Borreby Castle
Encyclopedia
Borreby Castle is a fortified manor house
located near Skælskør
, Slagelse Municipality
, in the south-west corner of the island of Zealand, in eastern Denmark
.
until its confiscation by the Crown in 1536 in connection with the Reformation in 1534.
ceded the property to Chancellor Johan Friis
, one of the most powerful men in the country at the time, who also owned Hesselagergård on the island of Funen
. In 1456 he built the current castle at a site 300 metres north of the old building.
After Johan Friis' death in 1570, Borreby was passed to his nephew, Christian Friis, who later followed in his uncle's footsteps as Chancellor from 1594 to 1616. Christian Friis expanded the complex with an extra moat and several new buildings, including two castle yard wings to the east and west, a gatehouse and several large farm buildings west of the castle..
The estate remained in the possession of the Friis family until the brothers Oluf and Valdemar Daa ran it into economic ruin during their ownership from 1652 to 1681.
.
Together with nearby Holsteinborg and Basnæs, Borreby later in the century formed a small cluster of manor houses where Hans Christian Andersen
was a frequent guest. In 1859 Andersen published his story "The Wind Tells about Valdemar Daae and His Daughters", a tragic tale of how the last decendent of Johan Friss to own Borreby lost the estate through his own foolish and quite unsuccessful experiments with alchemy
.
The Castenschiold family still own the property.
style, Borreby consists of two and a half floors resting on stone plinth and topped by a pitched roof. There are four towers, three on the north side and a staircase tower on the south side. The masonry is decorated with arched friezes above each storey and the windows are topped by depressed arches.
The defensive character of the building is witnessed by machicolation holes
which are found on all sides. Behind these there used to be a walkway which has now been removed, but machicolation holes can still be seen all round the building.
The interior is dominated by Joachim Lorentz Holten Castenschiold's modernizations carried out in the 1750s and restorations from 1883 to 1884 and 1923-24.
The east and west wings of the outer courtyard date from Christian Friis' expansion, as does the gatehouse from 1600 and the large farm buildings located west of the castle. A chapel in the west wing was in its current form designed in 1754.
for power stations on Zealand. There is public access free of charge to the outer courtyard and park with views of the historical buildings. The castle is also open for tours on prior notification.
It is also used as a cultural venue. Borreby Art Gallery is based in the former courthouse as well as some former stables. Borreby Theatre with a capacity of 450 spectators is currently under construction in a former barn, and other buildings will house a restaurant and café.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
located near Skælskør
Skælskør
Skælskør is a town in Slagelse municipality on the Danish island of Zealand. The town has a population of 6,358 . Administratively, the town is in Region Sjælland and is home to one of Denmark's largest breweries, the Harboe Brewery....
, Slagelse Municipality
Slagelse municipality
Slagelse municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the west coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 571 km², and has a total population of 77,457...
, in the south-west corner of the island of Zealand, in eastern Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Early history
First mentioned in 1345, by the end of the century Borreby had come into the possession of the Urne family, an important house of high nobility in Denmark at that time. In 1410 the estate was acquired by Bishop Peder Jensen Lodehat and it was then held by the Bishops of RoskildeDiocese of Roskilde (Roman-Catholic)
The Roman-Catholic Diocese of Roskilde was a diocese within the Roman-Catholic Church which was established in Denmark some time before 1022....
until its confiscation by the Crown in 1536 in connection with the Reformation in 1534.
Friis era: The current building
In 1553, possibly somewhat earlier, King Frederick IIFrederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
ceded the property to Chancellor Johan Friis
Johan Friis
Johan Friis was a Danish statesman. He studied in Odense and in Copenhagen before completing his education abroad....
, one of the most powerful men in the country at the time, who also owned Hesselagergård on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. In 1456 he built the current castle at a site 300 metres north of the old building.
After Johan Friis' death in 1570, Borreby was passed to his nephew, Christian Friis, who later followed in his uncle's footsteps as Chancellor from 1594 to 1616. Christian Friis expanded the complex with an extra moat and several new buildings, including two castle yard wings to the east and west, a gatehouse and several large farm buildings west of the castle..
The estate remained in the possession of the Friis family until the brothers Oluf and Valdemar Daa ran it into economic ruin during their ownership from 1652 to 1681.
Castenschiold era: Hans Christian Andersen connection
In 1783, Borreby was acquired by Major General Joachim Melchior Holten CastenschioldJoachim Melchior Holten Castenschiold
General Joachim Melchior Holten von Castenschiold was a Danish officer before and during the Napoleonic Wars. Acquiring Borreby Castle in 1783, he was the first Castenschiold to own the manor which has been held by the family ever since.-Biography:He was son of Johan Lorentz von Castenschiold of...
.
Together with nearby Holsteinborg and Basnæs, Borreby later in the century formed a small cluster of manor houses where Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
was a frequent guest. In 1859 Andersen published his story "The Wind Tells about Valdemar Daae and His Daughters", a tragic tale of how the last decendent of Johan Friss to own Borreby lost the estate through his own foolish and quite unsuccessful experiments with alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
.
The Castenschiold family still own the property.
Architecture
Built in red brick in the RenaissanceRenaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style, Borreby consists of two and a half floors resting on stone plinth and topped by a pitched roof. There are four towers, three on the north side and a staircase tower on the south side. The masonry is decorated with arched friezes above each storey and the windows are topped by depressed arches.
The defensive character of the building is witnessed by machicolation holes
Machicolation
A machicolation is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall. The design was developed in the Middle Ages when the Norman crusaders returned. A machicolated battlement...
which are found on all sides. Behind these there used to be a walkway which has now been removed, but machicolation holes can still be seen all round the building.
The interior is dominated by Joachim Lorentz Holten Castenschiold's modernizations carried out in the 1750s and restorations from 1883 to 1884 and 1923-24.
The east and west wings of the outer courtyard date from Christian Friis' expansion, as does the gatehouse from 1600 and the large farm buildings located west of the castle. A chapel in the west wing was in its current form designed in 1754.
Borreby Castle today
Borreby Castle is currently owned by and managed as a modern agricultural estate with a large production of biomassBiomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
for power stations on Zealand. There is public access free of charge to the outer courtyard and park with views of the historical buildings. The castle is also open for tours on prior notification.
It is also used as a cultural venue. Borreby Art Gallery is based in the former courthouse as well as some former stables. Borreby Theatre with a capacity of 450 spectators is currently under construction in a former barn, and other buildings will house a restaurant and café.
External links
- Official website (in Danish)
- Borreby Theatre (in Danish)
- "The Wind Tells about Valdemar Daae and His Daughters" by Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
(in English)