Højbygård is a manor house and estate located on the island of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...

in southeastern

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. It has since 1825 belonged to members of the Lehn family. The current main building is from the 18th century but has been altered several times.

History

Højbygaard and the village of Højby are first mentioned in 1397 when it was owned by squire Iven Bramsted. A later owner was Axel Gøye. It was later owned by members of the Walkendorff family before it was transferred to Erik Krummedige through marriage in 1475. His son, Claus Krummedige, adapted the main building towards the end of the century and surrounded it by ramparts and moats. His daughter, Drude, brought the estate into her marriage with Marshal of the Realm Otte Krumpen. After Jrumpen's death, Højbygård was passed on to his relative Helvig Ulfeldt. Helvig Ulfeldt's son, Knud Bille, expanded the estate significantly with more land. Henrik Rantzau purchased Højbygård from Knud Bille's son Holger in 1638. The two next owners were also from the Rantzau family. Højbygård was in 1685 taken over by the Crown as a result of tax arrears. It was in 1718 included in the local cavalry district. The cavalry district was dissolved in 1725 and Højbygaard was then sold in auction to

Abraham Lehn Abraham Lehn (10 May 1702 – 31 July 1757) was a Denmark, Danish landowner. He owned the estates Højbygård, Fuglsang Manor, Fuglsang, Priorskov and Berritsgård on Lolland as well as the Lehn House and other property in Copenhagen. He was a ...

. Lehn acquired Fuglsang and Priorskov the following year and Berritsgård in 1729. He was raised to the peerage under the name Lehn in 1731. He improved the management of his estates, for instance by introducing so-called Holstein rotation (''Holsteinsk drift'' or ''kobbelbrug'') I the 1750s, After Abrahm Lehn's death in 1757, Højbygaard and Berritsgård was passed to his son

Poul Abraham Lehn Poul Abraham Lehn (9 October 1732 – 24 October 1804), Baron of Lehn and Baron of Guldborgland, was a feudalism, feudal baron of the Danish nobility, Danish and Norwegian nobility and one of the greatest landowners of his time in Denmark. Biogr ...

. In 1780, Lehn was created baron when Berritsgård and

Orebygård Orebygaard is a manor house and estate located on Lolland in southeastern Denmark. The current main building, a Renaissance Revival architecture, Neo-Renaissance style building with two towers, is from 1872 to 1874. It was listed on the Listed bu ...

was converted into the Barony of Guldborgland. He acquired Lungholm in 1784. In 1803, he converted Højbygård, Lungholm and Lungholm into a so-called , Sønderkarle, which was ceded to his daughter Johanne Frederikke Lehn. She was married to Frederik Wallmoden of Fuglsang. The legal effect of a was that it could not be sold, mortgaged or divided between heirs. After Johanne Lehn's death in 1805, Poul Godske von Bertouch was created baron under the name Bertouch-Lehn and Sønderkarle was passed to her nephew Poul Godske von Bertouch from Søholt. In 1819, Stamhuset Sønderkarle was converted into a barony. Bertouch-Lehn resided at Lungholm while Højbygaard was used as residence for the estate manager. The land was from 1880 leased by

De Danske Sukkerfabrikker () was a Denmark, Danish sugar manufacturing company established in 1872 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It played a central role in the development of a thriving Danish sugar industry based on sugar beets from Lolland-Falster, Møn and Funen. The compan ...

and used for cultivation of sugar beets. Højbygaard Sugar Factory (originally the Lolland Sugar Factory) was built on the estate in 1872-74. The Barony of Sønderkarle was as a result of the ''lensafløsningsloven'' of 1919 dissolved in 1925. Part of the land was converted into 44 smallholdings. Poul Abraham Bertouch-Lehn died in 1928 and his widow Sophie Bertouch-Lehn stayed on the estate until her death in 1937. It was then passed on to their son Rudolph Bertouch-Lehn. Højbygaard and Lungholm were once again united when Rudolph Bertouch-Lehn inherited Lungholm in 1961.

List of owners

* (1397- ) Iven Bramsted * ( -1420) Axel Mogensen Gøye * (1420 – ) Inger Gøye, gift Walkendorff * (1420–1464) Henning Walkendorff * (1445–1477) Karen Henningsdatter Walkendorff * (1477–1500) Claus Krummedige * (1500–1521) Drude Krummedige * (1521–1555) Otte Krumpen * (1555) Helvig Hartvigsdatter Ulfeldt, gift Bille * (1555–1590) Steen Bille * (1590–1616) Knud Steensen Bille * (1616–1638) Holger Bille * (1638–1644) Henrik Rantzau * (1644–1670) Henrik Rantzau * (1670–1686) Christopher Rantzau * (1686–1725) The Crown * (1725–1757)

* (1757–1804)

* (1804–1805) Johanne Poulsdatter Lehn, gift Wallmoden * (1805–1831) Poul Godske von Bertouch-Lehn * (1831–1905) Johan Julian Sophus Ernst Bertouch-Lehn * (1905–1928) Poul Abraham Bertouch-Lehn * (1928–1937) Sophie Bertouch-Lehn * (1937–1940) Boet efter Sophie Bertouch-Lehn * (1940–1976) Rudolph Bertouch-Lehn * (1976–1986) Poul Christian de Bertouch-Lehn * (1986–2011) Eric Rudolph de Bertouch-Leh * (2011– ) Nicolas de Bertouch-Lehn

References

External links

Source
{{coord, 54.69623, 11.44849, format=dms, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title Listed buildings and structures in Lolland Municipality Manor houses in Lolland Municipality Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark