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

Visborg church / Visborg kirke and Visborggård, Hindsted herred, Aalborg amt.

Visborg Church, 4 km northeast of Hadsund
Visborg sogn, Hindsted herred, Aalborg amt

The impressive church in Visborg, situated upon a hill with a slope to the south and west,has a rather unusual building history, since the original Romanesque church is almost totally rebuilt during the Renaissance period. It has the rests of a Romanesque nave with a tower from the Reformation period and a choir-part, sacristi, chapel and porch, probably all from the 1590s. The tower has a cross-vaulted bottom room and a flat-curved tower arch. A very pretty flat-curved window to the west shows a close connection to the porch-portal in Astrup Church, dating the tower to the 1540s. The building was renovated in 1943.

The rich inventory is mainly marked by the Renaissance. The altar piece on the re-built communion table is from ab. 1600, given by Sophie Bille with the coat of arms of Rosenkrantz, Seefeld and Bille. The original painting was brought back after a renovation. Altar-rails in wrought iron from ab. 1600. In the choir are two pairs of choir-stools, each with four seats and carved gable-planks with extraordinally coarse animal figures in high relief. South German baptismal bowl from 1575 with the Habsburg-coat of arms. Pulpit from the same time and with the same coat of arms as the altarpiece. The pews are from various periods 1) 1570 with the coat of arms of Johanne Nielsdatter Rotfeld of Havnø ; 2) from 1574; 3) from 1587 with the coat of arms of Jakob Seefeld and wives; 4) from 1636.



A glazed tile with the year 1585 was found in the floor in the renovation in 1943, it is now on the wall of the nave. Small chandelier from 1721, given by ritmester Jakob Kjærulf. A door wing is between the porch and nave , iron bound with the year 1592. A painting "The Coppersnake in the Desert" from the 1700s hangs in the chapel. Church bells: 1) from the beginning of the 1400s, small without inscription; 2) from 1672, given by Birgitta Urne and Claus Seefeld. Church Ship: Warship "Hendrik Harren" from ab. 1850.

The church is rich in burials, under the sacristi and the choir were large burial vaults, which have now been cleared. In the sacristi are sandstone coffins with colonel Andreas Arenstorff, + 1764, and his wife Sophie Marie von Schiebel, + 1761. From earlier funerals are several plates and some armour-pieces on the walls. A a coffin plank - which was a piece from a wardrobe-chest from 1585 with the coat of arms of Oluf Krognos and Anna Hardenberg - is at Aalborg Museum. Above some wooden-grating doors is a large family-group picture painted in 1600 imaging Jakob Seefeld and his wives and children. Several gravestones, for families Seefeld, Rosenkrantz, Bille from the 1600s.

Visborggård


Visborggård belonged in 1343 and 1351 to Anders Nielsen, in 1401 to Jens Nielsen Munk (Vinranke-Munk), possibly Anders Nielsen's brother; in 1408 and 1422 to their sons Niels Andersen and Mads Jensen (Munk). After Mads Jensens' death ab. 1442 it came to his son hr. Jens Madsen Munk, + 1501, who was the owner from 1445. After him V. went to his son's sons Jens and Jakob Munk, but they died childless, and V. with 37 farms and 16 bol (small farms) came to their mother Inger Andersdatter Bjørn, married 2) with Jens Thygesen Seefeld , + before 1537. In 1534 Visborggård was burnt down by Skipper Klement and his peasant army. After Enevold Jensen Seefeld , + 1557, it came to his son Jakob Seefeld, + 1599, . After his death his widow Sophie Bille was the manager of his many estates until her death in 1608. After the family Seefeld during the 1600s various owners , families Urne, Svane, Benzon, Arenstorff, etc. Since 1938 Visborggård is a home for the mentally sick.


Visborggård, the sandstone-portal

The main building is listed in class A. It is surrounded by broad moats. A three-winged plan, dominated by the south wing, a fine Renaissance-building, built in 1575-76 by Jakob Seefeld. The walls are red monkbricks upon a tall granite-plinth which stands directly in the moat without a bank, except around the gable and the side-winges where is an area between moat and wall. The facade is flanked by octagonal corner-towers. The tall cellar has windows in the shape of arrow slits. A rich sandstone portal in high Renaissance with plate with the coat of arms of Jakob Seefeld and his two wives decorates the entrance gate . Above the gate was once an enormous gate tower, and all walls had cornices; the disappeared gables were decorated with sandstone. Fragments are kept in a cellar-room at Visborggård. Jakob Seefeld's building plan was very impressive, the still preserved wing was connected to two side wings, an eastern and western - and the legend says - probably true -that it had seven towers, besides the others were stairway towers in the inside corners, and at the northern gables were corner towers . The stairway towers are still traceable.

A painting at V. (portrait of Claus Seefeld) from 1668 shows the towers equipped with spires and the building with weather vanes in the form of jumping deer. The original side wings were probably demolished ab. 1730. Various changes during the years. Some loft-paintings are preserved . A terracotta-fireplace is at the National Museum. Opposite the bridge which replaced the original drawbridge are two sandstone bears with the coat of arms of the family Arenstorff.

The sandstone-portal and a French-inspired Baroque-garden are the attractions of Visborggård. Public access to the court yeard and the garden.

Havnø


Havnø was in 1468 owned by hr. Jens Madsen Munk (Vinranke-Munk) of Visborggård , +1501. With his daughter Eline it came to Hans Lykke , + before 1511, and his children hr. Peder Lykke, + 1535, and Erik Lykke, whose widow Anne Kaas (Sparre-Kaas) had it by law 1541. Their son Hans Lykke, + 1553, owned Havnø, and after him his widow Johanne Nielsdatter Rotfeld of Eskær, + 1577, and son Erik Lykke, + 1602. After his widow Dorothea Krabbe Havnø came to Iver Christoffersen Lykke between 1609 and 1614. Various owners, families: Seefeld, Krag, Rosenkrantz, Benzon, Sehested etc. Some outparcelling.


Havnø Mølle

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Visborg ( ab. 1343 Wisburgh, 1351 Wisborgh, 1401 Wæsebwrgh); Glerup (*1456 Glerup); Strandkær (1552 Strandkiergord); Glargårde (1571 Glashytten, 1664 Glargaarden); Møllegårde (1664 Møllgaarden); Visborggård *1456 Wiszborggaardt); Havnø (*1468 Haffnøe, Hannøe, 1477 Haffneøø, Haffuenøø) .

The Thing was earlier at Visborggård, in ab. 1680 and 1743 it is mentioned in Visborg By. (town)

Upon the road between Visborg and Visborggård is a small hill with trees and a memorial stone for the white horse which the king, Christian X, rode across the border on the tenth of July in 1920. (Genforeningen).The owner of the horse was grev Danneskiold-Samsøe of Visborggård.

Listed prehistorics: One longhill and 22 hills.
Demolished or destroyed: 16 hills

Important kitchen middens from Ertebølle-kulturen are known from Havnø (Lundebakke, Visborg Bjergbakke). In a moor by Glerup was an important sacrifice-finding from Bronze Age . Several stone graves from early Roman Iron Age, one at Møllebakken in Visborg and a weapon-grave at Glerup.

Source: Trap Danmark, Aalborg amt, 1961.


photo Visborg kirke/Visborgård 2003-2007: grethe bachmann