Sorø Abbey was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. It was located in the town of Sorø in central

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

. After Denmark became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey was confiscated by

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

. The abbey was turned into the

Sorø Academy Sorø Academy ( Danish, ''Sorø Akademi'') is a boarding school and gymnasium located in the small town of Sorø, Denmark. It traces its history back to the 12th century when Bishop Absalon founded a monastery at the site, which was confiscated b ...

in 1623, an educational institution that has served as a knight academy, a venue for higher learning during the Danish Golden Age. It survives to date as a boarding school.

History

The Sorø Abbey was founded by the brothers '' Ebbe Skjalmsen Hvide'' and '' Asser Rig (Hvide)'', who were sons of

Skjalm Hvide Skjalm Hvide (before 1045 – c. 1113), was the Earl of Zealand in Denmark in the end of the Viking Age (793–1066) and up to his death. Skjalm's father was Toke Trylle, whose father was ''Slag'' (or ''Slau'', or he may have been called by bo ...

. They were

's most powerful nobles when in 1140 they founded and in 1142 consecrated the abbey. Dansk Biografiske Lexicon. Near Sorø, Ebbe also erected the Bjernede Church, and

Asser Asser (; ; died 909) was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his ...

established a Benedictine House, just a few years prior to his death in 1151. Asser then lived as a monk for the last years of his life. It was common practice for wealthy and powerful individuals and families to found religious houses, most typically for the following reasons: Expiation of a sinful life; to gain a stage to arrange commemorative and religious masses and events; to have a venue to provide services for the poor; or just out of religious zeal or devotion; or for any combination of the above. Asser Rig's son,

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of Denm ...

, became a powerful warrior bishop of Zealand and advisor to several Danish kings. In a move to reform Sorø, Bishop Absalon replaced the Benedictine monks with Cistercian monks from

Esrum Abbey Esrum Abbey, also Esrom Abbey ( da, Esrum or ), was the second Cistercian monastery founded in Denmark, located near Hillerød in Region Hovedstaden, on the island of Zealand (Sjælland), on the north side of the Esrum Sø (Lake Esrum) near Es ...

in 1161. The Cistercians went to work on building the abbey's church and monastery, using a new building material; large, red bricks. The technology and style for this had been imported from northern Germany. One of Absalon's friends, Peder Strang, endowed the abbey with enough land to make it financially solvent. From that time forward, the Sorø abbey acquired property all over Denmark, with an income larger than that of the Danish royal family. Sorø Kloster.www.da.wikipedia.org The abbey church became a burial site for the earthly remains of members of the noble

Hvide Hvide (English: ''Whites'') 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 the 16th century it was not used as a surname. It signified th ...

family. The corpse of Absalon was buried behind the church's main altar. The corpses of three Danish kings were buried there; Christopher II, Valdemar IV Atterdag, and Oluf II. The corpse of

Margaret I Margaret I may refer to: * Margaret I, Countess of Flanders (died 1194) * Margaret I of Scotland (1283–1290), usually known as the Maid of Norway * Margaret I, Countess of Holland (1311–1356), Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland * Ma ...

too was buried there but was later moved to Roskilde Cathedral. Today, the church remains an excellent example of early Gothic brick architecture. In 1247, much of the abbey burned down. The abbey remained in ruins for about ten years. A gift from the widow Ingeborg Strangessen allowed the rebuilding of the abbey, which now became to include arched vaults.

Reformation in Denmark The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Mitra, bispestav, stor monstrans, alterkalk

After Denmark officially became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey – a property of the Catholic Church – was confiscated by

. After a stint as an institution for Protestant monks, the abbey was transformed into the

, an educational institution that served a variety of forms, including a boarding school for noble and commoner boys during the era of Frederick II. The abbey was then turned into a knight academy by

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

, and became a venue for higher learning for a period during the Danish Golden Age. Since 1623, what became known as the Sorø Academy has existed as a boarding school and gymnasium on the former abbey complex.

References

*''Dansk Biografiske Lexicon'' *''Middlealders Cisterciensere i Danmark'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sorø Abbey Cistercian monasteries in Denmark Monasteries dissolved under the Danish Reformation Burial sites of European royal families Burial sites of the House of Estridsen Burial sites of the House of Bjelbo

History

Reformation in Denmark The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

See also

References