Peeking through the trees, Frijsenborg stands as a testament to centuries of Danish history. Welcome to Frijsenborg. This manor house and estate sits near Hammel northwest of Aarhus.
Its story began long before the Renaissance Revival architecture you see today. The village of Jernit stood here in the 15th century. King Christian III ordered the Jernit Parish combined with Hammel Parish. This led to the demolition of Jernit Church in 1558. In 1583, the king gave the village to Valdemar Parsberg. Parsberg demolished all the village buildings. He then constructed a Baroque manor, calling it Jernit.
In 1672, statesman Mogens Friis acquired the property. He renamed it Frijsenborg. The Danish Crown established the county of Frijsenborg. This included Jernit, Tulstrup, Lyngballegård, Hagsholm and Østergård. The county became one of Denmark’s largest. It covered 450 square kilometers. Friis received the estate to compensate him for losses in the Dano-Swedish War.
Frijsenborg underwent a significant transformation in the 1860s. Count Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs commissioned architect Ferdinand Meldahl to redesign and expand it. Meldahl transformed it into a luxurious manor in the Renaissance style. Three new wings were added. Tall steepled towers were erected. The original ground floor walls were maintained. A new storey was added to the west wing. Two-storied pavilions were built on the south and north wings. The work finished in 1867. Today’s building is considered one of the finest examples of Renaissance Revival architecture in Denmark.
Mogens, the count’s son, returned from England in 1880. He brought experience from the English nobility’s lifestyle. He fitted Frijsenborg with palatial furnishings and decorations. Since 1982, Bendt Tido Hannibal Wedell has owned the property.
Frijsenborg has undergone many changes. In the late 1500s, Valdemar Parsberg built a new main building. It was surrounded by moats and had octagonal towers at each end. In the early 1600s, a north and west wing were added.
Niels Friis began a major reconstruction around 1693. He moved the entrance to the east side. An octagonal tower was built on each end of the north wing. The building was whitewashed. Inside, baroque ceilings were installed in the Great Hall and side wings.
In 1818, Jens Christian Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs renovated the main building. It was simplified in the neoclassical style. Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs renovated Frijsenborg again in the late 1800s. Architect Ferdinand Meldahl led this project. The west wing was raised by one floor. The two round towers were heightened and decorated with ornamental spires. Pavilions were built at the ends of the north and south wings. The entire building was faced with red brick. Meldahl also renovated the interior. He added heavy oak doors, mirrors, marble columns and wall decorations.
Frijsenborg’s cultural environment was also improved. Jens Christian Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs restored the forest areas. A spruce alley was planted in the western part of the park. In the early 1800s, a burial mound was created in the eastern part of the Frijsenborg animal park. Mogens Christian Friis expanded the park in English style. Large lawns were laid out. The animal park was expanded.
While the building can be seen from the road, it is not open to the public. However its architectural grandeur remains a captivating sight. From its humble beginnings as the village of Jernit to its current status as a Renaissance masterpiece, Frijsenborg embodies the changing tides of Danish history.