen og Plagen".

The large, overgrown castle bank, which is in the garden just north of the farm, reminds of the vanished greatness of Lund. The bank rises steep from the moat, which had an outer bank on three sides. The fourth bank is levelled, measuring ab. 80 x 53 m and was by a cross moat divided in two. This is a so-called castrum-curia plan, which had its actual fortification upon a lesser, now out-digged northeastern bank, while the buildings were at the large southwestern bank, which was with buildings until 1818. The earliest buildings were probably wood- or half-timbered houses, although bricks have been found, but the plan must be from before Skarpenberg's time.

The Skarpenberg family was one of several North German magnate-families, who came to Denmark in the 14th century, when the Holstein princes infiltrated the Nordic countries. Hr. Johan's father Gotskalk Skarpenberg had via marriage to Niels Bugge's daughter Elisabeth (Lisbeth) achieved a large estate. Spøttrup and Højriis belonged to the estate, which hr. Johan sold, but he was also said to have lost Lund. According to legend he had to give his estate to the Crown and escape land and kingdom , because he had burnt down a royal castle. It is doubtful, if there is any historical base of this, for Skarpenberg was one of the mightiest men in the kingdom and one of queen Margrethe's most trusted men. He is probably mentioned as a rigsråd in 1417, but was dead four years later and buried in Viborg cathedral. But his estate at Mors made later up a royal vasalry with own judicial rights, which included Vester and Øster Assels parish. In 1605 was Jegindø parish added.


Salling, Spøttrup Castle

In 1651 were Lund plus Bustrup in Salling laid out to two of the Crown's creditors, two brother's-in-law, Hamburg-merchants Albert Baltzer Berns and Leonhard Marselis. When Bern's daughter Elisabeth in 1654 married her father's earlier trainee and later partner, admiralitetsråd Poul Klingenberg, she probably brought Lund to him. Klingenberg was ennobled in 1669 - he belonged to those creditors of the Crown, who after 1660 by lay out was given much estate (Dueholm, Hanerau), and he bought himself more estate (Højriis, Ørum). Beyond his business he went into the government service in an active way and reorganized the mail services. But it proved, that he overreached himself and had too much bad estate; besides he was involved in transactions leading to lawsuits, which finally brought him on the verge of bankruptcy. Five years before his death he had in 1685 to give up the mail services, but he transferred at the same time Lund, Højriis and Ørum as a maternal inheritance to his only son, Poul von Klingenberg; thus it was saved for the family.


Mors, Gammellund, castle bank

In 1724 more than 40% of the peasant-estate at Mors still belonged to the Klingenberg-family, but Lund was hardly inhabited. Both the young Poul von Klingenberg (+ 1723) and his son, etatsråd Frederik Christian von Klingenberg, resided at Højriis. The last mentioned's widow, Anne Cathrine von Bülow married in 1751 oberst Philip Gotfred von Samitz, and the following year was built a new main building at Lund, a four-winged, half-timbered building plan with tailed roofs. Samitz died in 1762, his widow a year after, whereafter Lund and Blistrup plus taxes and peasant-estate were sold to kancelliråd Thomas Thomsen Lund at Grinderslev Kloster.

Thomas Lund is one of more interesting owners. He was born in 1727 at the manor Slumstrup, and he first speculated in estate-trading, before he came to Mors. He was an energetic farmer - there are legends about him as a "peasant-tormentor". The ghost of the one-legged "Thomas Pileben" (pile = dart off) is still riding his horse between Øster Assels and Gammellund, and in 1805 was written that his name was still mentioned in fear. But the management of the farm was improved, and in 1768 he built a solid farmbuilding. He also established tileworks, limeworks and a faience- and stoneware factory, founded by royal privilege as the first outside Copenhagen. But in spite of good materials and sales' conditions the factory became a big disappointment, and he died a ruined man in 1777. Already before his death estate and factory were at auction, but it was his widow, who in 1778 sold to Hans Meulengracht and Saxo Aschanius.


Mors, landscape

The new owners continued the factory-work, but this only lasted for a short time. In 1784 Meulengracht left the partnership, and it seems the work had come to a stop. The factory building is still mentioned in 1798 in a fire-evaluation. Aschanius died in 1788, and his widow sold six years later the estate to two estate-speculators, landsdommerne Peter Severin Fønss and Henrik Johan de Leth, who sold out more than 300 *tønder hectare peasant-estate, whereafter they in 1798 let the rests pass on to Viborg's byfoged Thomas Wissing. In 1804 he achieved royal permission to divide the manor in two parcels, Lund and Peterslund,which had happened already the previous year.

