The story of Schackenborg

Before Schackenborg became Schackenborg

Four centuries of life, power and change. Schackenborg is not merely a castle.
It is a place where history has been lived – not just written.
Here, people have built families, practised politics, held grand celebrations, worked the fields and lived through wars, peace, traditions and changing times.
Every era in our history has left its mark, and today Schackenborg stands as a cultural and historical landmark in South Jutland.
All that rests beneath your feet as you pass through the gates. History is woven into the walls, the park, the cobblestones and the silence of the natural surroundings.

And it is precisely this atmosphere – that blend of grandeur, presence and South Jutland calm – that makes a visit, a dinner or a stay at Schackenborg Castle and Castle Inn something truly special.

Welcome to the story of a castle that is still alive.

The fertile soil and strategic location have made the area around Schackenborg both attractive and prosperous since ancient times. One striking example is the Gold Horns – Denmark's most sensational gold findings, discovered close to Schackenborg and dating back to the 5th century. The horns tell of an area that was already both wealthy and significant during the Germanic Iron Age.
Although the earliest history of Schackenborg is shrouded in uncertainty, much points to the existence of a fortress around 1015, and possibly an estate of considerable size even earlier. From the 13th century, however, the history of Møgeltønder and Schackenborg becomes far more concrete. The castle of Møgeltønderhus is first mentioned in writing in 1234.

Over 400 years later, this very castle was granted to Hans Schack by King Frederick III – and so Schackenborg Castle was born.

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Møgeltønderhus

The castle, the bishops and power in the Middle Ages

When Møgeltønderhus was built during the High Middle Ages in the 13th century, the Church was one of the greatest and most powerful forces in Denmark. Bishops were not merely spiritual leaders, but also political actors, landowners and judges wielding both secular and ecclesiastical authority.

The Church was organised into dioceses with vast landholdings, and bishops played a decisive role in the administration and balance of power within the realm.
Møgeltønderhus, its surrounding lands and the entire town of Møgeltønder were owned by the Bishop of Ribe. The decision to build a castle here was no coincidence, despite it being a full day's journey from Ribe.
Møgeltønderhus served as the diocese's southern outpost, holding an important strategic position in protecting the waterway from the River Vidå to Tønder and defending against threats from the south.

Life around the castle
The land surrounding Møgeltønderhus was farmed by tenant farmers. They had the right to use the land and buildings, but in return were required to pay annual rent to the landowner and carry out compulsory labour for the estate.
But the hardships facing the farmers did not end there. They were also required to pay taxes to the king and tithes to the Church. The tithe amounted to one tenth of the year's harvest and formed part of the Church's income. The funds were used, among other things, to build churches across the country – including Møgeltønder Church, which today is Denmark's second largest village church.

A centre of power in the borderlands
Møgeltønderhus was thus far more than a castle. It was an administrative, economic and strategic centre in the borderlands – a place where ecclesiastical power, secular interests and the hard work of everyday life existed side by side.
Here, the foundations were laid for the story of Schackenborg – a place defined by power, responsibility and a significance that reached far beyond local boundaries.

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A real medieval castle

What we know – and what may still lie hidden

We do not know the precise appearance of the original medieval castle Møgeltønderhus.
Over the centuries, the castle was rebuilt, demolished and reconstructed, and much has been lost to time. The one thing we know for certain is that Møgeltønderhus was a genuine medieval castle.

The castle had all the features one would expect: a tower, a dungeon and a ladies' chamber – and, of course, a protective moat. It was a place built for control, defence and administration in turbulent times.
Today, only a very few medieval structural remains survive from the original Møgeltønderhus.

One of these traces of the past can be experienced up close. When a light layer of snow falls on the inner courtyard at Schackenborg Castle and quickly begins to melt, there is an area of approximately 12 by 12 metres where the snow lingers just a little longer. Something beneath the cobblestones holds the cold in place.
Perhaps the foundations of Møgeltønderhus's great tower lie hidden there. Perhaps something else entirely. The answer remains buried – along with many other stories – beneath the foundations of Schackenborg.

