Broholm Castle

Broholm is a private estate and manor house, first mentioned in 1326 when owned by Absalon Jonsen Ulfeldt. From 1641, it was inherited by the Skeel and Sehested families for whom it was the seat from 1759 to 1930. The main wing with its round tower was built for Otte Skeel in 1644. In 1839, it was renovated in the Neo-Gothic style by Gustav Friedrich Hetsch. The corner tower was added in 1895 and the south wing in 1905. Substantial renovation and adaptation work was carried out in the 1920s and the 1950s. Part of the premises has now been converted into a hotel. There is also a museum of antiquities on the estate.

The Museum of North Antiquities is part of the manor and it has 10,000 antiquaries collected by Sehested, then (1881), owner of the manor. These antiquaries are a collection from an area of 5 miles (8.0 km) around the manor house. These finds are dated to the stone, bronze and iron ages. In addition, some gold ornaments were also found on the estate. Excavations revealed the Broholm gold hoard with an approximate weight of 4.15 kg. Deemed to be the biggest gold hoard of the country from the Migration Period, items include golden bracteates, as well as necklaces and pieces worn on the arm.

The estate is also famous for breeding of Broholmer dogs, of the St. Bernard Dog class of dogs with short hair with links to the pedigree of German Bulldog. These dogs are reported to be a common sight in the Copenhagen neighborhood. It is a national breed and the Copenhagen Kennel Club was charged with breeding them and establishing their pedigree. The Danish dog is also reported to be closely related to the English Mastiff. The better specimens are bred in the Broholm estate and hence given the name Broholmer Dogs.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Broholmsvej 32B, Gudme, Denmark

Details

Founded: 1644
Category: Castles and fortifications in Denmark
Historical period: Early Modern Denmark (Denmark)