Lund now went from hand to hand; in 1818 Chr. Jacobsen of Hegnet took over the property, which was divided once again, since the parcel Katrinelund was laid out. From here was Nylund later laid out. Oberst v. Samitz' main building was broken down, and the living quarters were moved away from the old castle bank. An earlier horse stable and cart shed, which were placed at Thomas Lunds farm building, were now farmhouse. This simple white-washed building still stands, while the big barn from 1768 burnt down in 1945.
Gammellund, which the strongly reduced main parcel is called, was sold in 1818 to Chr. Jacobsen's son-in-law Søren de Stiernholm and came in 1823 to Christian Riis at Blistrup, who in 1846 gave it to his daughter's son, rigsdagsmand, justitsråd Johan Chr. Bonne, who had it until 1880. The estate changed owner a few times, until it was sold to J. Jensen in 1929. Large tracts were out-parcelled in 1936, and Gammellund was now just a farm of 70 *tønder land, which in 1966 belonged to Laurits Jensen.

* 1 tønde land = ab. 0,55 hectare = 5.516,2 m²

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, Nordvestjylland, 1966, ved arkivar Flemming Jerk.


photo 2002/2007: grethe bachmann.

Boller Castle, East Jutland, Vejle amt.

Boller Castle, 6 km east of Horsens
Uth sogn, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

The earliest known owner of Boller is Otte Limbek, he is in 1350 written to Boller and has, as one of the followers of the Holstein Grafs, become the owner of the manor; but Boller belonged in the end of the century to Mogens Munk (Bjælke-Munk), queen Margrethe's trusted man. In spite of this it seems they had a break , for after Mogens Munk was killed in a fight with the Holsteiners in 1410, the queen was accused of having taken his furniture and personal property at Boller; this was later given back to his brother. But earlier had queen Margrethe, according to the family books, intervened in Mogens Munk's fate, since she had forced jomfru Kirsten Pedersdatter Thott from Næs - who else was meant to be Mogens Munk's wife - to marry Jep Mus, who kidnapped her from Bosø kloster and married her in Helsingborg. This deed cost Jep Mus' his life, Mogens Munk killed him, and jomfru Kirsten moved into Boller as Mogens Munk's wife.

Mogens Munk and Kirsten Pedersdatter had three daughters. Anne, called "the haughty", married rigsråd Henrik Knudsen Gyldenstierne, who was rich in estate and by this marriage also became landlord at Boller, which he by exchange of property in 1444 increased with Dagnæs village. Fru Anne survived her husband and owned Boller until her death; in 1452 the farm with the belonging, considerable estate in the districts by Horsens went to their daughter Sophie Henriksdatter Gyldenstierne and her husband Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Bjørnholm.

By this marriage Boller came into the ownership of the famous family Rosenkrantz for more than 150 years. With his far and wide estates (ab. 800 peasant farms) must Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz undoubtedly have been one of the richest men in the country. He gave the management of Boller to his son Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz, who is mentioned for the first time in 1485 and already at that point is written of Boller; nine years later hr. Erik conveyed the farm with belonging property to his son, and after Holger Eriksen's death in 1496 his father let - with authority from his other sons Niels and Henrik and his daughters' husbands - in 1499 issue a new letter, where Boller - while Erik still lived (he died in 1503) - was laid out to Holger Eriksen's children and their heirs, who then owned the estate forever.



Holger Rosenkrantz was married twice. With Margrethe Flemming he had the son Otte, with Anne Meinstrup, "fru Anne Holgers" - first court lady of three Danish queens, known for her masterful manners and tragic death - he had the son Holger. Otte Holgersen Rosenkrantz, who since 1508 had owned Boller, died together with his wife of plague in Lübeck in 1525 and left 6 children. His father's halfbrother Holger Holgersen Rosenkrantz got the guardianship, which did not last long, but it was mostly a way to secure the brother's children the so-called "Norwegian inheritance", which was about 1/24 of Norway's owed land, and the guardianship had not yet finished, when he was killed in the battle at Svenstrup in 1534. A message from Johan Friis to Anders Sørensen Vedel makes it obvious that the terrors of the civil war also had been close to Boller. The peasant-army attacked the fortificated Boller.

