Gisselfeld and Bråby church/ Bråby kirke, Ringsted herred,Sorø amt, Zealand.

Gisselfeld, Bråby parish, Ringsted herred, Sorø amt.















Gisselfeld is built upon an islet in the socalled gårdsø.( farm lake)The three-storeyed plan is built in red monk bricks under a red tiled roof. It has three wings with a protruding gate to the north, a stair tower in the yard at the west wing and a barrier wall to the south. The north wing with gate is the earliest and was the main building of Gisselfeld. Two side wings, the east- and west wing, were added and they were finished before 1575. 

Gisselfeld is similar to contemporary manors at the island Funen, like Hesselagergård and Egeskov. Some defense devices are similar, like the watchman's galleries with scalding holes and arrow slits and a decorative frieze under the roof. The Gothic glares are similar to Egeskov's and the stepped gables are seen in many Danish manors of Gothic Renaissance, like Østergård in Salling (North Jutland) and Vallø at Stevns (Zealand).

Gisselfeld, café and restaurant at the entrance.

Peder Oxe let the plan surround by an outer wall to the northwest with three towers, from which two towers, parts of the wallwork and Peder Oxe's big farm building by the road are preserved.  Upon the castle bank on the islet was built a low wing to the east in the late 1600s.

Gisselfeld was restored in 1869-74, which removed the addition from the Baroque, and in another restore in 1915 Peder Oxe's Gisselfeld was brought to light by using modern restoration principles with respect for the original building material,most of all the burnt monk bricks.

Avenue with special cut trees.

The three wings of Gisselfeld contain magnificent cultural treasures, mainly connected to the Danneskiold- Samsøe- family, which resided at Gisselfeld since 1699. First of all the collection of porcelaine, a collection which was established in the late 1700s. Danish, German and Chinese porcelaine. The Flora Danica takes up an entire room.  Chinese and Ostindian porcelaine dominate the socalled "porcelænsgang" in the north wing, and Louis XV and Meissen-porceleina  complete the lavish collection, which is spread in many rooms and halls.   The furnishing , Gustavian and Baroque, but also modern, is exquisite, like the collection of paintings, especially portrait paintings of the family Danneskiold-Samsøe and its close connection to the royal family.

Paradehuset and the orangery.

One of the most beautiful manor parks in Denmark lies here at Gisselfeld, in a lovely, hilly landscape with lakes. The park was founded already in Peder Oxe's time, where the little lakes by the main building was made into carp ponds. The landscape garden was established in the 1890s by the English landscape architect Milner, who is known from his work at Knuthenborg at Lolland and Tranekær at Langeland. Fountains and arbors and waterfalls make the background of the florals, the rare trees and bushes. The fine and protected glasshouse Paradehuset with orangery from 1879 lies close to the entrance. It is open to the public at the same time as the park. The orangery is filled with exotic and beautiful plants, and some are for sale.



































Gisselfeld is mentioned already in the 1300s, but it was probably only a lesser main farm which was situated ab. 2 km northwest of its present place, where the castle bank Spegedynen is still seen as a square surrounded by a moat.When Peder Oxe became the sole owner of G. in 1547, he broke down the old main building and built the present. Upon the castle island in the lake was in 1898 by the National Musum found the base of an ab. 15 m long rectangular building from an early farm Valgestrup, which, possibly between 1527 and 1541, and probably in the civil war  - was destroyed,  whereafter the land came under G.


















The earliest known owner was Bo Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1370, he had probably taken it over from his father Peder Falk.  The next known owner was Eskil Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1384. He was succeeded by his son Peder Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1410.  After him came the brother Eskil Falk (+ earliest 1421), whose daughter Ida married hr. Mogens Axelsen Gøye of Krænkerup (+ earliest 1450). Their son, the marsk hr. Eskil Gøye (+ 1506) inherited G., which after him by a siblings' exchange in 1508 came to his youngest son hr. Henrik Gøye (+ 1533), the wellknown supporter of Chr. II and the defender of Copenhagen in 1523-24. Henrik Gøye had to borrow 4650 mark lybsk ( for pawn and first right to buy G.) from his brother, rigshofmester hr. Mogens Gøye and Otto Holgersen Rosenkrantz. He sold G. however in 1527 to his relative, rigsråd Johan Oxe of Nielstrup (+ 1534), and this ended in a long-winding feud between the Gøye- and the Oxe-family, since Mogens Gøye stood firm on his first right to buy G. A judgment at the King's Thing was mostly in Mogens Gøye's favor, but it brought no final solution. A new judgment of 1539 and an agreement in 1541 brought a final decision, whereafter G. belonged to Johan Oxe's heirs, represented by the son, the wellknown statesman, rigshofmester Peder Oxe (+ 1575),who became the sole owner of G. in 1545.

















Peder Oxe improved G. by extension of the land and the farms, and carried through several operational improvements and laid out the still existing carp fishing. During his exile in 1558-66 his estates were taken by the Crown, but in 1566 he got his property back; G. was even improved with judicial rights (birkeret). Peder Oxe died in 1575, he left no children, and G. came to his widow, Mette Rosenkrantz of Vallø (+ 1588). In the following exchange G. - which was reduced from the inherital dividing of the estate - came to Peder Oxe's sister's daughter Karen Banner (+ 1616), who in 1580 married Henrik Lykke of Overgård (+ 1611), after whom it was taken over by the son Christian Lykke (+ 1619) and his brother, the later rigsråd Frands Lykke (+ 1655), who by inheritance and buy gathered the divided estate - and after him it went to his son, the famous Kaj Lykke (+ 1699), after whose decrease G. was taken over by the Crown in 1661.

Frederik II left G. to his son arveprins (crown prince) Christian (later Chr. V.), who often resided at G. After his accession to the throne he transferred it in 1670 to the famous general from the Swedish wars, Hans Schack (1671 lensgreve of Schackenborg + 1676), who the same year transferred it to his son-in-law, oberstløjtnant Ditlev Rumohr of Röst (+ 1678), who 7/1 1671 by Chr. V got an exchange-deed of G., but after his wife's death the same year he transferred it back to Hans Schack, whose widow Anna Blome (+ 1688) owned it until 1682, where she transferred it to her son Otto Diderik greve Schack (+ 1683), whose widow Sophie Dorothea Marschalk (+ 1707) in 1689 sold it to Adam Levin Knuth  (+ 1699), who also owned the nearby Assendrup (in Tybjerg herred). A village Hesede had been abandoned, and Knuth established in 1691 the farm Hesedegård from its land, a farm which stayed under G., but later was leased out as an independent main farm. In 1699 his heirs conveyed G. with Assendrup to Chr. V.'s son with Sophie Amalie Moth, Christian greve Gyldenløve of Samsø (+ 1703), ancestor of the Danneskiold-Samsøe family. The family is connected to Gisselfeld from 1699 up till the present day.



















Gisselfeld Kloster (formally Gisselfeld Adelige Jomfrukloster in Zealand) is a foundation, which was established in a will by Christian V.s illegitimate son with Sophie Amalie Moth, Christian Gyldenløve in 1701-1702. The foundation is not a "kloster" in a traditional sense, but a socalled jomfrukloster. The inscribed kloster-ladies - konventualinder at Gisselfeld - had to be unmarried and of noble status and birth, but contrary to the ladies at Vallø and Vemmetofte jomfrukloster they did not reside at the kloster. Gisselfeld kloster is managed and directed by an overdirektør, who according to the original fundats is elected among male grever of the family Danneskiold-Samsøe. The gender discrimination in the fundats is however declared invalid according to the Gender equality Act. The overdirektør of Gisselfeld has his private residence in the main building of the kloster (the castle).

A case around Gisselfed is still pending these years. The overdirektør Erik greve Danneskiold-Samsøe was suspended by the former management, and he has lead a trial since, he wants to get his job back, but he also wants to have the court's words for that Christian Gyldenløve's over 300 year old fundats should be followed still today, he has not been upheld by the court though. During the years there have been case after case and it is  much too complicated to describe. The Gisselfeld-case ended in the supreme court in 2011. (Not finished)

The Ugly Duckling
Hans Christian Andersen wrote during a stay at Gisselfeld the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling (Den Grimme Ælling.

