Liselund
Encyclopedia
Liselund is an 18th-century aesthetically
landscaped park, complete with several exotic buildings and monuments. Located close to Møns Klint
on the north-eastern corner of the Danish
island of Møn
, it is deemed to be one of the finest examples in Scandinavia
of Romantic English gardening
. The park was created in the 1790s by French nobleman Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette for his wife Elisabeth, commonly known as Lisa. Liselund, roughly translated, means Lise's grove.
for Holland. His father was a diplomat who after terms in Switzerland
and Portugal
, finally arrived in Denmark
where, in 1776, the family was naturalised and recognised as Danish nobility.
In January 1777, he married Catharina Elisabeth Iselin, the daughter of the Swiss baron Reinhard Iselin who had also emigrated to Denmark. In 1783, Antoine was appointed prefect of Møn. The same year, he bought six hectares of land on the eastern coast of the island in the parish of Magleby
.
's philosophy of naturalism
in the Age of Enlightenment
. As a result, Antoine designed the park in the Romantic spirit of the time as a loving gift for his wife. It was intended as a retreat where the family could spend a few days or weeks at a time, often with invited guests, away from the hardships of their working lives at Marienborg on the other side of the island.
.
The ground first had to be drained, cleared and levelled. Then, in accordance with contemporary standards, it was landscaped and planted with a range of trees, some quite rare, including oak
s, sweet chestnut
s, walnut
s, mulberry
, spruce
and cypress
. The park was designed to be poetic with the gentle undulations of its terrain and its many lakes. Indeed, water was a key element of any Romantic garden.
But it also had contrasts, for example the sheer Devil's Ravine with its Devil's Bridge where, in rainly weather, water from the lakes cascades down to the sea.
Today the park provides a quite unexpected experience for those who enter through the chestnet-bordered avenue leading into the park from the main road to the west.
. It is exceptional in that it has a thatched roof. Like the park itself, the house was designed by Andreas Kirkerup, one of the foremost landscape architects of the times. It lies against the slope of the eastern hill, beside a small pond, and overlooks the park to the north.
The building is T-shaped with the main rooms on the ground floor, the first floor consisting of nine bedrooms.
The interior was probably decorated and furnished by the leading decorator of the day, Joseph Christian Lillie
. Many of the wall decorations and some of the furniture date back to the original design.
Among the most impressive rooms are the Entrée, an airy room opening onto the garden, the spacious Dining Hall, the Ghost Room which was Lisa's boudoir
, and the Monkey Room with its monkey mirror. The monkey at the top of the bamboo-frame mirror may well be in remembrance of a pet monkey who helped save the family during the Lisbon earthquake
in 1755.
Other rooms include the Family Room with several portraits, the Calmette Parlour and the Lady's Chamber, one of the larger bedrooms.
While the gardens are open throughout the year, the thatched manor is open to the public with guided visits during the summer months only.
close to the manor house on the verge of the entrance drive. It was originally the home of the gardner but it had some beautifully decorated rooms under its thatched roof where guests could stay.
room. One notable feature is the small yellow glass opening in the shutters which gave the impression of moonlight however brightly the sun might be shining outside.
Built in the Italian style and decorated with fine ceiling frescos, stucco and wall panels, the New Manor was used by the Rosenkranz family until the 1960s. It was sold to the State in 1980 but lay empty for many years until it was bought by Krista and Steffen Steffensen in 1989 who converted it into an attractive hotel.
and the sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen
, but the most famous of all was Hans Christian Andersen
who visited the park in the summer of 1829 when he was only 24 and found it delightful.
Liselund must have made a deep impression on Andersen as his poem Klintekorset paa Møen or Møn's Cliff Cross was inspired by a large wooden cross at the edge of the cliff. The original cross fell into the sea in a landslide in 1905 but a new cross stands closeby today. It is also believed that the large hollow willow beside the Swiss House could have inspired him to write story of The Tinderbox.
was head of the West Møn Danish resistance group, perhaps the first in Denmark as it was set up just a week after the German occupation on 9 April 1940. Towards the end of 1942, the group began to rescue Jews living in Denmark
and help them escape to neutral Sweden
. Activity was stepped up in October 1943 when the Germans began systematically to round up all Danish Jews.
In the dark of night, small groups of darkly-clad Jews were led down the treacherous paths from Liselund Park to the beach below where they boarded small boats which would take them to Sweden. Although the Gestapo suspected Liselund was being used as an escape route, they did not manage to find any evidence when they arrived on the night of 10 October 1943. The resistance group had heard they were coming and made sure no Jews could be found.
Niels Rosenkranz was also a key member of the group who organised the rescue of 351 ex-inmates
of the Stutthof concentration camp
who arrived in a river barge at nearby Klintholm Havn
on 5 May 1945, the day Denmark was liberated from the Germans.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
landscaped park, complete with several exotic buildings and monuments. Located close to Møns Klint
Møns Klint
Møns Klint, , is a striking landmark and tourist attraction along the eastern coast of the Danish island of Møn in the Baltic Sea. The bright chalk cliffs stretch some 6 km from the park of in the north to the in the south. Some of the cliffs fall a sheer 120 m to the sea below...
on the north-eastern corner of the Danish
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...
island of Møn
Møn
-Location:Møn is located just off the south-eastern tip of Zealand from which it is separated by the waters of the Hølen strait between Kalvehave and the island of Nyord, at the northern end of Møn. Further south is Stege Bugt...