In the meantime were Otte Holgersen Rosenkrantz' children grown-up, and in 1537 the guardianship went to the oldest brother, Holger Ottesen Rosenkrantz, who was born in 1517. He had just returned after an education abroad and was now full-time occupied by taking care of the family estate. Holger Rosenkrantz is mentioned of Boller in 1540, when he gave Christian III a money supply, and from 1548 he took permanent residence at Boller after having married Mette Krognos. But he was not the sole owner until 1551 after various family matters about exchange and inheritance had been solved. The farm had now achieved an owner, whose name shows everywhere in the history of that time, in politics and diplomacy, in administration and military, and also at court, and with a close personal relation to the king. He was appointed governor in Nørrejylland (1567-1575) and he was Danmarks Riges marsk (military top chief) until 1573.

In connection to his collecting estate Holger Rosenkrantz was allowed to place the villages Tyrsted, Ustrup and Nedergård and a farm Rold under Boller birk (judicial district); he got jus patronatus of Tyrsted and Uth church and in 1574 a gift letter of Sejet church, the church land etc. and allowance to break down the church to re-use the materials for his parish church in Uth. He started some building work on both Boller and at another property, Rosenvold, but death interrupted his plans. He probably only achieved to build the northern house at Boller. He was a man, who wanted to help others, he let buy and place books in Uth, Tyrsted and Hatting church, and in his position as a vasal at Bygholm he established Horsens hospital and made the king give favours; he also gave some estate - which his parents had founded for masses in Mariager kloster - to the hospital, since the masses were now abandoned; he set up five beds at the hospital with rights for himself and his heirs to choose them for poor people. The old inventory from Skt. Hans kloster at Horsens - which he by a special royal favour was allowed to keep - was given to the hospital.


With many important state assignments, as the owner of widespread and rich estate and with his good relations to the king he had a prominent position in the social life of that period. From what is told about him is it obvious that he was a Renaissance man. He did not spend much of his time at his estate Boller, even his son Otte Christoffer's birth and a younger son's baptism were celebrated elsewhere. He died at Bygholm in 1575 and was brought to Boller, where he was buried in his parish church in Uth. His wife Karen Gyldenstierne, whom he had married in 1568, was an active and energetic lady, but also somewhat stubborn and self-assured, her authoritity often turned into aggression. She managed the estate during her son's underage years with a firm hand.

First of all she wanted to find a resting place for her husband, befitting his rank - the strong Renaissance sense of the undying fame. The year after his death she let Uth old church break down and let build a new three-naved church; she decorated it with the impressive, characteristic painting of Holger Rosenkrantz, herself and their four sons, and she let set up the beautiful altar piece. She increased the family estate via numerous exchange of property, and Boller's and Rosenvold's adjoining land grew fast. She had given her sons the best of educations and in wise dispositions she had managed for each of them that they could enter a large estate with widespread adjoining land and a perfect finished main building. After in 1585 having re-built Rosenvold, she finished in 1588 the main building at Boller, which is told at the inscription-tablets on both manors. She - "fru Karen Holgers" - had now taken care of her closest family, and after Otte Christoffer had become of age and took over Boller as a married man, she could now withdraw to the rich Skt. Hans kloster, which her husband had achieved in 1575. She re-created it into Stjernholm, a name she decided herself.

However she was still active and energetic, and she became a difficult and expensive neighbour of the citizens of Horsens town. They probably felt relieved, when she died in 1613 and was brought from Horsens to the family burial in Uth church. Her last years were troublesome. Her son Frederik was in 1599 given a hard punishment for his relationship to Rigborg Brockenhuus and died three years later in exile. Also Otte Christoffer Rosenkrantz was a troublemaker. His richness turned completely his head, he spent money for splendour and glory, and he was involved in raising loans at high interests and lost great sums. He contracted debts, and raised loans and contracted debts etc. etc...... When he died was only Boller left from his large and rich estate, and his debts were 100.000 rigsdaler, an enormous sum at that time. His finansial transactions were a pathetic counter-example of his father and mother's strong, deserving administration.