Listed prehistorics: At Hesede the dolmen chamber Kejshave Stendysse, in Gisselfeld Dyrehave 6 hills, of which one is rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: a long dolmen west of Bråby and 9 hills in the fields of Gisselfeld.

Names in the Middle Ages: Bråby (1342 Broby østræ); Sø Torup (1456 Tordrop, 1561 Søtourup); Gisselfeld (1370 Ghyselfel, 1410 Gislæfællæ); Hesede (1290 Hyrsæt, 1342 Hirsædæ).

Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954; Danmarks slotte og herregårde, Niels Peter Stilling, 1997.  

landscape near Bråby.

Bråby church/ Bråby kirke, Ringsted herred, Sorø amt.
The church in Bråby has a Romanesque nave with Gothic additions: tower, north chapel and porch and longhouse-choir from ab. 1570. The Romanesque nave - from which are kept the longwalls and a little of the gable - is a limestone building. There is only preserved one detail, a walled window east of the door-place to the south. A big chapel was added ab. 1500 in tile and limestone, furnished for a herskabsstol ( manor stool) and burial chamber ab. 1695, restored in 1903.The tiled gable-field has a rich glare decoration in South Zealand type, from the same time is the belt-walled western tower, which has a straight-running stair in the north wall, and the porch to the south in tile and like the tower very rebuilt with small stones. The longhouse-choir was built ab. 1570 by Peder Oxe in tile with two vaults, which have been renewed like the vaults of the nave. Restoration in 1877 and 1880.

The altarpiece is a painting, signed Constantin Hansen 1833 in contemporary neo Gothic frame. A house-altarpiece from 1579 with an alabaster-relief and portrait-paintings of Peder Oxe and Mette Rosenkrantz, which were in the church for a period, but is now kept at Gisselfeld. Chalice given in 1681 by Hans Schack. Strange, profiled altar candelabres upon a square foot, given by Adam Levin Knuth 1698. Upon the chasuble an embroideret crucifix and year 1722. A Romanesque limetone font, Gotland work from ab. 1180, a unique scuplture work by the master "Anonymus Calcarius" with rich symbolic reliefs A baptismal dish, south German ab. 1550 with engraved coat of arms of Frands Lykke and Lisbeth Brok 1626. A pompous late Baroque choir rail from 1695 with double-doors and crucifix. a pulpit from 1938. In front of the manor stool in the north chapel is a closed gallery from 1695 with the coat of arms of Adam Levin Knuth. Two cast steel bells, 1874 and 1880.

A magnificent epitaph ab. 1560 in Gotland limestone for Peder Oxe (+ 1575), which is a very important work of art, from Copenhagen or Skåne. (Scania). Peder Oxe is not buried here. In the porch 5 gravestones from the 1700s. In the burial chamber 3 coffins: 1) Adam Levin Knuth, +1699, a splendid coffin, dressed in copper;  2) Sophia Ulfeldt + 1698 and 3) Hilleborg Holck, + 1724. Upon the churh yard is a strange monument, a pyramid with inscription: "Maria was always virtuous".

Source Bråby church: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954.      

Gjorslev and Holtug church/ Holtug kirke, Stevns herred, Præstø amt.e, Præstø amt.

Gjorslev, foto: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Gjorslev Manor
Gjorslev is situated in the eastern part of Zealand in the Stevns region, 17 km south-east of Køge. It was built ab. 1400 by the Roskildebishop Peder Jensen Lodehat. Some changes were made in the Baroque period and later, but in general it is considered one of the most well-preserved examples of Gothic secular architecture in Denmark. Gjorslev is a unique European building.

The majestic main building rises in a flat east Zealand landscape, surrounded by moats on all four sides. The building material is mostly the limestone from Stevns cliff, mixed with monk bricks. The big Gothic building had originally stepped glare-gables and a tower with arrow slits. The large central tower is seven storeys high.

