Trippendals Galge Stone

In 1791, Trippendals Galge witnessed its last execution. A chilling tale surrounds this somber place. Trippendals Galge served as the execution site for Smørum Herred. It was located on the border between Herstedøster and Herstedvester parishes. The gallows stood on a flat, open field, right next to the old road between Copenhagen and Roskilde. Today, Albertslund Riding Club occupies the very ground where justice was once served. The execution site was established in 1680. However, its use likely dates back to the establishment of the courthouse around 1577. Trippendals Galge, meaning “three-legged gallows,” was likely a three-legged structure. It had crossbeams at the top, between the three posts or legs. Each crossbeam could hold two bodies. This allowed for six people to be hanged simultaneously. The bodies were left hanging until they decomposed. The fallen remains were then buried around the gallows hill. Burying criminals in consecrated ground within churchyards was forbidden. Trippendals Galge wasn’t solely used for hangings. Executions also included beheadings by axe or sword, and breaking on the wheel while still alive. Less lethal punishments were also carried out at the site. These included whipping, branding, and the amputation of fingers or entire hands. In 1933, during excavations for the Herstedvester transmitter, skeletal remains were discovered a few hundred meters east of Trippendals Galge. These remains, originating from burials at the execution site, are now housed at the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Panum Institute. The last person executed at Trippendals Galge was Inger Olsdatter. She had given birth to a stillborn child and subsequently killed the infant. She was sentenced to death. The child’s father had received a pardon from King Christian VII. Tragically, the pardon didn’t reach Trippendals Galge in time to stop the execution. The residential area Galgebakken, meaning “gallows hill,” derives its name from this historical execution site. Trippendals Galge stands as a stark reminder of a darker chapter in Danish history.