The Story of Schackenborg
Schackenborg Castle is not just the tale of a royal couple beloved by the people but also the story of a family spanning 11 generations and Denmark's most famous gold discovery. It is the history of a castle on the border between countries and landscapes, with significance that extends beyond the entire realm.
Before Schackenborg became Schackenborg
Lush farmland and a strategic location have made the area around Schackenborg attractive and prosperous since ancient times. No one knows for sure when or by whom the first settlers arrived on the lands of Schackenborg, but the area has likely been inhabited since ancient times.
A few kilometers from Schackenborg, Denmark’s richest and most sensational gold find was discovered when two beautiful and elaborate gold horns from the 5th century were found with almost 100 years apart. They bear witness to an area that was already fertile and prosperous in the Germanic Iron Age.
Before Denmark became Christian in the 9th century, there probably was a large farm where Schackenborg stands today, and it is likely that there was a fortress around 1050, in the early Middle Ages. While the earliest history of Schackenborg’s land is associated with significant uncertainty, the story becomes more concrete in the 13th century. In 1234, Møgeltønderhus is mentioned for the first time in written historical records. Møgeltønderhus is the castle that Hans Schack received from King Frederik III over 400 years later and the place where he later built Schackenborg.
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Møgeltønderhus and the powerful bishops
In the High Middle Ages in the 1200s, when Møgeltønderhus was built, the church in Denmark was a powerful force with vast land holdings and significant political influence. The church was organized into dioceses, and the Danish bishops were simultaneously church leaders, landlords, and politicians, enforcing ecclesiastical jurisdiction and legal authority.
The castle Møgeltønderhus, along with the adjacent lands and estates, as well as the entire town of Møgeltønder, was owned by the Bishopric of Ribe. The decision by the Bishop of Ribe to place a castle here was by no means accidental, even though it was a full day’s ride from Ribe. Møgeltønderhus served as the southern outpost of the bishopric, built partly to protect the waterway from the Vidå River to Tønder and partly as a defense against enemies from the south.
It was the tenant farmers who cultivated the lands around Møgeltønderhus. They had to pay a land rent—an annual fee to the landowner for using the buildings and land of the tenancy—and perform “hoveri,” meaning they had to carry out labor for the landowner on or for the estate to which the tenancy belonged. Tenant farmers were also required to pay taxes to the king and tithes to the church. Tithes represented a tenth of the farmers’ harvest. The funds collected were used for the construction of churches throughout Denmark, including Møgeltønder Church, which is the second-largest village church in Denmark.
Leveled with the ground
Møgeltønderhus was one of the bastions of the Danish crown and church in the struggle with the Holstein counts, which flared up periodically. To secure the interests of the bishop and the crown, Møgeltønderhus, along with the surrounding lands and estates, was incorporated into the Kingdom of Denmark around 1400 as a so-called enclave. These were areas located in the Slesvig region of Southern Jutland but separated administratively from the duchy and subject to Danish royal law.
The battles with the Holstein counts took a toll on Møgeltønderhus and it was destroyed at least three times – in 1265, 1285, and 1434. In 1434, it was so devastated that the Bishop of Ribe more or less had to have Møgeltønderhus rebuilt from scratch. This required both money and labor, and the local farmers provided both.
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A genuine medieval castle
We don’t know exactly what the medieval castle Møgeltønderhus looked like, and it has undoubtedly changed its appearance through the many reconstructions – but we know that Møgeltønderhus was a genuine medieval castle with towers, dungeons, and a ladies’ chamber – surrounded by a large moat.
Very few medieval building remnants from the original Møgeltønderhus have been preserved. Therefore, there are still many unanswered questions. For instance, when a light snowfall occurs in the current inner courtyard of Schackenborg, and it quickly melts away, there is an area of about 12 x 12 meters where the snow lingers a bit longer. Something beneath the surface in this location prevents the snow from melting. Perhaps it is the foundation of Møgeltønderhus’ large tower. This answer, along with many others, is hidden beneath Schackenborg’s cobblestones.
Møgeltønderhus comes into the king's possession
Far into the Middle Ages, church and royal power went hand in hand. The royal authority ensured substantial holdings for the church, and the successive kings and noblemen were the driving force behind the massive construction activity that ensured a church in every parish.
Conversely, the church was an important factor in the development of state administration. At the same time, in the late Middle Ages, the Catholic Church had become an increasingly powerful force in society that was not willing to simply conform to royal authority. The nobility and freeholding farmers also saw the church as a threat in the struggle for land.
From the south, new winds began to blow with the German priest Martin Luther’s call for a renewal or reformation of the Catholic Church. In Denmark, the two church directions finally clashed in the so-called Count’s Feud from 1534-1536, which was won by the supporters of the Reformation.