Gjorslev's plan is unique in European architecture, and it is only found similar in the five-towered church in Kalundborg (Zealand), which has the same basic plan. The base of Gjorslev is shaped like a Latin cross with the heavy tower in the cross-cutting and three short arms to the north, east and west. and a longer south wing. Rebuildings have removed some of Gjorslev's medival touch, and the interior is more marked by the shifting tastes,  although many medieval rests are preserved. This is mostly seen in the cellars, where the cellar in the southern cross arm shows a genuine Gothic architecture. The several halls distinguish themselves with vaults, supported by slender granite pillars. The stair-tower connects the storeys and leads up to the domed hall in the central tower. From the migthy overvaulted hall well-preserved doors lead out to rooms and halls in the cross arms.

Gjorslev, Bredgade, foto: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

The park is laid out as a socalled English garden plan in the middle of the 1800s. Among the free-standing trees in the park is usually emphasized the oldest example of one of the huge Californian conifers, brought here in the 1850s. East of the main building are the pretty red halftimbered farm buildings along Bredgade. They  origin from 1713. There is public access to the park.     

History and Owners: 
Gjorslev got its name after a now disappeared village. It belonged in the late 1200s - according to Arild Huitfeldt - to the væbner Rane Jonsen (Rani) who is famous for the history around king Erik Klipping's murder. He was executed in 1294 at Roskilde. In the jordebog (register book) of the Roskilde bishop ab. 1370 is mentioned the main farm G. with half the village-land belonging to the bishopric, which had already a strong castle here. The bishop Peder Jensen (Lodehat)(+ 1416) built here the oldest part of the still preserved building and was in the 1500s called fundator castri Giordsleff. In the jordebog is G. mentioned as a fogedi (exactio), later more often as a vasalry.

Middle Ages:
 From the bishop's vasals were: Johannes Absalonsen (Ulfeldt)(+ 1396), before 1389; his brother-in-law hr. Niels Iversen (Rosenkrantz) of Hevringholm (+ before 8/9 1413) 1396-97; Jep Halvegge 1461, Folmer Jepsen 1470-74, the væbner Laurens Knob 1479-89, Tetz Jensen Rosengaard (+ 1544), Søren Daa (+ before 1511) 1493-95; and Niels Vincentsen Lunge (Dyre) of Asserstrup (+ 1552) 1519-23. One Mester Laurids is said to have Gjorslev as a vasalry twice; hr. Knud Jørgensen Rud of Vedby and Møgelkær (+ 1554) also twice, the last time he left the vasalry in 1529, whereafter Jørgen Rosengaard (+ 1532), a sister's son of bishop Lage Urne had the vasalry in 1529-30; Knud Ebbesen Ulfeldt (+ 1540) in 1530-36 and Børge Trolle of Lillø (+ 1571) in 1536-37.

Reformation time and after:  
In 1537 the Lutheranian diplomat from Pomerania Peder Svave was vasal at G., which estate the king conveyed to him as a free property, after P.S. had committed himself to stay in Denmark and marry a Danish wife. Peder Svave died as a rigsråd (state counsillor) at G. in 1552, but was survived by his wife Else Svave (+ earliest 1563); she left two daughters: Margrethe Svave (+ unmarried 1594 at G.) and Elsebe Svave (+ 1612). The last mentioned married in 1571 Vincens Juel of Hesselmed (+ 1579). From their children Peder Juel (+ 1612) inherited G., but since his marriage to Jytte Gyldenstierne (+ 1642) was without children, the farm went to his sister Ellen Juel (+ 1619), married to Jens Bille of Vrejlevkloster (+ 1617.) Their son Vincens B. inherited G., but sold the farm in 1630 to rigskansler Just Høeg (+ 1646), who extended G.'s land by abolishing the village G., except two farms. His sickly son Stygge H. (+ latest 1685) inherited probably G., but even his marriage to the rich Anne Marie Grubbe was not able to save his economy, and in 1663 he had to leave G. to his creditors, from whom his brother, the diplomat Just Justesen Høeg (+ 1694) and his brother-in-law Henrik Juel of Lindbjerggård (+ 1707) were the most important.

