Engestofte is a Neoclassical manor house located 6 km (4 mi) east of

Maribo Maribo is a town in Lolland Municipality in Region Zealand, Region Sjælland on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. It was the municipal seat of the former Maribo Municipality, until 1 January 2007, and then it became the seat of the cur ...

, Lolland Municipality, on the island of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...

in southeastern

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

History and architecture

Early history

The estate was first mentioned in the 13th century. For a period it belonged to the Crown until it came into the hands of changing noble families.

Wichfeld family

Bertel Wichmand (1677–1732), a wealthy merchant from

Nykøbing Falster Nykøbing Falster (; originally named Nykøbing) is a city on the island of Falster in southern Denmark. It has a population of 16,682 (1 January 2025). Including the satellite town Sundby (Lolland), Sundby on the Lolland side, with a populatio ...

, acquired Engestofte in 1727. His widow kept the estate after her husband's death. Upon her death in 1751, it passed to their eldest son, Jørgen Wichmand. He and his brother Thomas Frederik Wichmand were ennobled by

letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

with the name Wichfeld on 23 July 1777. Jørgen Wichfeld never married and had no children, He therefore left Engestofte and Ulriksdal to his nephew Henning Wichfeld with an obligation to turn them into a ''stamhus'' (family foundation). This happened on 8 November 1799. The two-storey Neoclassical building was built in 1807 and expanded in 1889. The facade of the simply-designed residence is adorned with four iconic pilasters and a triangular pediment. Monica Emily Wichfeld (''née'' Massey-Beresford), who was from

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

in the north of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and who married Jørgen Adalbert Wichfeld in 1916, was impressed with the forty-roomed mansion, the surrounding buildings, the long driveway lined with limes and elms, and the terraces leading from the house down to the lake below. The estate cottage and grounds was used in co-operation with

Monica Wichfeld Monica Emily Wichfeld (''née'' Massy-Beresford; 12 July 1894 – 27 February 1945) was a leading member of the Danish resistance during the German occupation of Denmark in the Second World War. She was the first woman in Denmark to receive a cap ...

during the

Danish Resistance The Danish resistance movements () were an underground insurgency to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the Nazi occupation authority allowed the democratic governm ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

to harbour fugitives, to shelter Jewish families hiding from the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

, to train saboteurs and hide weapons, ammunition and explosives and organize the movement. It was also used as a covert landing ground for the British

Special Operations Executive Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and to aid local Resistance during World War II, resistance movements during World War II. ...

(SOE) deliveries of paratroopers, information, weapons and explosives.

Later history

Jørgen Adalbert Wichfeld died in 1965 and the estate was inherited by his son Viggo Dimitri who renovated it completely. Sadly, Viggo ran into financial difficulties and was forced to sell the estate to William Erik Berntsen, owner of Frederikssund Iron Foundry and Machine Factory. His son William OleBerntsen inherited the estate in 1995 and one year later purchased the neighboring estate

Søholt Søholt is a manor house located on the southern shore of the Maribo Lakes on Lolland in southeastern Denmark. The main building is from 1804 but was adapted to the Renaissance Revival architecture, Renaissance Revival style in the second half of ...

. He left both estates to a foundation but the relevant authorities turned down the foundation's application for a dispensation from the Agriculture Act and demanded a sale of the estates. rederik von Lüttichau bought both estates in 2003 but sold Engestofte to Hans Peter Egeskov in 2011.

Access

The property is not open to the public but can be seen from the churchyard.

List of owners

* (1457-1496) Kronen * (1496-1527) Jørgen Olsen Baad * (1527-1529) Elsebe Albrechtsdatter Grubendal, gift Baad * (1529-1537)Johan Jørgensen Urne * (1537-1558) Jørgen Urne * (1558-1584) Peder Ottesen Huitfeldt * (1584-1598) Barbara Huitfeldt, gift Grabow * (1598- ) Hans Grabow * (1584-1599) Hans Wittrup * (1599- ) Anne Huitfeldt, gift Wittrup * (1599-1639) Christian Friis * (1639-1653) Barbara Wittrup, gift Friis * (1653- ) Anne Friis, gift Juul * ( -1684) Tønne Juul * (1684-1695) Anne Friis, gift Juul * (1695-1720) Christian Lerche * (1720- ) Sophie Ulrikke von Reichau, gift 1) Lerche, 2) Hausmann * ( -1727) Christian Ulrich von Hausmann * (1727-1732) Bertel Wichmand * (1732-1751) Bodil Cathrine From, gift 1) Wichmand, 2) Rasmussen * (1751-1797)Jørgen Wichmand Wichfeld * (1797-1799) Boet efter Jørgen Jørgen Wichfeld * (1799-1846) Henning Wichfeld * (1846-1888)Jørgen Wichfeld * (1888-1907) Henning Wichfeld * (1907-1965) Jørgen Adalbert Wichfeld * (1965-1967) Viggo Dimitri Wichfeld * (1967-1994) William Erik Berntsen * (1994-1995) William Odd Berntsen * (1995-2003) William O. Berntsens Fond * (2003-2011) Frederik von Lüttichau * (2011-present) Hans Peter Egeskov

References

Literature

* {{Denmark castles and manor houses Listed buildings and structures in Guldborgsund Municipality Manor houses in Guldborgsund Municipality Houses completed in 1807 Neoclassical architecture in Denmark Historic houses Buildings and structures of the Wichfeld family 1800s architecture in Denmark