PEASANT GARDENS ON THE ISLAND OF ALS
AND SUNDEVED
DANFOSS: MODERN AND OLD
The high technological enterprise Danfoss was founded in 1933 by the
manufacturer Mads Clausen at his birthplace in Elsmark on the island of
Als. By the enterprise a magnificent Science Center, Danfoss Universe,
with exciting architecture and garden culture was established in 2005.
The garden is landscaped by the English company Gillespies Landscape
Designs in co-operation with the landscape architects Rumpf, Germany.
The style of the peasant gardens was characterized by the urban culture of
Northern Europe. In consequence the peasant gardens have changed keeping up with the latest fashion. In the 19th century they were characterized
by flowerbeds and kitchen gardens fenced by box hedges. Later the gardens
grew more “scenic” and about 1900 shaped yew trees were popular. In the
18th and 19th centuries the fences to the street usually were stone walls with
weaved branches on the top, but later on iron fences (about 1900-1910) and
sectional boards between pillars (about 1930-40) were used.
PARKS AND GARDEN CULTURE
in Sønderborg municipality
Orchard in Broballe
Good examples of farms in the Slesvig style with gardens can be seen in the village
Holm by Nordborg (among other places at Møllegade 68 and 74 and at the newly
restored “Jolmanns Gård”, Møllegade 15). Private property.
WORKMEN'S GARDENS
A preserved smallholders' garden with box hedges from about 1850 can be seen
at Lambjergskovvej 14, Vollerup, Als. Private property.
Fine shaped yew trees from about
1900 can be seen among other places at “Blommesgård” in Kettingskov
(Østkystvejen 54), by “Kobbelsgård”
in Kegnæs (Nørre Landevej) and in a
smallholders' garden in Købingsmark
(Møllebækvej 4). Private property.
From the 18th century up to now Flensborg Fjord was the leading tileworks
area in Slesvig-Holsten and Denmark. The old tileworks Cathrinesminde
by Broager is now a tileworks museum. At the tileworks a wing with three
workmens’s houses has been preserved. The houses as well as the gardens
have been reconstructed, so today there is a house and a garden from each
of the years 1890, 1930 and 1960. The gardens are taken care of by volunteers.
The birthplace of Mads Clausen – a typical Als farm from the period
1890-1914 – has been preserved and fitted out for the Danfoss Museet
in connection with the Danfoss Universe. The front garden and the small
public park in front of the farm are typical of the garden culture on the
island of Als; the red and white roses symbolize the Danish disposition of
this neighbourhood.
Danfoss Universe and the Danfoss Museet in Elsmark, Als (Mads Patent Vej 1) are
open all the year from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m./10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A beautiful garden from 1875, simplified in a modern style, can be seen at “Knøs’
Gård” (Vestervej 1-3) in Hørup on the island of Als. Free access (library and community centre).
Many farms on the island of Als and Sundeved are in the Slesvig style with
stable and farmhouse in a long house – contrary to the Danish four-winged
farms and the Hallenhäuser in North Germany. That is why the farms on the
island of Als and Sundeved often have yard and ornamental garden facing
the street, while the kitchen garden and the fruit garden are to the back of the
farm. Many farms have the main entry in connection with the front garden.
This is contrary to others parts of Denmark, where you usually enter through
the gate to the farmhouse door!
The tileworks museum is
from 1st of May to 30th of
Sept. open every day from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. (Except mondays). Access to the gardens
24 hours a day.
Front page: Garden walk in Gråsten
Text: Peter Dragsbo
Translation to German:Wiebke Johnsen
Translation to English: Beate Gredsted Hansen
Photos: Christian Balslev, Poul Iversen,
Hans Arne Madsen and Peter Dragsbo
Layout: Lene Brunsgård
Editors: Museum Sønderjylland – Sønderborg Castle,
Holiday region Sønderborg
and Sønderborg municipality
Print: Als Offset ApS, 2008
A guide
PARKS AND GARDEN CULTURE
in Sønderborg municipality
Sønderborg is the municipality with the 4 princely castles.
Sønderborg and Nordborg castles are royal castles from
the Middle Ages. The ducal castle in Augustenborg was
new established in 1651 and the manor house in Gråsten
became ducal seat in 1725. At the castles there are still
remnants of fine baroque gardens and scenic parks.
Nordborg
THE PALACE PARKS
Augustenborg Castle
Gråsten Castle
The castle in Augustenborg was
founded in 1651, but the present
castle dates from 1770-76. Of the
baroque garden two fine lime tree
avenues passing through the wood
to the west of the castle have been
preserved. Earlier there were follies
and temples in the park. In 1796-98
it was changed into a scenic style;
here you can see the lime tree of H.C.