1600s:
 They sold G. already in 1664 to the Holstein merchant, Joachim Irgens (Jürgens), who from 1637 had been a valet to Christian IV and later was the owner of a mine, where he had given the Crown several hundred thousand rigsdaler, and because of this he was given some Crown estate; he was knighted in 1674 in the name von Westervig. During his ownership the rest of the G. village was broken down and the land placed under the main farm. In the 1660s I. had an economic regression, and in 1672 he had to pawn G. to the Dutch trading company Schardinell in Amsterdam.  After I's death in 1675 his widow Cornelia Bicher (+ 1708) had to renounce G. to the owners of the Dutch trading company, who in 1678 made imports in farm and estate and in the same year conveyed it to queen Charlotte Amalie, who also bought Søholm and Erikstrup and more often stayed at G.

Stevns Klint (cliff)

1700s:
At the queen's death in 1714 G. and Erikstrup went to her daughter princess Sophie Hedevig, who already in 1716  exchanged these farms with Dronninglund, Dronninggård and Børglum kloster to her brother Frederik IV, who let the estates furnish as ryttergods. (military cavalry). In 1743 the Crown sold G. with Søholm and Erikstrup to ex-supercargo in Asian company Christen Lintrup, who in 1756 was knighted in the name de Lindencrone and in 1763 had the estates established as an entailed estate.  L. worked with energy to improve the estate; he introduced potato-cultivation, he reduced the villeinage, which he terminated in 1767, and he introduced the copyhold in 1769. These reforms did not work as expected, and the wealth of the farmers declined. After L.'s death at G. in 1772 the estates went to his son, kammerjunker Johan Frederik L. (+ 1817), who by royal confirmation in 1791 let them substitute and sold them in 1793 to later etatsråd Jacob Brønnum Scavenius (+ 1820), who had earned a great fortune in India and now continued the reforms of his predecessor with great skill  and good results. ( replacement of the farmers' land and their farms, protection of the forests, improvement of the limestone-production on the Stevns cliff).

Gjorslev, Bredgade

1800s and present day: 
Scavenius left after his death important scientific collections and a big book collection. After his widow, Karine Lucia Debes' death in 1825 the son, later kammerherre, Peder S. took over G. (knighted 1843). He was an independent conservativ politician, he had scientific interests, esp. astronomy and was a great book collector. In a will he founded the Scaveniusske Fideikommis. The family Scavenius owned G. until 1925. From 1925 until the present day it is in possession of the Tesdorph family.

Holtug Church

 














Holtug church, once a seamark, is placed solitary and high. It has a Romanesque nave, a late Gothic longhouse choir ,a sacristy and a later built porch. The Romanesque nave is a limestone-ashlar building, of which only the longwalls are preserved. From original details are from the porch loft a bricked-up round arch window visible to the west in the south wall. In an ashlar, probably from the original choir, is a rune inscription "Tirad ristede" (meaning: Tirad made the runes), which His  rather early (ab.1400-1450). The Romanesque choir was replaced by a longhouse choir and at the same time three bays crossvaults were inserted in this and in the nave, of which only the western with trifoil-ribs are partly preserved, while the others have been rebuilt later (in 1637 the vault above the half of the nave had fallen down). Somewhat later than the longhouse choir the sacristy to the south was built in limestone-ashlars, the tiled roof gable has three tall steps and some large glares. The room is covered in a vault, which reminds about a crossvault at Gjorslev manor. The late Gothic western tower from ab. 1500-25 is in limestone and a little tile. The crossvaulted tower room has to the west a large flat-curved window and a contemporary stairhouse to the south. The gable field-glares are various; to the east simple high glares, to the west a storey-divided system in south Zealand type. In the walls of the bell storey are several names and dates, fx 1523 ( one rune inscription and a date 1414 are false). The porch to the south is without style, probably from the 1600s.