, it is deemed to be one of the finest examples in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
of Romantic English gardening
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
. The park was created in the 1790s by French nobleman Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette for his wife Elisabeth, commonly known as Lisa. Liselund, roughly translated, means Lise's grove.
Arrival of the De la Calmette family in Denmark
Antoine de la Calmette was a Hugenot whose family had been forced to leave FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for Holland. His father was a diplomat who after terms in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, finally arrived in 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...
where, in 1776, the family was naturalised and recognised as Danish nobility.
In January 1777, he married Catharina Elisabeth Iselin, the daughter of the Swiss baron Reinhard Iselin who had also emigrated to Denmark. In 1783, Antoine was appointed prefect of Møn. The same year, he bought six hectares of land on the eastern coast of the island in the parish of Magleby
Magleby Church
Magleby Church is located in the village of Magleby in the east of Møn, an island in south-eastern Denmark.-History:The church was originally built in the Romanesque style in the second half of the 13th century. The rounded tops of bricked-in windows from this period can still be seen on either...
.
Origin of the park
He and his wife, who travelled widely, had become interested in Jean-Jacques RousseauJean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
's philosophy of naturalism
Naturalism (philosophy)
Naturalism commonly refers to the philosophical viewpoint that the natural universe and its natural laws and forces operate in the universe, and that nothing exists beyond the natural universe or, if it does, it does not affect the natural universe that we know...
in the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. As a result, Antoine designed the park in the Romantic spirit of the time as a loving gift for his wife. It was intended as a retreat where the family could spend a few days or weeks at a time, often with invited guests, away from the hardships of their working lives at Marienborg on the other side of the island.
History of the estate
Antoine and Lisa were not able to enjoy the park for very long. He died in 1803 and his wife in 1805. Their son, Charles, then took over Liselund but, after his death in 1821, it was sold to a friend, Frederik Raben-Levetzau-Huitfeldt, who died in 1828, and his wife, Emerentia Rosenkrantz-Huitfeldt, who died in 1843. The estate was then inherited by her nephew, Baron Gottlob Rosenkranz until 1884 when it was bought by his son Baron Fritz Rosenkranz. In 1936, it was transferred to his eldest son, Baron Erik Rosenkranz, then to Erik's brother, Niels, in 1956. In 1973, it was transferred to Baron Niels Henrik Rosenkranz until, owing to the increasing costs of maintaining the estate, the summer manor and park became the property of the Danish State to be administered by the National Museum of DenmarkNational Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main domicile is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world,...
.
The park
The area of land Antoine de la Calmette bought in 1783 was partly marshy, partly wooded. It bore no resemblance to the park which can be seen today, however natural it may now seem.The ground first had to be drained, cleared and levelled. Then, in accordance with contemporary standards, it was landscaped and planted with a range of trees, some quite rare, including oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s, sweet chestnut
Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
s, walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
s, mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
, spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
. The park was designed to be poetic with the gentle undulations of its terrain and its many lakes. Indeed, water was a key element of any Romantic garden.
But it also had contrasts, for example the sheer Devil's Ravine with its Devil's Bridge where, in rainly weather, water from the lakes cascades down to the sea.
Today the park provides a quite unexpected experience for those who enter through the chestnet-bordered avenue leading into the park from the main road to the west.
The old manor house
Liselund Gammel Slot, literally Liselund Old Palace, is a rather small country home built in the French neoclassical styleNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
. It is exceptional in that it has a thatched roof. Like the park itself, the house was designed by Andreas Kirkerup, one of the foremost landscape architects of the times. It lies against the slope of the eastern hill, beside a small pond, and overlooks the park to the north.
The building is T-shaped with the main rooms on the ground floor, the first floor consisting of nine bedrooms.
The interior was probably decorated and furnished by the leading decorator of the day, Joseph Christian Lillie
Joseph Christian Lillie
Joseph Christian Lillie , also known as J.C. Lillie, was a Danish neoclassical architect andinterior designer. His early career was in Denmark, where he is mainly known for his interior designs and furniture production...
. Many of the wall decorations and some of the furniture date back to the original design.
Among the most impressive rooms are the Entrée, an airy room opening onto the garden, the spacious Dining Hall, the Ghost Room which was Lisa's boudoir
Boudoir
A boudoir is a lady's private bedroom, sitting room or dressing room. The term derives from the French verb bouder, meaning "to be sulky" or boudeur, meaning "sulky".- In architecture :...
, and the Monkey Room with its monkey mirror. The monkey at the top of the bamboo-frame mirror may well be in remembrance of a pet monkey who helped save the family during the Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
in 1755.
Other rooms include the Family Room with several portraits, the Calmette Parlour and the Lady's Chamber, one of the larger bedrooms.
While the gardens are open throughout the year, the thatched manor is open to the public with guided visits during the summer months only.
