Kalundborg Friary
Encyclopedia
Kalundborg Friary was a Franciscan
friary located in Kalundborg
, Denmark
.
, Germany
, She was a wealthy relative of Esbern Snare (who had founded Kalundborg
in 1170) and connected to the powerful Hvide
family, and also one of Denmark's greatest landowners. Ingerd was particularly impressed by the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi which she encountered in Germany and donated land in Kalundborg for the construction of the friary as well as nearby farm properties to fund its works and operation. At the same time she founded other Franciscan houses at Copenhagen
, Roskilde
and Næstved.
Kalundborg was at the time an important stop on the trade route between the North Sea and the Baltic. The Franciscans benefited from the location of the friary close to the city gate. The first church was consecrated in 1279 and consisted of a single short nave with a choir and an apse. It was built out of brick in the Gothic
style.
In 1360 Kalundborg was fortified with a ring wall and towers. The friary was deemed to be a threat to the security of the walls and it was moved a little to the south-west.
The friary was constructed in a skewed rectangle with the church as the south wing. There was a cloister and garden. The exact location of the graveyard is unclear, but from time to time burials have been uncovered by later excavations. The other wings housed the friars and the lay brothers who worked the farms, a rectory and a hospital.
For many years Kalundborg Friary took a liberal view of the vows of chastity and poverty, and ran itself at a profit until 1518, when the chapter voted to return to a stricter interpretation of the rules of Franciscan brotherhood. The properties which had been used to create wealth were sold to the last Roman Catholic king of Denmark, Christian II
.
, successor to Christian after his forced abdication in 1523, Denmark was embroiled in the debate over Luther
's reforms of the Roman Catholic church
and moved rapidly towards religious reformation
. Many Danes were tired of the enforced tithes and the donations sought by monasteries, hospitals, and other religious foundations. Although Frederik officially adopted even-handed treatment of Catholics and Lutherans, he actively promoted Lutheran ideas. He granted local officials permission to forcibly close Franciscan houses all over Denmark, or looked the other way when officials overstepped their authority and closed religious houses without permission. Prince Christian, later Christian III, also encouraged the closure of Franciscan houses on his lands.
In 1532 the governor of Kalundborg Castle forced the Franciscans from the friary at the instigation of Mogens Gjø, an ardent Lutheran who worked tirelessly to force the closure of monasteries on Jutland
and Zealand. The last guardian of the friary, Melchior Jensen, offered only token resistance and then became the first Lutheran pastor of Kalundborg.
Denmark became officially Lutheran in October 1536 when all remaining religious houses in the country were closed. The buildings and properties associated with Kalundborg Friary became crown property and were administered by the governor of Kalundborg Castle. The buildings were converted into housing for workers on the royal farms and for storage (Kalundborg Slots Ladegård).
By 1751 most of the friary had already been demolished and a new large farm headquarters building was constructed on the site. Subsequently, the remaining buildings were also pulled down, and there are no visible remains of the 300-year history of the Franciscans in Kalundborg.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friary located in Kalundborg
Kalundborg
Kalundborg is a city with a population of 16,434 in Kalundborg municipality in Denmark and the site of its municipal council. Kalundborg is on the main island Zealand, with Copenhagen, but opposite on the far western edge....
, 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...
.
History
Kalundborg Friary was founded in 1239 by Ingerd Jacobsdatter (ca.1220-1258), wife of Count Konrad of Revenstein from HalberstadtHalberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, She was a wealthy relative of Esbern Snare (who had founded Kalundborg
Kalundborg
Kalundborg is a city with a population of 16,434 in Kalundborg municipality in Denmark and the site of its municipal council. Kalundborg is on the main island Zealand, with Copenhagen, but opposite on the far western edge....
in 1170) and connected to the powerful Hvide
Hvide
Hvide was a medieval Danish clan, and afterwards in early modern era a Danish noble surname of presumably one surviving branch of leaders of that clan. Before 16th century it was not used as surname...
family, and also one of Denmark's greatest landowners. Ingerd was particularly impressed by the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi which she encountered in Germany and donated land in Kalundborg for the construction of the friary as well as nearby farm properties to fund its works and operation. At the same time she founded other Franciscan houses at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
and Næstved.
Kalundborg was at the time an important stop on the trade route between the North Sea and the Baltic. The Franciscans benefited from the location of the friary close to the city gate. The first church was consecrated in 1279 and consisted of a single short nave with a choir and an apse. It was built out of brick in the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style.
In 1360 Kalundborg was fortified with a ring wall and towers. The friary was deemed to be a threat to the security of the walls and it was moved a little to the south-west.
The friary was constructed in a skewed rectangle with the church as the south wing. There was a cloister and garden. The exact location of the graveyard is unclear, but from time to time burials have been uncovered by later excavations. The other wings housed the friars and the lay brothers who worked the farms, a rectory and a hospital.
For many years Kalundborg Friary took a liberal view of the vows of chastity and poverty, and ran itself at a profit until 1518, when the chapter voted to return to a stricter interpretation of the rules of Franciscan brotherhood. The properties which had been used to create wealth were sold to the last Roman Catholic king of Denmark, Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
.
Dissolution
Under Frederik IFrederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
, successor to Christian after his forced abdication in 1523, Denmark was embroiled in the debate over Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's reforms of the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and moved rapidly towards religious reformation
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
. Many Danes were tired of the enforced tithes and the donations sought by monasteries, hospitals, and other religious foundations. Although Frederik officially adopted even-handed treatment of Catholics and Lutherans, he actively promoted Lutheran ideas. He granted local officials permission to forcibly close Franciscan houses all over Denmark, or looked the other way when officials overstepped their authority and closed religious houses without permission. Prince Christian, later Christian III, also encouraged the closure of Franciscan houses on his lands.
In 1532 the governor of Kalundborg Castle forced the Franciscans from the friary at the instigation of Mogens Gjø, an ardent Lutheran who worked tirelessly to force the closure of monasteries on Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
and Zealand. The last guardian of the friary, Melchior Jensen, offered only token resistance and then became the first Lutheran pastor of Kalundborg.
Denmark became officially Lutheran in October 1536 when all remaining religious houses in the country were closed. The buildings and properties associated with Kalundborg Friary became crown property and were administered by the governor of Kalundborg Castle. The buildings were converted into housing for workers on the royal farms and for storage (Kalundborg Slots Ladegård).
By 1751 most of the friary had already been demolished and a new large farm headquarters building was constructed on the site. Subsequently, the remaining buildings were also pulled down, and there are no visible remains of the 300-year history of the Franciscans in Kalundborg.