The runes on the wall of Holtug church

 

The altarpiece is a painting from 1821 in a neo Gothic frame with two wings, added in 1922. The chalice is with engraved year 1609. Late Gothic ore candelabres, ab. 1550. Limestone font from 1922. A neo Gothic wooden font replaced ab. 1850 "a flying angel with the baptismal dish in her hands" from 1749, and a stone font is mentioned in 1716. A foot from a font at a farm in the village might be from the church, like a basin which from Gjorslev park came to Magleby church. Upon a grave of a parish priest from 1928 stands a Romanesque granite basin, possibly a font, which origins from Holtug, but until 1922 it was in Store Heddinge. A crucifix figure, a fine carving from ab. 1650-1700 hangs in the nave. A pulpit from ab. 1825 with new evangelist-paintings. A parish clerk stool from ab. 1630-40. Bells 1) 1665 by Hans Meyer, 2) Bell from 1723 or 25 by Fr. Holtzmann, recast 1894.

Several gravestones, a portraitstone in Gotland limestone from Morten Busser's workshop, 1552; on the church yard a family grave for the Scavenius-family. In 1922 and 1928 were found Romanesque graves in limestone-ashlars. The last is now at Stevns Museum in St. Heddinge.

From Holtug parish:
Is Jepsen who had a columbine flower in his shield is mentioned 1470 and 1474 in Holtug.
In Holtug was in the late 1600s a farm (manager), which belonged to queen Charlotte Amalie, who in 1687 had a royal confirmation that it must be laid under Gjorslev. While princess Sophie Hedevig owned this estate, was from its land established 3 farms.

Bredeløkke was earlier a farm under Gjorslev.

Holtug skanse (military defense)  at the beach north of the church was repaired at the war-start in 1675, but was in 1667 mentioned as being delapidated.

Listed prehistorics: at Holtug mark (field) north of the village is the large Skjoldshøj, east of the village another hill. At the fields of Gjorslev near the beech forest is Børnehøj. In the south-east corner of Gjorslev bøgeskov (beech forest) are 2 lesser hills, and in the western part of the forest, in connection to the large group at Møllesø in Magleby parish is an oblong group with 14 hills, mainly lesser round hills, 2 are long hills like the 51 m long Fruerhøj.

Demolished or destroyed:  At Holtug field 2 possible stone cists and 7 hills. At the fields of Gjorslev 4 hills and in the forests 5. 

On the beach at Gjorslev Bøgeskov is the stone called Blak.


Names from the Middle Ages: Holtug (1261 Holthøiæ, 1302 Holtogh, ab. 1370 Holtwæ); Gjorslev (ab. 1370 Giordslef).

Source: 
Trap Danmark,Præstø amt, 1955; Politiken, Danmarks slotte og herregårde, Niels Peter Stilling, 1997.

As church / As kirke and Palsgård, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

The whitewashed, tiled church, which lies upon a hillside close to the waters of Kattegat, has a Romanesque  choir and nave, radically rebuilt ab. 1300, a late Gothic western addition, a west tower and a porch to the south.  The original parts of the building are in rough granite stone with corner ashlars and without a visible plinth. Only small details are visible from the original walls, like in the bottom of the south side of the choir, a part of the east side of the choir and the north side of the nave, where the bricked up door  is traceable and two round arched windows are bricked up. In ab. 1300 was a large part of the walls renewed or even face walled with red monk bricks.  In the middle of the 1400s was in the choir built one and in the nave three cross vaults in East Jutland type upon protruding piers, and the choir arch was remade; later was the nave extended to the west with an eight ribbed cross vault, and in the latest decades of the Middle Ages were added a narrow tower and a cross vaulted porch. The look of the building is highly marked by a restoration in the end of the 1700s. The building was restored in 1904 and in 1959.                               