The ill-treated Boller manor was still in danger. The creditors from Holstein threatened to take the estate, and Otte Christoffer's heirs, the son Holger and three daughters, were in such a difficult position that they sold the estate in 1621 to fru Ellen Marsvin, and at the same time they came under some administration in order to secure that the interests of the debts were paid with the interests of the purchase price. This was a painful getting through. Both Boller and Rosenvold had vanished from the ownership of the family Rosenkrantz only eight years after the death of the rich Karen Gyldenstierne, and the new owner, who was a widow after Ludvig Munk of Nørlund (+1602), could join an imposant estate to her other considerable properties.

She did not own Boller and Rosenvold for many years, and she had to give it up under sad circumstances, caused by her own flesh and blood. The break between her daughter, Kirsten Munk and Christian IV caused among other things that the king after in vain having asked for Boller and Rosenvold commanded Ellen Marsvin "without any trouble" to give the estates to her daughter. Nothing is known why the king had disposal of the estates, as if he was the owner; perhaps had he given Ellen Marsvin money to buy Boller and Rosenvold for her daughter instead of another promise about a vasalry, but the order of cession was from 1. May 1630. Ellen Marsvin had to follow order, but tried to rescue as much as possible for herself, she took both the large furniture and movables, and broke down from the building what she could bring with her.

Chr. IV wanted in this way to stop his mistress Kirsten Munk from making trouble. When she left the king in January 1630 she went from one family to another in order to intrigate; the king intervened and put a stop to it by the mentioned arrangement, and he also referred to that it was harmful to their children that she behaved like this. Furthermore he had given her the promised vasalry, and on 13. April Kirsten Munk arrrived at Boller castle. The day after her arrival she wrote to bishop Morten Madsen in Århus, who had been a teacher for her children, that God had really to help her, for there was a terrible mess and filth at Boller, and she asked him to bring duvets and sheets, for there were only a "little to eat and nothing to sleep on". But it seems she soon got things into shape in her forced residence, for the king later wrote that "she is sitting at Boller and Rosenvold like a mighty princess".

She was not allowed to leave the two manors, but partly was the king's ban later relieved, and partly she went on various travels without permission, which meant house arrest for her at Boller under close guard. After some strange interrogations of her about her relationships to the king and the Rheingraf she was in 1635 locked up at Stjernholm for several months. Her stay on a ship at Horsens was just as much against her will, when she had to flee from the Swedes, who were said to have stolen some of her possessions at Boller.


From the Japanese garden


From the fuchsia garden and the rose garden

The Japanese garden and the old oak tree.


From the rose garden

The ownership of the large estate, which Kirsten Munk had inherited from her mother, made her able to lead a carefree life economically. As a landowner she bought much land for the Boller-estate and established a hospital at Uth church, where the maintenance was ever since paid from Boller, and in 1635 she founded a capital for Horsens kloster church. She was told to be a pious and devout woman and a good landlady for her staff. In 1658 she had a stroke and sent for her favorite daughter Leonore Christine, who came to Boller, but she was not with her mother, when she died shortly after. Her body was brought to Sct. Knud's church in Odense.

Five years after Kirsten Munk's death Boller was still in the ownership of her heirs, but was then laid out to the important businessmen Albert Baltzer Berns and Leonhard Marselis as a payment for debts of her late son grev Valdemar Christian. In 1664 it went to Mogens Friis of Favrskov and Frijsenborg. In 1844 it came under this county, while the manor Rosenvold already in 1660 was out of its 100-year old connection to Boller by a sale to gehejmeråd, stiftamtmand Henrik Rantzau. In the owner-community with Frijsenborg Boller became a part of the county and lost its independent mark. Christine Sophie Reventlow, a widow after the county's second owner Niels Friis, had Boller and Møgelkær as a life-ownership. Its third owner Christian Friis decided in 1760 that the two manors had to be a dower house for man and woman, but they had to be administered from Frijsenborg.

Among later owners were i.e. greve Jens Christian Carl Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, who in 1849 took up residence at Boller after having given the northern part of the county to his son greve Christian Emil, who withdrew in 1882 to Boller, where he died in 1896. After this the manor had no permanent resident, and the main building was only used in huntings and other short visits from the county-owner and his family. After the county's transfer to free property in 1920 and lensgreve Mogens Friis' death in 1923 Boller was laid out with land and forests to his daughter lensgrevinde Agnes Louise Bernstorff-Gyldensteen. She sold the estate in 1930 to the Danish state.


