Svanholm is a country estate and former manor west of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Denmark. In 1978 an association of over 100 persons bought the estate to create Denmark's largest

intentional community An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of group cohesiveness, social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, wh ...

. The Svanholm

collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...

grows its own food and was one of the pioneers of

organic farming Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...

in Denmark. As of January 2006, membership consisted of 70 adults and 35 children aged 0 to 80, jointly owning around of farmland, park, and woodlands. The name comes from ''svan'' meaning "

swan Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...

" and ''holm'' meaning "islet"; ie. Svanholm means "Swan-isle".

Geography

The Svanholm estate is place within the north regions of the village of

Skibby Skibby is a town with a population of 3,135 (1 January 2025),Roskilde Fjord and Ise Fjord on the north coast 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 ...

. It consists of a main building (the former

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

) plus 12 other dwellings and utility buildings nearby or elsewhere on the grounds.

History

The earliest mention of Svanholm in historical documents is in 1346. Its owner at the time was the

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

Niels Knudsen Manderup. The building was completely renovated and extended in 1744.

Open to visitors

The community offers guided tours throughout the year on Sundays from 11 a.m. or upon request

References

External links

*
The Svanholm Collective's website in English

Intentional Communities directory entry
{{Denmark castles and manor houses Houses in Frederikssund Municipality Utopian communities Rural community development Ecovillages Houses completed in 1744 Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark Listed buildings and structures in Frederikssund Municipality 1744 establishments in Denmark Organic farming in Denmark

Geography

History

Open to visitors

See also

References

External links