As church vicarage

In 1904 were found fragmentaric frescoes from 1515, among others an illustration of the fable about the fox and the stork, and the coat of arms of bishop Jens Iversen Lange. The inventory is mostly from 1904-05, since most of the old inventory was removed - some of it is in Horsens Museum. The new inventory is in a flashy, neo Gothic style , made in polished oak and designed by Hector Estrup. The altar piece is a crucifixion-painting, a copy from a Spanish baroque-painter. Chalice from 1758 with the coat of arms of Bille and Arenfeldt. Small, late Gothic candelabres. A small crucifix from the middle of the 1600s. The font, the pulpit, the pews and the manor-stools are all from 1904-05. The old pulpit was a good Rococo work by Jens Jensen, while the altar piece and a gallery were made by Jens Hiernøe. A new model of curch ship, a five master bark. A bell from 1510, cast by Johannes Pauli.

Palsgård is said to belong to hr. Jacob Kalf in the 1400s; his son Axel Knob (Kalf) let build a house in 1412 according to an inscription stone, which still existed in 1806. Its later owner-history is very complicated, caused by several  inherited services. Hr. Ludvig Nielsen (Rosenkrantz) is written to P. in 1461 and 1482; his sons Niels and Claus and more than 10 grandchildren from the families Skeel, Gyldenstierne, Juel and Munk (Lange-Munk) owned parts in the estate, while other parts belonged to members of the families Galt, Munk (Vinranke-Munk), Pax and more.  A descendant of hr. Ludvig Nielsen was Ingeborg Arenfeldt ( + 1658), whose husband Ernst Normand of Selsø (+ 1645) collected the estate. The daughter Kirsten Normand brought in 1658 P. to her husband Joachim Fr. Pentz of Åstrup, who became ruined during the Swedish wars, whereafter the kansler Peter Reedtz in 1665 became the owner. After his death in 1674 was P. inherited by his son Holger Reedtz (+ 1707), his widow baroness Berte Christine Juel (+ 1732) and son Niels Juel Reedtz (+ 1742), his widow Mette Johanne Arenfeldt (+ 1762, who was m. second time to Henrik Bille of Holbækgård) and son Holger Reedtz (+ 1803), who in 1795 sold P. to his son Niels Juel Reedtz (+ 1830). From him  came P. to his son Holger Chr. Reedtz (+ 1857), who established an observatorie at the farm. His heirs sold in 1877 P. to prins Emil R.O. Schoenaich-Carolath. He sold it 1898 to baron Frederik (Fritz) Wedel-Jarlsberg, whose widow fru Elisabeth Schou (later married Falbe-Hansen) owned it until her death in 1952; the heirs Herbert Schou and fru Gertrud Andersen let it be transferred to a family-company Schou-Palsgård.  












The white main-building is placed upon a square castle bank above  steep dry moats. The water from As Vig reached close to the farm in the end of the 1900s. The three-winged building is listed in class B.

The farm buildings are built in various periods, they are partly half timbered and partly in boulder. In connection to these were built the factory Credin.

The park is one of the largest in the country and one of the best well-kept. Foreign secretary Holger Reedtz was an avid botanist and introduced many rare trees and growths, and baron Wedel-Jarlsberg laid out large areas for lawns and created a grand entrance from the west.

Foreign secretary Holger Reedtz established in 1843-44 an astronimical observatorie in a small building in front of the main bulding,  and he built in 1853 a costy equipped observatorie in boulder. The observatorie has later been rebuilt into a temple-like pavillon with  fluted columns.

A memorial obelisk was raised for the family Reedtz in 1866.    

Northeast of Palsgård at the beach is a medieval castle bank with two banks, of which the eastern is the smallest, a square bank ,while the western is larger and rectangular . Both banks were once surrounded by water. The western bank is connected with land on the south side. A damn prevents the water from streaming out into the beach. The moats are kept water-filled from the higher placed fields. Upon the banks have been found monk bricks with traces of fire and lumps of melted iron. It seems that the buildings were destroyed by fire.  

Listed prehistorics: At Ringstholm a circular dolmen with a square chamber with a large cover stone, and a hill close to the church.
Destroyed or demolished: two hills, Ashøj which Pont. Atlas mentions as grave hill of king As, is a natural grovel hill. 

From Ringstholm is known a shell heap from early Stone Age. From the farm Holgershåb is known an important settlement from early Roman Iron Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964. 


photo 2004 and 2011.grethe bachmann (addition of photos from 2004 in November 2012)