With the Reformation in 1536, both the Middle Ages and the era of Catholicism came to an end in Denmark. The possessions of the Catholic Church now passed to the throne, and this also applied to Møgeltønderhus. Here, the last episcopal castellan had to surrender the castle and the underlying estate to the new royal castellan, Detlef Ahlefeldt, who received the fief as a mortgage in exchange for an annual payment to the king.
Visionary Men and Peasant Oppressors
Over the following approximately 125 years, Møgeltønderhus had both varying royal castellans and noble owners, as well as geographical expansion. It can be said that the castellans and owners were also of varying quality. For example, Detlef Ahlefeldt was both initiative-driven and skillful. He initiated a significant restoration of Møgeltønderhus and also had dikes built in places like Højer and Rudbøl. It is thanks to him that the reclamation of the South Jutlandic marshes began. At the same time, he was very careful to ensure that the farmers were not overloaded with work.
Quite different was Bendix Rantzau, who started as the castellan and later became the owner of Møgeltønderhus, which he bought from the king. During his period at Møgeltønderhus from 1573 to 1599, life was tough for the farmers. Forced labor and land rent were significantly increased, and Bendix Rantzau was not hesitant to use harsh methods against the resistant farmers. He earned a somewhat notorious reputation as a true oppressor of peasants, and the farmers complained to the king several times. The oppression only ceased when Christian IV repurchased the fief from Bendix Rantzau for 70,000 rigsdalers in 1599. Subsequently, Møgeltønderhus returned to the throne and to a series of different castellans appointed by the king. It remained this way until 1661 when new dramatic events in Denmark’s history led to a war hero coming to Møgeltønderhus and transforming it into Schackenborg Castle.
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When Hans Schack acquired Schackenborg
Schackenborg Castle was built in 1664 on the foundation of the old castle Møgeltønderhus, which Count and Field Marshal Hans Schack received from King Frederick III.
Hans Schack was born in 1609 into a North German noble family, and he began his military career at the young age of 13. Over the course of his career, he earned great respect and a reputation as a skilled field marshal and, notably, an expert in fortress construction. Hans Schack employed his military strategic abilities in the service of Sweden, Germany, and France. He held a prominent position in the Danish army and, in return, became a loyal supporter of the Danish king, who rewarded him with important offices, orders, and, most importantly, several landholdings, including the Møgeltønder fief. Schack was appointed a field marshal and became extremely popular throughout the country, rising to become one of the most powerful men in the realm. In 1663, Hans Schack received Denmark’s highest order, the Order of the Elephant, and in 1671, he was elevated to the title of count, thus joining the Danish nobility.
After the Swedish wars, Møgeltønderhus was nearly in ruins, prompting Schack to demolish most of the old buildings and begin the construction of a castle on the foundation of the old fortress. One of the buildings allowed to stand was the Ladies’ House, which is now the southern wing of Schackenborg. Hans Schack also chose to keep the gatehouse and, notably, the moat, likely reflecting his extensive knowledge of fortifications. Hans Schack built Schackenborg as a three-winged baroque castle, reflecting the dominant style of the time. Originally, the castle was constructed with red bricks, and it wasn’t until the 1750s that Schackenborg took on its current appearance with plastered, white walls.
Hans Schack and his wife, Anna Blome, moved into the castle in 1668, and in 1671, when Hans Schack was elevated to the title of count, Schackenborg received its new name. The couple had seven children but experienced the great sorrow of losing five of them.
Schackenborg’s lands were scattered, so Hans Schack consolidated all the land through new acquisitions. In 1661, for example, he purchased the old episcopal estate near Ballum, and in 1664, he acquired Gram Castle, in addition to owning estates and lands in several other locations in Denmark.
11 Generations of the Schack Family at Schackenborg
When Hans Schack died of illness on February 27, 1676, he was buried with great pomp and splendor in Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen, as befitting one of Denmark’s greatest field marshals. He left behind a distinguished legacy in the form of the county of Schackenborg and approximately 2,500 barrels of land, which in the following many hundred years and generations were inhabited and managed by the descendants of Hans Schack.
Schackenborg first passed to Hans Schack’s son, Otto Didrik Schack, who, like his father, was closely connected to the Danish royal house. However, Otto Didrik died already in 1682, after which his widow, Sophie Dorothea Schack, took over the administration of Schackenborg. She beautified Schackenborg and, among other things, had the park south of Schackenborg laid out by the road into Møgeltønder.