The forests and the park were now "Boller Statsskovdistrikt", and the main parcel was sold to proprietær ("large farmer") Hans P. Andreasen. The rest of the land was outparcelled into small-holders. After a fire in 1937 the main parcel was also outparcelled into small-holders. The main building was sold by the state in 1930 to Sygekasserne (sick-benefit associations) in Horsens, Kolding and Skanderborg, an the castle was changed into a convalescense-home. The Sygekasserne sold in 1965 Boller castle to Horsens kommune (municipality).

The main building of Boller stands at its castle bank, surrounded by broad moats, but it is not marked by the first strong medieval castle-building or by the later fine castle or palace, but is more like a common manor, firmly plant upon the ground. The northern wing is the earliest. In its original look the large house had two storeys; there are no traces of towers. In the middle of the bottom storey is a hall, where the supporting pillars partly derive from a Romanesque church, and rests of Romanesque building-parts are found elsewhere in the main building. According to materials, walls and constructions the wing is late Gothic, maybe from ab. 1550 and maybe built by Holger Rosenkrantz. The materials from Sejet church was not only used at Uth church, but also at Boller.

On the eastern wing is an inscription, where Holger Rosenkrantz' widow fru Karen Gyldenstierne announces that she built this house in 1588. On both sides of the pillar-hall are Renaissance-vaults, and the eastern gable room is furnished into a kitchen with a monumental-chimney, one of the finest kitchen-rooms in any Danish manor. The two other wings are in their present look from the 18th century. During time they had become so dilapidated that they were rebuilt as new brick-built houses in 1759 with new, modern rooms. The entrance gate is at the west wing. The garden is very large and pretty. Among the sights worth seeing is a several centuries old oak. A lime tree was so big that Christian VIII, who in 1844 resided at Boller, is said to have set the table for 180 persons below the tree. It has now been cut down.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 15, Fra Århus til Kolding, 1967, "Boller" by museumsinspektør P. Westergård.


photo Boller slot 2002/2008: grethe bachmann

Østergård, Salling, North Jutland, Viborg amt.

Østergård, ab. 19 km north of Skive
Åsted sogn, Harre herred, Viborg amt.

Queen Margrethe I spent the first half of the year 1408 in Jutland, where she with a large entourage of trusted men went from place to place. Whereever she came, new crowds of clericals and secular gentlemen joined her entourage for a shorter or longer period, partly to bask themselves in her favour , partly to settle important business, which was not always of the most pleasant sort. In the month of January the queen stayed in the old royal town Viborg. From here she crossed Thy, where she guested Ørum castle and the now long gone Hillerslevhus - and after having visited Børglum Kloster she arrived in Hjørring in the month of March, from where she continued her travel south to Ålborg, Randers and Århus. At Midsummer-time queen Margrethe was back at Zealand, probably very satisfied with the achieved results. She had won back much royal estate, which was lost during the turbulent times, and she had secured the friendship of the clergy by giving them costy gifts.

Among those who had to show up at the meeting with the queen in Viborg was "Niels Mikkelsen of Nissum, a knight called Krabbe" - he probably did not meet up voluntarily, since he had much on his conscience. His men had broken the church-peace at Kobberup church, and he had himself together with his maternal uncle Niels Kaas and several others repeatedly broken the thing-peace on Fjends herreds Thing. (district-thing.) He therefore had to make amend, but the "the gracious Lady" let him go, if he gave her some estate in Fiskbæk and elsewhere, which unlawfully had been taken from the Crown. If hr. Niels could have lived for another 100 years, he would have enjoyed to see that one of his descendants, rigsmarsk hr. Tyge Krabbe won back this estate by not so fine means - his greatgrandfather would probably have liked that.

Hr. Niels Krabbe returned to Nissum very bad tempered, it was not the first time the queen had been pursuing him. His fortificated castle could not secure him against her and his mighty family neither. The castle was placed north in Salling. The theory is that the small square castle bank, rising steeply from the slope east of Hinnerup Å (river) at Åsted village, which later was called Holmshøj or Sallingholm castle, was his home. It is not easy to see, why he is called "from Nissum", since this village is placed upon the other side of the river and earlier was divided from Holmshøj by both a river and a meadow. From the castle bank a road dam leads northwest out into the meadows where still are seen weak rises ; here were found heavy, driven in poles - the rests of a pile castle, which might have been the successor of the castle bank inland.