Power, responsibility and abuse

Visionaries and oppressors

Over the following 125 years or so, Møgeltønderhus lived through a turbulent existence under a succession of royal governors and noble owners. The significance of the castle and the lands it oversaw changed with each new incumbent – as did the living conditions of the people who lived and worked in the area.
The governors' approaches to their power and responsibilities varied enormously. Some understood the importance of long-term development, while others exploited their position for personal gain – often at the expense of the farmers.

One of the more far-sighted residents of the castle was Detlef Ahlefeldt. He was both enterprising and capable, initiating an extensive restoration of Møgeltønderhus. He was also the man behind the construction of dykes near Højer and Rudbøl, making him a key figure in the early draining of the South Jutland marshes. Ahlefeldt was also opposed to overburdening the farmers in his domain with labour – which was far from a matter of course in his time.

That same consideration was notably absent from the conduct of Bendix Rantzau. He served first as governor and later purchased Møgeltønderhus from the king outright. During the period from 1573 to 1599, life became significantly harder for the local farmers. Rents and labour obligations were sharply increased, and Rantzau did not hesitate to use heavy-handed methods and punishment against those who resisted.

A reputation as a true oppressor of the peasantry followed him, and the farmers repeatedly appealed directly to the king. It was not until 1599 that Rantzau's methods were finally brought to an end, when Christian IV bought back the domain for 70,000 rigsdaler. Møgeltønderhus thereby returned to the crown and was once again administered by a royally appointed governor.
And so it remained until 1661, when dramatic new events in Danish history led to a decisive turning point.
A war hero stepped onto the stage. Møgeltønderhus stood on the threshold of its greatest transformation – from medieval fortress to aristocratic castle.

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The royal family

Møgeltønderhus passes to the king

For much of the Middle Ages, Church and royal power went hand in hand without great conflict. Kings ensured the Church received vast landholdings, and both the crown and the nobility supported the extensive construction that gave Denmark a church in every parish.
In return, the Church played a central role in building the apparatus of the state. But towards the end of the Middle Ages, the power of the Catholic Church had grown to a point where it no longer simply deferred to the king. This naturally became a problem for the crown, but the nobility and freeholding farmers also came to see the Church as an ever-growing rival in the competition for land.

In the early 16th century, new ideas began to arrive from the south. The demands of the German priest Martin Luther for a reform of the Catholic Church sent new winds sweeping across Denmark and the rest of Europe.

The conflict between the Catholic Church and the reformers reached its peak in Denmark during the Count's War of 1534–1536, when the two faiths stood in direct opposition. The reformers emerged victorious.

With the Reformation in 1536, both the Middle Ages and the era of the Catholic Church in Denmark came to an end. The Church's enormous properties were transferred to the crown – and Møgeltønderhus was among them.
In the process, the last episcopal steward was required to hand over the castle and estate to a governor appointed by the king. That man was Detlef Ahlefeldt, the first to receive Møgeltønderhus as a pledge in exchange for an annual payment – and so a new chapter in the history of Schackenborg could begin.

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Schackenborg Slot

When Hans Schack got Schackenborg

From war hero to lord of the castle.
Schackenborg Castle was built in 1664 on the foundations of the old fortress Møgeltønderhus. It was constructed by Count and Field Marshal Hans Schack, who had been granted the Møgeltønder domain by King Frederick III as a reward for his service to the realm.

Hans Schack was born in 1609 into a North German noble family and began his military career at the age of just 13. Through a long and remarkable career, he built a reputation as an exceptionally skilled commander, with expertise in fortification and military strategy.

His abilities took him into military service in Sweden, Germany and France before he rose to a prominent position in the Danish army, where he became a loyal and indispensable supporter of the Danish king. In return, the king rewarded him with significant posts, honours and extensive landholdings – including the Møgeltønder domain.

Schack was appointed Field Marshal and enjoyed great popularity among the people, becoming one of the most powerful men in the realm. In 1663 he received Denmark's highest honour, the Order of the Elephant, and in 1671 he was elevated to the rank of count, making him a member of the Danish nobility.

From ruin to baroque castle
After the Swedish wars, Møgeltønderhus was in a sorry state – little more than a ruin. Hans Schack therefore chose to demolish most of the old buildings and construct a new castle on the fortress's foundations.

