Saltø is a manor house and estate located west of

Næstved Næstved () is a town in the municipality of the same name, located in the southern part of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Næstved has several adult education centers, five elementary schools - and has at least one of each type of the fou ...

in southeastern

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. The estate was acquired by

Carl Adolph von Plessen Carl Adolph von Plessen (18 May 1678 - 30 January 1758) was a Danish statesman and landowner. He played a central role during the early reign of Christian VI but fell out of favour at the court and resigned in 1733. He was a major stakeholder i ...

in 1725 and had been owned by the von Plessen family since then. The main building from the second half of the 16th century and two half-timbered buildings from the second half of the 18th century were listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918. The estate covers .

History

The first known owner of Saltø was Jacob Fleb. After his death in 1351, his children sold it to Nicolaus af Jura. In 1353, Nicolaus af Jura's son sold the estate to their relative Herman af Jura. In 1377, Saltø was acquired by Count Ernst af Gleichen. In 1386, he sold Saltø to

Margaret I Margaret I may refer to: * Margaret I, Countess of Flanders (died 1194) * Margaret I of Scotland (1283–1290), usually known as the Maid of Norway * Margaret I, Countess of Holland (1311–1356), Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland * Ma ...

. In 1393, she granted to the Diocese of Toskilde. After the Reformation, in 1536, it was confiscated by the crown along with all other church property. It was then administrated as a royal fief. In 1646,

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

ceded it to his son by

Kirsten Munk Kirsten Munk (sometimes "Christina Munk"; 6 July 1598 19 April 1658) was a Danish noble, the second spouse of King Christian IV of Denmark, and mother to twelve of his children. Early life and morganatic marriage Kirsten Munk was the daughter o ...

Valdemar Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Valdemar Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (1622–26 February 1656) was the son of king Christian IV of Denmark and his morganatic spouse Kirsten Munk. He had the title Count of Schleswig-Holstein. Biography Born as the youngest legitimate son ...

, in exchange for other property. Shortly thereafter, possibly already the same year, he sold it to his brother-in-law,

Corfitz Ulfeldt Count Corfits Ulfeldt (10 July 1606 – 20 February 1664) was a Danish statesman, and one of the most notorious traitors in Danish history. Early life Ulfeldt was the son of the chancellor Jacob Ulfeldt. He was educated abroad, concluding wi ...

, who then served as

Steward of the Realm Steward of the Realm ( Danish: Rigshofmester) was an office at the Royal Danish Court. With the coronation of Eric VII of Denmark it became an important office, taking over the role of the Seneschal (Danish: Drost) as the de facto prime minister of ...

. After Ulfeldt's fall from power, in 1651, Saltø was confiscated by the crown along with his other holdings. In 1858, he entered Swedish service and the Swedish king gave him his Danish estates back. In 1661, he lost his Danish estates again when he sought amnesty but was imprisoned in Gammerhus on Bornholm. After living for a time in concealment at

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, Ulfeldt moved to Stralsund in

Swedish Pomerania Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...

. In 1657, King Charles X of Sweden invaded Denmark. In July 1657, Ulfeldt responded to the King's invitation to enter his service. Sweden was Denmark's deadliest foe. Ulfeldt's purpose was twofold: humiliate his monarch and secure a personal fortune. He persuaded the commandant of

Nakskov Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is situated in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 12,495 (1 January 2022). To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the L ...

(a strategically crucial fortress) to surrender to Charles X, and did his best to convince his countrymen that resistance was useless. He even loaned the Swedish king a fortune to finance the war with money that, it is believed, was embezzled from the Danish state. Finally, as one of the Swedish negotiators at the

Treaty of Taastrup The Treaty of Taastrup (''Freden i Høje Taastrup Præstegård'') was a preliminary accord signed on 11 February 1658 between King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway. The treaty was signed at the Høje Taastru ...

, he was instrumental in assuring the humiliation of his native land. Ulfeldt's treason was rewarded by Charles X of Sweden with ennoblement as the

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Sölvesborg Sölvesborg (old da, Sølvesborg) is a locality and the seat of Sölvesborg Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 10,024 inhabitants in 2013. Sölvesborg is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to ...

