Dragsholm Castle ( da, Dragsholm Slot) is a historic building in

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 th ...

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. For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”. From the original palace over the

medieval 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 a ...

castle to the current baroque style, Dragsholm Castle has had an influence on and been influenced by changing times and the surrounding community. Today, Dragsholm Castle has restaurant and hotel facilities.

The name Dragsholm

Prior to the reclamation of the

Lammefjord The Lammefjord is a polder in Denmark at the base of the Odsherred peninsula. Previously a deeply branched arm of the sea leading west from the Isefjord, most of it is now reclaimed as agricultural land. The eastern third, outside the dyke at Avdeb ...

Odsherred Odsherred is a peninsula in the north-western part of the island Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark. Odsherred stretches from the Sjællands Odde in the north-west to the now drained Lammefjord in the south, covering an area with a wide range of the ...

was connected to the rest of

by a narrow strip of land, known as a ”draugh” or ”drag”, located east of Dragsholm where the mill, Dragsmølle, lies today. The Vikings could drag their ships across the strip of land and then sail through to Roskilde, avoiding the dangerous waters north of Zealand. The islet on which Dragsholm Castle was built is surrounded by lakes and meadows just south of the terminal moraine, which ends at Vejrhøj (123 m) to the north. Consequently, Dragsholm means the islet by the ”drag”.

History

Early history

Dragsholm Slot is one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark. The original Dragsholm Castle was built around 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde. During the Middle Ages, the building was modified from the original palace to a fortified castle. During the Count's Feud (1534–36) (Grevens Fejde) it was so strong that it was the only castle on Zealand to withstand the armies of Count Christoffer.

Crownland and prison, 1536–1664

In connection with the Reformation, Dragsholm was confiscated by the Crown along with all other property of the Catholic church. As Crownland during the period from 1536 to 1664, Dragsholm Castle was used as a prison for noble and ecclesiastical prisoners. In the large tower at the northeast corner of the medieval castle, prison cells were made and equipped with toilets and windows depending on the prisoner's crimes, behaviour and the seriousness of his insults towards the King. Some of the best known prisoners at Dragsholm Castle include: the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde and former owner of the castle, Joachim Rønnow;

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell ( – 14 April 1578), better known simply as Lord Bothwell, was a prominent Scottish nobleman. He was known for his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third and final husband. ...

, third husband of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

; and the seemingly raving mad squire, Ejler Brockenhuus.

Baroque castle

During the wars against

Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...

, an attempt was made to blow up Dragsholm Castle, and the place was a ruin until the King, as part payment of his outstanding debts, gave the castle to the grocer Heinrich Müller, and he started the restoration. In 1694, Dragsholm Castle was sold to the nobleman Frederik Christian Adeler (1668-1726) and finally rebuilt as the baroque castle we see today. Several owners from that family have made a lasting imprint on the development, including G. F. O. Zytphen Adeler, who took the initiative to drain the

. The family line became extinct in 1932, and Dragsholm Castle passed over to the Central Land Board which sold the place to J.F. Bøttger, but only with the land belonging to the main estate.

Architecture

Today, the baroque style of the castle remains intact, but the interior of the Castle has been subject to restorations and modernisations over the years. The most recent major restoration took place after the first world war, where the Baron aimed for a Late Romantic Style, which still prevails in the salons and ballrooms.

Hauntings

Witnesses and psychics have claimed that there are three ghosts who are residents at the castle: a grey lady, a white lady and Lord Bothwell. The

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant " chieftain", partic ...

is said to ride through the courtyard with a full horse and carriage.

Dragsholm Castle today

In recent years, the Bøttger family has managed the running of the castle after a number of minor restorations, which in addition to general conservation of the building has had the purpose of raising the level of quality of the castle as a hotel, restaurant and attraction. The hotel rooms at the castle have been refurbished and modernised, and more rooms have been added in the porter's lodge on the other side of the moat.

List of owners

* ( -1536) Roskilde Bispestol * (1536-1664) Kronen * (1664-1682) Henrik Müller * (1688-1694) Manuel de Texeira * (1694-1726) Frederik Christian von Adeler * (1726-1727) Boet efter Frederik Christian von Adeler * (1727-1757) Christian von Lente Adeler * (1757-1785) Conrad Wilhelm Adeler * (1785-1816) Frederik Adeler * (1816-1839) Bertha Moltke, gift Adeler * (1839-1878) Georg Frederik Otto Zypten-Adeler * (1878-1908) Frederik Herman Christian de Falsen Zypthen-Adeler * (1908-1932) Georg Frederik de Falsen Zypthen-Adeler * (1932-1936) Slægten von Zytphen-Adeler * (1936) Statens Jordlovsudvalg * (1936-1985) Johan Frederik Bøttger * (1985-2002) Flemming Frederik Bøttger * (2002- ) Inge Merete og Peter Bøttger

References

Sources and external links

Dragsholm Castle official website

History of Dragsholm Castle official website

* ttp://www.denmark.net/denmark-guide/attractions-denmark/dragsholm-castle.html Dragsholm Castle in Guide to Denmark {{Castles in Denmark Buildings and structures completed in 1215 Castles in Denmark Defunct prisons in Denmark Hotels in Denmark Castles in Region Zealand Listed buildings and structures in Odsherred Municipality Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark Reportedly haunted locations Buildings and structures associated with the Adeler family