Riberhus was a royal castle situated on the western outskirts of

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...

, Esbjerg Municipality, Denmark. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was one of the more important royal castles in Denmark. In 15371543, Christian III undertook a renovation of the building. After the Swedish wars in the 17th century, the castle lost its military importance and fell into disrepair. The site is now referred to either as Riberhus Slotsbanke or Toberhus Voldsted. It consists of an approximately eight metre tall, almost quadratic embankment surrounded by moats. On the southern corner of the castle bank stands a bronze statue of Queen Dagmar by Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen.

History

Plan og Profiler af Riberhuus Slotsplads 1834

The castle is believed to have been built by King

Eric V of Denmark Eric V Klipping (1249 – 22 November 1286) was King of Denmark from 1259 to 1286. After his father Christopher I died, his mother Margaret Sambiria ruled Denmark in his name until 1266, proving to be a competent regent. Between 1261 and 1262, ...

in the 1260s. The name Riberhus is first recorded in 1320 in connection with the '' håndfæstning'' Christopher III had to sign in order to become the country's king. The document obliged the king to demolish all his castles in Jutland apart from Skanderborg Castle, Koldinghus and Riberhus. The castle was initially the seat of the king's vassal of Southwestern Jutland, and thus the centre of local government. During this period, a number of royal castles were built across the country to strengthen the king's power in the regions and guard against attack. They included Koldinghus, Riberhus, Copenhagen Castle, Næsbyhoved Castle near Odense, Sønderborg Castle and

Nordborg Nordborg (), is a town with a population of 5,680 (1 January 2025),Als Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

, Tårnborg near Korsør,

Nyborg Nyborg is a city in central Denmark, located in Nyborg Municipality on the island of Funen and with a population of 17,990 (2025). It is the easternmost settlement on Funen. By road, it is located 34 km east of Odense, 35 km north of ...

Gurre Castle Gurre Castle () was a royal castle situated in North Zealand, Denmark. Its ruins lie on the outskirts of Helsingør, close to the town of Tikøb on lake Gurre Sø at Gurre, Denmark, Gurre. The ruins have been excavated and are now restored. His ...

and Søborg in the north of Zealand, Aalholm and Ravnsborg on Lolland and many more. In 1330, Christoffer II pawned Riberhus to Gerhard III, Count of Holstein. In 1383, it was finally reacquired by Valdemar Atterdag. The castle was one of the crown's most important castles. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was frequently frequented by the Danish kings. In the beginning of the 16th century, Riberhus had fallen into neglect. In 1537, Christian III embarked on refurbishing the building. This was done with bricks from St. John's Priory. After the Swedish wars in the 17th century, the castle lost its military importance and fell into disrepair. The last '' lensmand'' of Riberhus was Otte Krag (1655–1658). Bricks and other building materials from the castle were later used for the renovation of local churches and other construction projects in the area. In 1662–1793, Riberhus leant its name to . In 1940–41, the National Museum excavated and restored the site of the grounds.

Today

Riberhus Castle Bank measures approximately 90 metres x 90 metres. It rises approximately eight metres above the surrounding countryside. The remains of Skriverstuen ("The Scribe's House") stands on its eastern corner. A statue of Queen Dagmar stands on the southern corner. It was inaugurated on 24 August 1913. A

triangulation station A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The station is usually set up by a map ...

stands on the northern corner.

Legacy

In a number of old Danish folk songs, Riberhus is mentioned as the death place of Queen Dagmar. Mads Pedersen Rostock lamented the sorry state of the castle in 1688. Riberhus is also mentioned in Christian Richardt's 1889 poem ''Vort land.'' A

DFDS DFDS is a Danish international shipping and logistics company. The company's name is an abbreviation of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (literally ''The United Steamship Company''). DFDS was founded in 1866, when Carl Frederik Tietgen, C.F. Tiet ...

steam ship was given the name ''Riberhus'' in 1875. Another DFDS ship was named after the castle in 1950. Riberhus is also the brand name of an

Arla Foods Arla Foods is a Danish-Swedish multinational co-operative based in Viby, Denmark. It is the fifth biggest dairy company in the world and the largest producer of dairy products in Scandinavia and United Kingdom. Arla Foods was formed as the re ...

Danbo cheese.

References

External links

{{Esbjerg Municipality Buildings and structures in Esbjerg Municipality Former castles in Denmark 13th-century establishments in Denmark Ribe