“Ommestorp” a name whispered on the wind. That’s what Ommestrup was originally called. Can you imagine the scene? A small village nestled on Djursland a thousand years ago.
Ommestrup a humble village in Syddjurs Kommune has a history stretching back to at least 1430. It wasn’t always so quiet. Once it boasted a school a high school and even two brickworks. These are all gone now. Only memories remain.
But the story of Ommestrup is much older. Aage Sørensen a respected local historian suggested a fascinating origin. The name might derive from a man named Omær. Omær a Viking age man perhaps. He and his family may have settled here. They chose a spot on a hill overlooking a natural hollow. A defensible position in those lawless times.
Omær’s farmstead grew. It became Ommestrupgård a substantial manor house. Other settlers arrived creating the village that grew around the natural water source. Ommestrupgård is mentioned in written sources from 1430. Sir Lange Ove from Gravlevgård owned it then. He was connected to the noble Udsen family. They fell on hard times leading to the bishop of Aarhus taking over.
Legal battles followed. Documents from 1483 to 1499 detail disputes between the bishopric and Essenbæk monastery. The arguments concerned boundary lines between Ugelbølle and Ommestrup.
After the Reformation in 1575 Ommestrupgård became a royal property. But it soon returned to the nobility. The Rosenkrantz family owned it. They also built Rosenholm and Skaføgård around that time.
In 1608 the manor split. It was divided between brothers Niels and Jens Bassesen. The division cut right through the courtyard separating the north and south sections. You can still see the lines on the cadastral map.
Tragedy struck in 1681. Fire destroyed the twin farms. They were rebuilt but another fire ended their story in 1840. The buildings were old and dilapidated some dating back to the 1681 fire. The owners chose not to rebuild in the same location. They moved to a better spot closer to the fields. Only the name Ommestrupgårde survived reflecting the past connection. The twin farms are gone but their story continues in this small Danish village. A story of Vikings nobles and fires. A story of Ommestrup.