Other exotic buildings
In the style of the times and in order to provide a more relaxing atmosphere, several foreign-looking buildings were spread around the park, each with its own character and designed to fit a particular need.The Swiss House
The Swiss House or Schweiserhytten was built at the foot of a bronze-age tumulusTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
close to the manor house on the verge of the entrance drive. It was originally the home of the gardner but it had some beautifully decorated rooms under its thatched roof where guests could stay.
The Chinese Summerhouse
The Chinese Summerhouse or Det kinesiske lysthus stands on top of the western hill and looks down over the lakes towards the sea. The weeping ash to the left adds to the Chinese flavour of the site. It was quite usual to include Chinese pagodas in romantically styled gardens. No doubt guests could be taken there for a short walk and a cup of Chinese tea.The Norwegian House
The Norwegian House or Det norske hus was built close to the cliffs in a rugged, hilly area. Thought it is a half-timbered Norwegian construction, the guest rooms inside are quite different with a Chinese and a PompeianPompeian Styles
The Pompeian Styles are four periods which are distinguished in ancient Roman mural painting. They were originally delineated and described by the German archaeologist August Mau, 1840 – 1909, from the excavation of wall paintings at Pompeii, which is one of the largest group of surviving examples...
room. One notable feature is the small yellow glass opening in the shutters which gave the impression of moonlight however brightly the sun might be shining outside.
The New Manor
Liselund Ny Slot, literally Liselund New Palace, was built in 1887 by Baron Fritz Rosenkrantz whose father, Gottlob, had inherited the estate in 1843. It stands majestically at the top of the western slope, overlooking the largest of the park's lakes and the sea beyond.Built in the Italian style and decorated with fine ceiling frescos, stucco and wall panels, the New Manor was used by the Rosenkranz family until the 1960s. It was sold to the State in 1980 but lay empty for many years until it was bought by Krista and Steffen Steffensen in 1989 who converted it into an attractive hotel.
Ornamental monuments
The parks contains a number of ornamental monuments, most concerned with love and friendship. The path leading down towards the manor house from the south passes a monument dedicated to L'Amitié or Friendship while another close to the stream down to the cliffs is labelled Endroit chéri de Lise or Lise's favourite spot.The Hans Christian Andersen connection
The park has had many well-known visitors, particularly during the period when Martha de la Calmette, Antoine's daughter-in-law, lived there as a widow for 57 years until her death in 1877. They included the Danish Romantic poet, Adam Gottlob OehlenschlägerAdam Gottlob Oehlenschläger
Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger was a Danish poet and playwright. He introduced romanticism into Danish literature.-Biography:He was born in Vesterbro, then a suburb of Copenhagen, on 14 November 1779...
and the sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
, but the most famous of all was 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."...
who visited the park in the summer of 1829 when he was only 24 and found it delightful.
Liselund must have made a deep impression on Andersen as his poem Klintekorset paa Møen or Møn's Cliff Cross was inspired by a large wooden cross at the edge of the cliff. The original cross fell into the sea in a landslide in 1905 but a new cross stands closeby today. It is also believed that the large hollow willow beside the Swiss House could have inspired him to write story of The Tinderbox.
Liselund in World War II
Baron Niels Rosenkranz who lived in the estate during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was head of the West Møn Danish resistance group, perhaps the first in Denmark as it was set up just a week after the German occupation on 9 April 1940. Towards the end of 1942, the group began to rescue Jews living in Denmark
Rescue of the Danish Jews
The rescue of the Danish Jews occurred during Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark during World War II. On October 1st 1943 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered Danish Jews to be arrested and deported...
and help them escape to neutral Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Activity was stepped up in October 1943 when the Germans began systematically to round up all Danish Jews.
In the dark of night, small groups of darkly-clad Jews were led down the treacherous paths from Liselund Park to the beach below where they boarded small boats which would take them to Sweden. Although the Gestapo suspected Liselund was being used as an escape route, they did not manage to find any evidence when they arrived on the night of 10 October 1943. The resistance group had heard they were coming and made sure no Jews could be found.
Niels Rosenkranz was also a key member of the group who organised the rescue of 351 ex-inmates
Rescue of Stutthof victims in Denmark
The rescue of Stutthof victims in Denmark took place on 5 May 1945 at Klintholm Havn, a small fishing village on the south coast of the island of Møn, when a barge full of famished Nazi concentration camp prisoners was towed into harbour....
of the Stutthof concentration camp
Stutthof concentration camp
Stutthof was the first Nazi concentration camp built outside of 1937 German borders.Completed on September 2, 1939, it was located in a secluded, wet, and wooded area west of the small town of Sztutowo . The town is located in the former territory of the Free City of Danzig, 34 km east of...
who arrived in a river barge at nearby Klintholm Havn
Klintholm Havn
Klintholm Havn is a fishing village and a popular tourist resort on the south coast of Møn, an island in Vordingborg Municipality, southeastern Denmark. As of 1 January 2010, the population is 209.The harbour was built in 1878 by C.S...
on 5 May 1945, the day Denmark was liberated from the Germans.
See also
- Liselund: park and manor house, leaflet from Møn Turistbureau