However, certain parts of the original structure were preserved. The Ladies' House, which today forms Schackenborg's south wing, was retained, as were the gatehouse and the surrounding moat. Given Hans Schack's extensive knowledge of fortification and defence, this was likely a very deliberate decision.

Schackenborg was built as a three-winged baroque castle – the dominant architectural style of the era. Originally the castle was faced in red brick, but during the 1750s it was given its current appearance with rendered white facades.

Family life and a new name
Hans Schack and his wife Anna Blome moved into the castle in 1668. In 1671, when Hans Schack was elevated to the rank of hereditary count, the castle received its present name: Schackenborg.

The couple had seven children but also endured great personal sorrow, as five of them died at a time when disease and high childhood mortality were facts of life – even for the most privileged.

A consolidated estate
Schackenborg's lands were originally scattered across a wide area. To create a more cohesive estate, Hans Schack continually acquired new properties. As early as 1661 he purchased the old episcopal estate at Ballum, and in 1664 he added Gram Castle. He also owned estates and land in several other parts of Denmark.

In this way, Hans Schack laid the foundations for the Schackenborg we know today – not merely as a castle, but as an integrated landscape of power, history and responsibility.

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11 generations of Schack at Schackenborg

A family, a castle and a responsibility across the centuries

When Hans Schack died of illness on 27 February 1676, he was buried with great pomp and ceremony at Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen – as befitted one of Denmark's most significant military commanders.
He left behind a remarkable legacy in the form of the County of Schackenborg and around 2,500 acres of land. An inheritance that, in the centuries that followed, was carried forward by his descendants and shaped the life, management and development of Schackenborg across the next 11 generations.

From father to son
Schackenborg passed first to Hans Schack's son Otto Didrik Schack, who also had close ties to the Danish royal family. Otto Didrik died young, however, in 1682, after which his widow Sophie Dorothea Schack took charge of Schackenborg.

She left a clear mark on the estate, beautifying both the castle itself and its surroundings. The park to the south of Schackenborg along the road leading into Møgeltønder – today known as the Outer Castle Garden – is one of the most visible legacies of Sophie Dorothea's time at the helm of Schackenborg.

Strong personalities and remarkable stories
And so the history of Schackenborg continued, with each generation leaving its own imprint. Some stepped forward prominently in the historical record, while others made less of a mark.
Hans Schack II earned the nickname the Silver Arm after losing an arm in battle and having it replaced with a silver prosthesis. His widowed countess, Anna Sophie Schack, became known as the Evil Countess – a name that reflected her unusually harsh management of both family and estate. Despite her reputation, she was one of the most powerful women of her time and ended up as one of Denmark's largest landowners.

In the 19th century, Hans Schack V emerged as both a respected Egyptologist and a skilled photographer. It was also he who, during the 1870s, oversaw the transition from copyhold to freehold tenure on the Schackenborg estate and expanded the estate with new properties.

Schackenborg in a time of upheaval
His son, Otto Didrik Schack V, played a central role during a difficult period for both Schackenborg and South Jutland. In the years following the defeat of 1864, the region had become a distant province of the German Empire and later came a new and complex era following reunification.

Otto Didrik Schack showed great understanding towards the German minority who, with the new border, had become Danish citizens. He worked purposefully to foster balance and reconciliation in the borderlands and served as a highly respected county prefect in Tønder until his death in 1949.

The last Schack at Schackenborg
The last Schack to live at Schackenborg was Hans Schack VI, the only son of Otto Didrik Schack. He was married to Karin Grethe Olsen, and as the couple had no children, Hans Schack VI made a decisive choice regarding the future of the castle.

In 1978 he transferred Schackenborg to Prince Joachim, who was then just nine years old. In doing so, he ended the Schack family's 11 generations of history at Schackenborg – and a new chapter could begin.

Hans Schack VI died in 2000 at the age of 70 and was buried at Møgeltønder Cemetery.

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Slotfeltladen

The castle field barn

A monument to agriculture, craftsmanship and history.
Surrounded by fields on the outskirts of Møgeltønder, beyond the walls of Schackenborg Castle, stands the impressive Castle Field Barn. In both scale and character, it bears witness to Schackenborg's history as one of Denmark's largest agricultural estates.

