Ledreborg is a palatial mansion near

Lejre Lejre is a railway town in the northwestern part of the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand in eastern Denmark. It has a population of 3,165 (1 January 2024) inhabitants.

, to the southwest of

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

on the Danish island of

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

. Today's

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

building was completed in 1746 by Minister of State

Johan Ludvig Holstein Johan Ludvig Holstein, Lensgreve til Ledreborg (7 September 1694 – 29 January 1763) was a Danish Minister of state from 1735 to 1751. The Danish colony Holsteinsborg on Greenland (now Sisimiut), was named after him. He was the ancestor of the ...

(1694–1763) who commissioned J.C. Krieger to carry out the work.

History and architecture

The first reference to Lejreborg is fairly recent, dating to 1523 when Otto Tinhuus owned the property under the

ancient Diocese of Roskilde The former Diocese of Roskilde () was a diocese within the Roman-Catholic Church which was established in Denmark some time before 1022. The diocese was dissolved with the Reformation of Denmark and replaced by the Protestant Diocese of Zealan ...

. At the time, the estate was called Udlejre and consisted of four or five farms. After the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, in 1545 Lejre became a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

in its own right under the jurisdiction of Copenhagen. In 1663, the statesman Henrik Müller purchased eight farms and five houses in Lejre including Udlejre. He presented the property to his daughter Drude and her husband, statesman Thomas Finke, who built a house called Lejregård. In 1661, Udlejregård was bought by the statesman Henrik Müller who built the first Lejregård manor house. in 1739, Johan Ludvig Holstein bought the property and developed the modest building into one of the country's finest mansions. He commissioned

Johan Cornelius Krieger Johan Cornelius Krieger (1683–1755) was a Danish architect and landscape architect, who from the 1720s served as both the country's chief architect, and head of the royal gardens. Krieger oversaw the construction of Fredensborg Palace and its ...

to extend the building to the east and west. Krieger also added a chapel and a monumental staircase designed by

Jacob Fortling Jacob Fortling (23 December 1711 – 16 July 1761) was a German- Danish sculptor, architect and industrialist, described as one of the most industrious people in the Denmark of his day. He came to Denmark at age 18 and embarked on a successful ...

. In 1745,

Niels Eigtved Nicolai Eigtved (4 June 1701 – 7 June 1754), also known as Niels Eigtved, was a Danish architect. He introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo or late baroque style in Danish architecture during the 1730s–1740s. He desig ...

developed the interior, including the

Rokoko Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

banqueting hall, while

Lauritz de Thurah Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah (4 March 1706 – 5 September 1759), was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period. As an architectural write ...

decorated the inner courtyard with two pavilions and obelisk-shaped lampposts. A gatehouse was also added.

Gardens

Also designed by Krieger from 1742 until the mid-1750s, the terraced Baroque park extends from the mansion down the steep slopes of the Kornerup Valley. In the wooded area to the east, the Dyrehaven was laid out in 1757–1762 with paths leading past sculptures and

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

s in line with the trends of the time. The terraced garden was completely renovated in 2004–2006 with a waterfall and fountain designed by

Erik Heide The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...

who also included sculptures of Adam and Eve.

Ledreborg today

The mansion can now be rented for meetings or conferences which can be accommodated in the banqueting hall or in the spacious reworked barn. Every August since 1994, the

Danish National Chamber Orchestra The Danish Chamber Orchestra () is a chamber orchestra in Denmark. It was the Danish National Chamber Orchestra from 1939 to 2014, when it was under the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Since 2015, it has been funded privately. History The ...

has held popular concerts of film music and musicals in Ledreborg Park which enjoys exceptionally good acoustics.

List of owners

* (1536-1559)

Christian 3. A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Chr ...

* (1559-1588) Frederick II * (1588-1625) Christian IVV * (1625-1661) Lauritz Jensen * (1661-1663)

Henrik Müller Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Heiki (Estonia ...

* (1663-1677)

Thomas Fincke Thomas Fincke (6 January 1561 – 24 April 1656) was a Danish mathematician and physicist, and a professor at the University of Copenhagen for more than 60 years. Biography Thomas Jacobsen Fincke was born in Flensburg in Schleswig. Fincke was ...

* (1677-1704) Drude Henriksdatter Müller gift Fincke * (1704-1705) Henrik Thomsen Fincke * (1705-1711) Karen Gyldensparre gift Fincke * (1711-1712) Fincke family * (1712-1733) Mette Reedtz gift Lindenov * (1733-1739) Hans Henrik Mandix * (1739-1763) Johan Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg * (1763-1799) Christian Frederik Holstein * (1799-1853)

Christian Edzard Holstein-Ledreborg A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Chr ...

* (1853-1895) Christian Edzard Moritz lensgreve Holstein-Ledreborg * (1895-1912) Johan Ludvig Carl Christian Tido Holstein-Ledreborg * (1912-1951) Josef Ignatius Maria lensgreve Holstein-Ledreborg * (1951-1990) Knud Johan Ludvig lensgreve Holstein-Ledreborg * (1990-) Silvia Knudsdatter komtesse Holstein-Ledreborg gift Munro / John Munro

References

Literature

* *

External links

Ledreborg Slot website

Source
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1746 Listed buildings and structures in Lejre Municipality Manor houses in Lejre Municipality Castles in Region Zealand Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark Baroque architecture in Denmark Tourist attractions in Lejre Municipality