“Imagine settling here,” Jens Hviding perhaps mused in 1328. He was the first known owner of Rolsøgaard. This estate stands on Mols, a peninsula separating Knebel Vig from Kaløvig. We are southwest of Vrinners and northwest of Knebel in Rolsø Sogn, Syddjurs Municipality.
Rolsøgaard’s history stretches back centuries. Once, the estate was part of the now-vanished village of Rolse. The village was abandoned in the late 1600s. The original main building was a three-winged timber-framed structure. It was built around 1695. Christian Ludvig Hansen constructed the current main wing in red brick in 1880.
Look closely at the side wings. They showcase the timber framing from Hans Jacobsen’s construction around 1695. These wings remain largely unchanged. They underwent thorough renovation between 1955 and 1965. The farm buildings burned down in 1922. The existing farm buildings were erected in 1925.
Notice the small lake west of the main building. This is all that remains of Rolsøgaard’s original moat. In 2011, the estate covered 122 hectares. 105 hectares were farmland. About 300 meters north of Rolsøgaard sits Rolsø Chapel.
Rolsøgaard has seen many owners throughout its long history. After Jens Hviding came Morten Nielsen in 1448. Gunde Nielsen followed in 1511. Then came Jørgen Gundesen from 1561. Mikkel Nielsen Hvas was also an owner. Erik Krag owned Rolsøgaard from 1576 to 1606. Jørgen Krag briefly held it in 1606. Hans Skade took over in 1606.
In 1655, Vogn Hvas became the owner until 1662. Kirsten Skade, married to Hvas, owned it until 1669. Jesper Vognsen owned Rolsøgaard from 1669 to 1687. Jens Vognsen held it from 1687 to 1689. Otto Andreas von Lindenquist owned it from 1689 to 1691. Bodil Pedersdatter, widow of Nielsen and later wife of Jacobsen, acquired it in 1691.
Hans Jacobsen owned Rolsøgaard from 1693 to 1706. Joachim Gersdorff was the owner from 1706 to 1745. Christian Gersdorff owned it from 1745 to 1757. The Gersdorff estate owned it until 1760. Joachim Gersdorff then owned it from 1760 to 1768. Thorn Thornson owned Rolsøgaard from 1768 to 1789. The Thornson estate held it until 1790.
Iver Hansen acquired Rolsøgaard in 1790 and owned it until 1807. Erik Christian Müller owned it from 1807 to 1811. Lorents Petersen owned it from 1811 to 1816. Niels Poulsen owned Rolsøgaard from 1816 to 1830. Dorte Dinesdatter, widow of Poulsen, owned it from 1830 to 1832. Jens Risager Poulsen owned it from 1832 to 1844. Poul Risager Poulsen owned it from 1832 to 1878. Christian Ludvig Hansen owned it from 1878 to 1906. Poul Hansen owned Rolsøgaard from 1906 to 1926. J. Petersen then owned it.
Anton Ovesen owned it until 1944. Enkefru Ovesen owned it from 1944 to 1946. J. Sørensen took over in 1946. Since 1993, Niels-Ole Jensen has owned Rolsøgaard.
Hans Jacobsen expanded Rolsøgaard in 1695. He received permission to demolish the village of Rolsø and incorporate the land into the estate. In 1922, a fire devastated the farm. Afterward, part of the land was sold to Statens Jordlovsudvalg. This led to the creation of ten state smallholdings, forming the village of Rolsø.
The main building we see today largely reflects renovations from the late 1800s. Christian Ludvig Hansen rebuilt the main wing in 1880. Its details around the windows and doors reflect the historicist architecture of that time. The side wings are much older, dating back to Hans Jacobsen’s construction around 1695.
Rolsøgaard stands as a testament to centuries of history. Its architecture and land tell a story of ownership, expansion, and change. The estate remains an important part of the Mols landscape.