Brahesborg is a manor house situated northeast of Assens on the island of

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

, Denmark. The main building was constructed for in the middle of the 17th century but owes its current appearance to a renovation undertaken by Christian Rantzau in 1756. The estate was acquired by Frederik Wilhelm Treschow in 1828 and remained in the hands of members of the

Treschow family The Treschow family is a noble family originating in Denmark and with branches in Norway and Sweden. The family name means "wooden shoe-maker" and the family later counted many merchants in the 17th century and priests in the 18th century. A member ...

until 1951. The main building was listed on the Danish register of protected buildings and places in 1918. The estgate covers 1m407

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s of land (including Wilhelmsborg).

History

The original name of the estate was Bisbo. In the Middle Ages. it belonged to the bishops of Odense. It was later acquired by their fiefholder Verner Berthelsen Svale. After his death in 1560, it was passed to his son Christen Svale. It was later acquired by Ove Bille.

Brahe family

In 1618, Bille's unmarried daughters ceded Bisbo to Jørgen Brahe in exchange for Skovgaard. Jørgen Brahe renamed the estate Nrahesborg. Brahe was one of the largest landowners on Funen. He was a leading figure in the Danish Rigsråd. His widow Anne Gyldenstierne kept the estate after his death in 1771. After her death in 1677, it was passed to her granddaughters, Anne and Sophie Brahe. Sophie Brahe's daughter, Jytte Dorothea Brahe, was married to Marcus Gøye, headmaster of Gerlufsholm School. In 1693, he became the sole owner of Brahesborg. Shortly thereafter, he embarked on refurbishing the main building.

Rantzau family

Gæye had no sons. Brahesborg was therefore passed to his daughter Charlotte Amalie Gøye. She was married to the influential statesman Christian Rantzau. In the 1730s, Rantzau served as Governor-General of Norway. His other holdings included Rosenvold, Asdal, Hammelmose and Krengerup. In 1740, he succeeded Christian Christophersen Sehested as county governor of Odense and several counties. He lived at St. Canute's Abbey (''Skt Knuds Kloster'') among the largest buildings in

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

. For 20 years he governed his counties, resigning in 1760. He died during 1771 at Brahesborg in

Fyn Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn (p59-FYN, Slk, Syn, MGC45350, Gene ID 2534) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''FYN'' gene. Fyn is a 59-kDa member of the Src family of kinases typically associated with T-cell and neurona ...

. Rantzau created a substantial libraru at Brahesborg. Christian Rantzau died in i 1771. Vrahesborg was subsequently passed to his son Carl Adolf Rantzau. He implemented many of the important agrarian reforms of the time on the estate. He also had to spend large sums on carrying out another refurbishment of the building.Carl August Rantzau left Brahesborg to his nephew Christian Adolf Rantzau. In 1822, he went bankrupt. Brahesborg was subsequently taken over by the government.

Treschow family

In 1828, Brahesborg was sold to the Supreme Court attorney Frederik Wilhelm Treschow. He refurbished the building and improved the management of the estate. Treschow had also acquired Fritzøe in Norway. In 1854, he decided to divide the estates between his two sons. Brahesborg went to his adopted son Frederik Wilhelm Rosenkilde Treschow. Officially his wife's son by her first marriage, it is believed that he was in fact Treschow's biological son. It was at least the only child from her wife's first marriage that was adioted by Treschow and it is also striking that he was named after him. Frederik Wilhelm Rosenkilde Treschow's son Carl Adolf Rothe Treschow was married to Henriette Sophie Margrethe Elisabeth Rantzau. In 1951, Brahesborg passed out of the Treschow family. This happened when it was taken over by Bror Carl Adolf Cederfeld de Simonsen, who inherited it from his aunt, a sister ofFrederik Wilhelm Treschow.

Architecture

The main building is a simple two-storey building with a

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ed roof clad in red tile. The facade features a three-storey median risalit, tipped by a triangular pediment. The cast iron suspension rbidge was created at Treschow's ironworks in Norway in the 1870s.

Today

The estgate covers 1m407

s of land (including Wilhelmsborg).

List of owners

* (1400–1530) Odense Bispestol * (1530–1560) Verner Bertelsen Svale * (1560–1591) Christen Vernersen Svale * (1591–1600) Ukendt ejer * (1600- )Johan Macchabæus * ( -1618) Ove Bille * (1618- ) Karen Ovesdatter Bille * (1618- ) Hilleborg Ovesdatter Bille * (1638–1667) Jørgen Steensen Brahe * (1667–1677) Anne Gyldenstierne, gift Brahe * (1677- ) Anne Steensdatter Brahe, gift Rosenkrantz * ( -1694)Holger Rosenkrantz * (1677- )Anne Helvig Knudsdatter Thott * (1677- )Sophie Knudsdatter Thott * (1677- )Jytte Dorothea Knudsdatter Thott, gift Gøye * ( - 1698)Marcus Gøye * (1698–1708)Charlotte Amalie Marcusdatter Gøye, gift 1) Due, 2) Rantzau * (1710–1716)Charlotte Amalie Marcusdatter Gøye, gift 1) Due, 2) Rantzau * (1708–1710)Manderup Due * (1716–1771) {{Christian Rantzau * (1771–1814)Carl Adolph Rantzau * (1814–1827)Christian Adolf Rantzau * (1827–1828)Den danske stat * (1828–1833)Frederik Christian Berg * (1828–1854) Frederik Wilhelm Treschow * (1854–1869) Frederik Wilhelm Rosenkilde Treschow * (1869–1911) Carl Adolf Frederiksen Rothe Treschow * (1911–1951) Frederik Wilhelm Carlsen Treschow * (1951–1963) Bror Carl Adolf Cederfeld de Simonsen * (1963–1981) Ivar Brorsen Cederfeld de Simonsen * (1981–present) Peter Cederfeld de Simonsen

References

{{reflist Listed buildings and structures in Assens Municipality 1750s architecture in Denmark