Blekinge Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's secon ...

and he was in the same time given his Danish holdings back. He later returned to Copenhagen to try to make his peace with his lawful sovereign, who promptly imprisoned him and his wife. In the summer of 1660 they were conveyed to

Hammershus Hammershus is a medieval era fortification at Hammeren on the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm. The fortress was partially demolished around 1750 and is now a ruin. It was partially restored around 1900. History Hammershus was Sca ...

in Bornholm, as prisoners of state. In 1661, he gave up his Danish estates in exchange for his release. In 1668, Saltø was sold to Otto Pogwisch. He held several high offices but was heavily indebted. In 1681, he had to sell Saltø to Knud Thott. He was already to owner of Gavnø and Knudstrup. In 1693, he sold Saltø to Matthias Numsen. He had a military background and had served in the Scanian War. He was married to one of

Ole Worm Ole Worm (13 May 1588 – 31 August 1654), who often went by the Latinized form of his name Olaus Wormius, was a Danish physician, natural historian and antiquary. He was a professor at the University of Copenhagen where he taught Greek, Lati ...

's daughters. In 1701 he also purchased Fuglebjerggaard.

In 1725, Saltø was acquired by Carl Adolf von Plessen. Plessen had close ties to Frederik IV's brother, Prince

Carl Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...

, and was a member of the government (''Gehejmekonseillet'') from 1730. He was one of the largest landowners in the country. His other estates included Førslevgaard, Harrestedgård, Gunderslevholm, Kastrupgård, Fuglebjerggaard, Fodbygaard and Dronningelund. He was known for his many initiatives to improve the living conditions for the peasants on his estates, for instance by establishing numerous schools. Having no children, he placed his estates in a foundation, De plessiske fideikommisgodser. After his death in 1758, De plessiske fideikommisgodser was divided in two. One of them passed to his nephew Frederik Christian von Plessen and the other went to the three sons of his brother Mogens Scheel von Plessen. Frederik Christian von Plessen, who had no children, in 1763, ceded his estates to the four grand-nephews of the other line. In 1771, Saltø passed to Christian Ludvig Scheel von Plessen. He was already the owner of Fusingø and Lindholm and Selsø. The estate has later passed through the Scheel-Plessen line of the Plessen family.

Architecture

The main building is a two-storey, two, winged complex. The eastern part of the north wing dates from the late Middles Afes. The east wing and the western part of the north wing date from the second half of the 16th century. The main building and two half-timbered buildings from the second half of the 18th century were listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918.

Today

The current owner of Saltø is Carl-Alexander M. H., Count Plessen. The estate covers 1,050 hectares of land.

Cultural references

Saltø was used as a location in the 1961 film '' Landsbylægen''.

List of owners

* (1330) Jacob Fleb * (1351) Jacob Flebs børn * (1351- ) Nicolaus af Jura * ( -1353) Nicolaus af Juras søn * (1353-1377) Herman af Jura * (1377-1386) Grev Ernst af Gleichen * (1386-1396) Kronen * (1396-1536) Roskilde Bispestol * (1536-1646) Kronen * (1646)

* (1646-1661)

* (1661-1668) The Crown * (1668-1684) Otto Pogwisch * (1684-1686) Estate of Otto Pogwisch * (1686-1693) Knud Thott * (1693-1725) Mathias Numsen * (1725-1758)

* (1758-1763) Frederik Christian von Plessen * (1758-1771) Hairs of Carl Adolph von Plessen * (1771-1801)

Christian Ludvig Scheel von Plessen Christian Ludvig Scheel von Plessen (21 December 1741 - 25 October 1801) was a Danish landowner and county governor. Early life and education Christian Ludvig Scheel von Plessen was born at Fussingø near Randers, the son of Mogens Scheel von Pl ...

* (1801-1819) Mogens Scheel von Plessen * (1819-1853) Mogens Joachim Scheel-Plessen * (1853-1892) Carl Theodor August Scheel-Plessen * (1892-1924) Wulf Christian August von Plessen * (1924) Gustav Friedrich Hugo von Plessen * (1924-1949) Magnus Carl August Wilhelm Otto von Plessen * (1949- ) C.A.M.H.E. Scheel-Plessen * ( -present) Carl-Alexander M. H. Plessen

References

Works cited

External links

{{Commons
Source
Manor houses in Næstved Municipality Listed buildings and structures in Næstved Municipality Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark Buildings and structures of the Plessen family