Today, the Castle Field Barn is a popular destination for visitors and is used for exhibitions and cultural activities. Visitors can also watch a short film telling the story of the restoration of the barn, Schackenborg itself and, not least, the discovery of the famous Gold Horns.

From barn to cultural heritage
The Castle Field Barn was built in the mid-19th century, during a period when Schackenborg's agricultural operation was among the most extensive in the country. The barn was used to store straw and hay, among other things, and remained in active use until 2008.

The size and function of the building placed particular demands on its construction. The Castle Field Barn was built according to the same basic principles as a basilica – a building technique that makes it possible to create large, open spaces beneath high roofs.

A distinctive building technique
In the mid-19th century, glued laminated timber did not yet exist. Instead, solid wooden planks were bolted together to achieve the necessary strength and span. This technique made it possible to construct large roof structures and dome-like interior spaces.
The method was inspired by Italian building traditions and was used in the construction of several famous basilicas in Southern Europe. In Denmark, only a handful of buildings were constructed using the same principles – one of them is the dome of Christiansborg Palace Chapel.

The Castle Field Barn is also Denmark's largest thatched barn, which makes the building unique and well worth a visit.

A careful restoration
An extensive restoration of the Castle Field Barn was made possible with support from Realdania and ECCO. The project spanned two years and had a total budget of approximately nine million Danish kroner.

In 2015, Realdania also contributed to funding a major repair after the barn sustained damage during a storm in 2013. The restoration was carried out with great respect for the building's original character and craftsmanship.

Visit the Castle Field Barn
On selected days, the Castle Field Barn is open to the public. Inside, the building's impressive dimensions and distinctive atmosphere truly come into their own.

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The golden horns at Schackenborg

A find that reached into eternity

On 20 July 1639, a young girl named Kirstine Svendsdatter was making her way towards Møgeltønder when she came upon a discovery whose significance she could not possibly have imagined. Near Gallehus, close to Schackenborg Castle, she found an ancient horn. A rather unremarkable hunting horn was the initial assumption.

In reality, she had just lifted one of the greatest gold finds in Danish history from the ground.

Ninety-five years later, on 21 April 1734, the second gold horn was found in the same field. This time it was the smallholder Erik Lassen who made the sensational discovery.

Both horns dated from the Germanic Iron Age in the 5th century and were richly decorated with intricate motifs of humans, animals and mythical creatures, executed with a craftsmanship that speaks of both great technical skill and ritual significance. And, of course, they were covered in gold.

The theft that shocked the nation
The finders were rewarded – one with rigsdaler, the other with a skirt — while the horns were handed over to the king and kept at the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities in Copenhagen. The horns quickly acquired great significance and became a symbol of Danish national romanticism, taking centre stage in Adam Oehlenschläger's poem Guldhornene.

The vast amount of gold eventually proved too great a temptation. On 6 May 1802, an impoverished goldsmith and watchmaker named Niels Heidenreich stole the Gold Horns.
Before the theft was discovered, he had already melted them down. The originals were lost forever – but the stories and myths surrounding them only grew.

Copies, disappearance and rediscovery
The Gold Horns have since been copied several times. And stolen.
One of the earliest copies from the 19th century was stolen in 2007 when the horns had been loaned by the National Museum for an exhibition at Kongernes Jelling. The thieves believed the horns were made of solid gold, but they were in fact fashioned from gilded silver.

The horns were fortunately recovered and are today held at the National Museum, where they continue to fascinate visitors.

The Gold Horns at Schackenborg today
The story of the Gold Horns remains a living part of Schackenborg's ongoing narrative. In one of the castle's most impressive rooms, the Red Drawing Room, a portrait of Prince Joachim hangs alongside a reproduction of the Gold Horns.

Copies of the Gold Horns are also displayed in the castle's beautiful Winter Room and can be seen during one of our fascinating guided tours of the castle – where the threads between past and present are woven together, right where history unfolded.

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The story of Schackenborg

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Schackenborg Castle

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The story of Schackenborg

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