The family Krabbe is old in Salling, where it besides Nissum or Østergård owned several manors, like Lundegård at the island Fur, Hostrup, Bustrup, to which the rigsmarsk (Tyge Krabbe) wrote himself, and several others, aldso Krabbesholm. Much indicates that the old members of the family was an unruly and violent flock, who reminded about the family Brock at Gammel Estrup. This nature is also recognizable in the family's most distinguished member Tyge Krabbe, but else made the family their mark by indisputable competence and later also by having spiritual interests. The family was connected to Nissum for a long period. Niels Mikkelsen Krabbe was hardly the first member of the family who lived there - the earlier generations are fairly known - but he wasn't the last. Both his son Morten Krabbe, who was a High Court Judge and owned a rich estate, (+ ab.1483), and his son Glob Krabbe, also named Lucas Krabbe, lived in Nissum, but the old castle was abandoned. Glob Krabbe established the farm (manor) Østergård south of Åsted upon the other side of the river and built the heavy Gothic building, which still stands today. It is one of few manor buildings from the time before the reformation, which has kept its look almost unchanged up till the present.


The manor was built upon a flat, square bank, surrounded by banks and moats, which were kept water-filled by dams. The building is four-winged and includes a small yard, only 8,75 m each square. It is built in late Gothic style in bricks upon a high plinth of raw granite boulder and with a cellar under the whole two-storeyed building. It is said that an inscription was upon a beam in the yard saying that Lucas Krabbe put down the first stone for this foundation in 1516. On the gables of the south wing were earlier a couple of hanging bays , possibly "hemmeligheder" (secrets = toilets). Behind the 2-3 feet thick walls the unruly Krabbes could feel secure towards wronged class companions and peasants. When the peasants in Grevefejden (civil war) ravaged in Salling and let "the red cock"crow (fire) on the castles of their oppressors, they probably also wished to chase the squire of Østergård away from his home, but if they tried to, they probably failed. Later was no need to have a fortificated castle like this, but banks and moats were kept until the 19th century. Now is only a small rest left.

Glob Krabbe died a few years after the reformation (1543)and was buried in Åsted church, where his wife was also buried, and where a head stone reminds them. He had feuds with his peasants till the end. Their son Iver Krabbe (+ 1561), who in his youth had the family's hot blood in his veins, became a rich man, rigsråd and the holder of several important vasalries. He and later his widow bought much estate in exchange with the Crown. This estate was situated near the farm, and he also achieved free birkeret (judicial rights) of all estate in the parish a year before his death. This right followed Østergård until 1688. He probably built the last two wings of the manor.

After his death his widow fru Magdalene Banner kept the farm, she followed her husband to the grave in 1597 and was buried by his side in Åsted kirke. She had given vaults and a new pulpit to the church. It seems that she before her death gave Østergård to her daughter Anne Krabbe, who from 1580 was widow after rigsråd Axel Viffert and later was married to Erik Kaas of Vorgård in Himmerland (+ 1598). She died childless in 1625, but the heirs did not accept the inheritance. Østergård was not taken over by strangers though, it came to her sister's daughter Otte Lindenov of Borreby's widow Anne Tygesdatter Brahe, (+ 1636), and when her son Otte Ottesen Lindenov's widow fru Vibeke Clausdatter Podebusk (+ 1645) - who had a livsbrev (ownerrights for life) on the farm - in 1639 married hr. Knud Ulfeldt of Svenstrup, who was killed in the war 1657, the farm came to him and then to his stepson, kammerherre Christian Lindenov,who was amtmand (district) in Norway and the last of the Krabbe-descendants who owned the old family-farm.


Åsted church

Østergård was in a bad state after the war; 9 farms in Nissum village were destroyed. Christian Lindenov pawned Østergård to the wellknown priest at Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen, magister Erik Olufsen Torm, whose widow Søster Worm, a daughter of the famous professor Ole Worm, in 1673 took over farm and estate, which was confirmed by the Supreme Court two years later. The saga of the old nobility was over, and middle-class families moved into Glob Krabbe's old castle. During the latest century it had often been uninhabited and neglected, sometimes owned by people, who lived far away, and sometimes by poor people, who could not pay their bills. Søster Worm managed the farm by a tenant, and after her death in 1685 it came to her son-in-law Jens Henriksen, but times were unfortunate, and he ended up in big debts. He had to pay his peasants with corn and give them horses. This was expensive and he never got anything back.