And so the story continued at Schackenborg, where each generation left its mark on the castle and the area. Some left greater imprints on history than others – including Hans Schack II, who earned the nickname “Silver Arm” when he lost an arm in battle and received a silver prosthetic. His widowed Countess Anna Sophie Schack, on the other hand, earned the nickname “The Evil Countess” due to her unusually harsh treatment of an unwanted daughter-in-law and her strict and harsh management of Schackenborg’s operations. Despite the unflattering nickname, she was one of the strong women in Danish history and, at her death, one of Denmark’s largest landowners.
Hans Schack V became a recognized Egyptologist and a skilled photographer. It was also he who, in the 1870s, facilitated Schackenborg’s transition from hereditary leasehold to property and purchased several properties for the estate. His son, Count Otto Didrik Schack V, played a significant role in a challenging period in the history of Schackenborg and Southern Jutland, namely during the years when Southern Jutland became a small and distant province in the Greater German Empire.
Otto Didrik Schack V had a great understanding of the German minority, which, with the new border delineation, had now become Danish. In all respects, Otto Didrik Schack worked to ease tensions in the borderland’s contradictions, and he was a highly respected district governor for Tønder until his death in 1949.
The last Schack at Schackenborg was Hans Schack VI, the third child and only son of Otto Didrik Schack. Hans Schack was married to Karin Grethe Olsen, and since they had no children, Hans Schack VI handed over the castle to His Royal Highness Prince Joachim in 1978 – when the prince was just nine years old. Hans Schack VI died at the age of 70 in 2000 and is buried in Møgeltønder Cemetery.
Slotfeltladen
Next to Schackenborg Castle is the impressively beautiful and large “Slotfeltlade” (Castle Field Barn). The barn belongs to the castle and is today a popular tourist destination, as well as being used for exhibitions. Visitors can also watch a short film about the restoration of Slotfeltladen, Schackenborg, and especially the discovery of the Golden Horns.
Slotfeltladen was built in the mid-19th century when Schackenborg was one of Denmark’s largest farms. The large barn was used for storing hay, among other things, and it remained in use until 2008.
Slotfeltladen is built according to the same principles as a basilica because its size required a special construction technique. In the mid-19th century, when laminated wood was not yet known, plank trusses were used instead, which were planks bolted together. This allowed for the construction of larger roofs and domes. This technique was known in Italy, where it was used in the construction of several famous basilicas and buildings. Only a very few buildings in Denmark are constructed with plank trusses, such as Slotfeltladen – one of them being the dome of Christiansborg Palace Church. Slotfeltladen is also Denmark’s largest barn with a thatched roof.
Realdania and ECCO financed a total restoration of Slotfeltladen. It was an enormous project that spanned two years and cost nine million DKK. Realdania again contributed to financing a major repair of Slotfeltladen after the storm in 2013 in 2015.
Slotfeltladen is open to the public on selected days.
Please note that Slotfeltladen may be occupied for concerts and other cultural events.
The Golden Horns at Schackenborg
When the young girl Kirstine Svendsdatter found an old hunting horn very close to Schackenborg Castle on her way to Møgeltønder on June 27, 1639, she did not know that she held Denmark’s largest gold discovery in her hands.
95 years later, on April 21, 1734, the smallholder Erik Lassen found the second golden horn in the same field. The horns date back to the Germanic Iron Age in the 5th century and were both beautifully and intricately decorated with motifs of humans, animals, and mythical creatures.
The large amount of gold became too tempting for the poor goldsmith and watchmaker Niels Heidenreich. On May 6, 1802, he stole the horns from the Royal Art Cabinet and managed to melt them down before being discovered and captured almost a year later.
The Golden Horns have been copied several times, and the first replica from the 19th century was stolen in 2007 when it was on loan from the National Museum in Copenhagen to ‘Kongernes Jelling’ in Jelling. The thieves believed that the horns were made of real gold and not just gilded silver.
The horns were recovered and are now exhibited at the National Museum.
In one of Schackenborg’s most impressive rooms, the Red Room, there is a painting of Prince Joachim together with a reproduction of the Golden Horns.
The same reproduction stands in the beautiful Winter Room in the castle, which you can see during guided tours of the castle.
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Experience Sønderjylland
Schackenborg Castle is located in the idyllic Møgeltønder, just a few kilometers from the border to Germany. Combine your visit to Schackenborg with other delightful experiences in Southern Jutland. Explore, for example, Tøndermarsh, Museum South Jutland, take a stroll in the charming Slotsgade, and immerse yourself in the Southern Jutlandic atmosphere.Schackenborg Slot ligger i idylliske Møgeltønder få kilometer fra landegrænsen til Tyskland. Kombinér dit besøg på Schackenborg med andre skønne oplevelser i Sønderjylland. Besøg fx Tøndermarsken, Museum Sønderjylland, gå en tur i den hyggelige Slotsgade og få den sønderjyske stemning ind under huden.