In 1694 Jens Henriksen had to give up. He sold Østergård to tenant Anders Hansen Høyer at Astrup. He was an indebted man, who had 19 children with three wives, whom he hardly could give food and clothes. He stayed however at the farm until his death in 1727, and the estate went to one of his creditors, the rich mayor Christen Jensen Basballe in Århus, who let it manage by a tenant for about 20 years. It was said that when he grew old, he was so stingy that corn and bullocks piled up at the farm, because he wanted over current price for both this and that. After his death Østergård had several owners. In 1758 it was sold to Niels Andersen Qvistgård.

Qvistgård died only 5 years later, and his widow Johanne Marie Batum brought the farm to her second husband Christian Kjærulff, who in vain tried to sell it. When both he and his wife had died in 1777 in Nykøbing (Mors), where they lived for several years, Østergård was bought by his stepsons Jens og Anders Nielsen Qvistgård. The last mentioned was sole owner in 1786, since Jens had bought a farm in Himmerland. Anders Qvistgård was dependent on alcohol and once caused a scandal when drunk in Åsted kirke, but else he was seemingly a solid Jutland farmer, who took care of his estate and tried to introduce improvements. In order to have disposal over the water - which run in abundance through his meadows and moors - he outbought at a costy expense the copyholder of Nissum Water Mill and let it replace by a wind mill. This showed to be a profit, but else were his improvements hardly radical enough.


Farm buildings close to Østergård, disfiguring the old medieval castle
The ferry to the island Fur north of Åsted and Østergård.

The farm was managed by villeinage until 1805, when all the estate was sold. The main part was already in Iver Krabbe's time in Åsted parish, another part in the neighbouring parishes. While the estate was still complete, the added tiender (taxes) changed all the time. Knud Ulfeldt had a couple of churches added to the farm in 1640, but they were lost in 1673. In 1699 Anders Høyer got a deed on Åsted kirke from the king, but this did not follow the farm permanently. Anders Qvistgård owned the kirketiender (church taxes) of Åsted and Nautrup parish and held the royal taxes of the same parishes, but in 1806 only the two churches were part of the farm. Anders Qvistgård died already in 1792; the following year farm and estate came on auction and sold to Thomas Thomsen of Vindum Overgård. He had moved to Jutland from Funen some years ago, and he gradually became the owner of several big farms in Jutland.

In the beginning of the following century it was told that Østergård, Eskjær and Astrup were the only manors in Salling with a dairy. Thomsen had been a co-owner of Eskjær, the other part belonged to his relative. In 1804 Thomsen sold the whole estate, for which he had paid 42.ooo rigsdaler, to three speculators, who paid 100.000 rigsdaler. After a royal licence they sold the copyhold-estate and let in 1806 the main farm and the taxes go back for 56.500 rigsdaler to the previous owner, who kept it until his death in 1823, after which the wellknown studefeder (he was making bullocks fat!) Nis Nissen of Spøttrup became the owner. After him followed kammerråd Hans Tørsleff (1836-46). During the next 100 years the farm had several owners: kammerherre Ernst Emil Rosenørn (1855-71), Johan Chr. Brinck-Seidelin (1871-85), Erik Oscar Julius Hedemann of Nyholm (1885-90), Vallø Stift, who sold it in 1906 to lieutenant Axel Lemming Froberg, who owned Østergård for more than 36 years , until he sold it in 1943 to greve Adam Cyrille Knuth, Hesselbjerg. In 1945 Østergård was bought by a consortium, where J.M.Skov became the sole owner. Owners in 1966 Kristen and Kjeld Skov.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, 1966, Nordvestjylland, Østergård, by arkivar, cand.mag. S. Nygård.

Østergård i dag:
In the summer 1998 was the Danish State ready to take over the very decayed buildings. Restorations started in June 2000 with an expected finish in the castle's 500 years jubilee in 2016!


photo Østergård og Åsted 2004: grethe bachmann