Andersen. Augustenborg, too, was
praised by Hirschfeld for the beautiful promenades with a view to the
inlet of Augustenborg.
From about 1550 to 1725 the castle in Gråsten belonged to the noble family
Ahlefeldt. From 1725 to 1852 and from 1866 to 1921 it belonged to the ducal
family of Augustenborg. In 1921 the castle was taken over by the Danish
state and in 1935 it was given at the disposal of crown prince Frederik (later
King Frederik 9th) and princess Ingrid of Sweden (Queen Ingrid). Since then
the castle has been summer residence for the Danish royal family.
Danfoss
Free access (mental hospital).
Manor parks can be seen among other places at Sandbjerg by Sønderborg
and Ballegård by Snogbæk. In Hørup and Notmark on the island of Als there
are fine old vicarage gardens.
Free access to the park at Sandbjerg (owned by the Århus University).
THE FIRST TROWEL IN DENMARK
Nothing is left of the renaissance garden at the castle in Sønderborg. But
about 1620 the dukes of Sønderborg built a mansion in the main street,
Perlegade. At about 1650 it was taken over by Ernst Günther, the duke
of Augustenborg.
During the summer castle concerts
Augustenborg
Gråsten
Sønderborg
Cathrinesminde
The general garden culture on Als and Sundeved was
influenced by the palace gardeners and the first trowel
in the Kingdom of Denmark. The trowel was placed in
Sønderborg. Rare trees and urban garden culture still
characterize the peasant gardens in this neighbourhood.
An old baroque garden was in
the years 1757-80 replaced by
one of the oldest landscape gardens in northern Europe. The
garden with lakes and islands
connected by small bridges was
praised by the German garden
author C.C.L. Hirschfeld in the
book “Theorie der Gartenkunst”
1779-85. The various pavilions
and the temple at Hjertehøj have now disappeared, but the beautiful and
extensive park with the large lawns and old trees still makes impression.
After 1935 Queen Ingrid has re-laid and planted parts of the garden around
the castle with many beautiful roses and herbaceous borders, inspired by
English gardens (the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll, Bagshot Park) as well as the
garden culture of the Swedish royal family (Sofiero, Waldemarsudde).
At the end of the 17th century the famous Gravenstener apple was brought
to the garden from a monastery in the Savoy by count Frederik Ahlefeldt.
About 1750 the gardener Petersen grew various sorts of the apple, which
were quickly spread in this neighbourhood.
At the smallholding Møllebækvej 4,
Købingsmark you can find a beautiful
peasant garden from 1940.
Connected with the park there are still
several ponds with carps in use.
Free access from 7.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
A vegetable garden belonged to “Ernst Günthers Palæ”, the socalled “plant border” placed between Perlegade and Mariegade (earlier
Plantebed-gade – “plant border street”). The ornamental garden of the
mansion was placed to the west of Perlegade, at Østergade-Kastanie
Allé. In 1689 Peter Vothmann, the gardener, was employed in the garden, which he bought in 1726. The garden became the first trowel in the
Kingdom of Denmark. From the Vothmann garden numerous fruit trees
and ornamental trees were sold; in the 19th century a lot of ornamental
chestnuts, lime trees for avenues and coniferous trees for ornamental use
were sold. In 1821 the trowel was taken over by the Thomsen family and
it was closed at about 1910.
Only the trees in the park behind “Løveapoteket”, Perlegade 4, and the street names Kastanie
Allé and Gartnervænget in Sønderborg remind us of the Vothmann garden. Ernst Günthers
Palæ disappeared during the Prussian bombardment in 1864, but the garden wall including a
pavilion around the “plant border” in Mariegade has been preserved.
Nordborg Castle
The castle in Nordborg is from the
Middle Ages. The present castle was
built in 1676-78 and rebuilt in 1909.
From the 18th century a beautiful
lime tree avenue on the islet and the
lime trees around Ridepladsen in the
town have been preserved.
Private (continuation school).
The country gardens on the island of Als, Sundeved and Angel were from
the 18th century characterized by the gardeners and trowels in this neighbourhood. 100-150 years earlier than at other places in Denmark rare trees
gained a footing: chestnut, weeping ash, copper beech, walnut, mulberry,
tulip tree, Aurucaria, spruce and pine as well as the almost extinct Mespilus
Germanica. And from the orchards apples were sold to Sweden as well
as to Russia. Today the old orchards have almost
disappeared, but at the cider mill “Ryesminde” in
Mintebjerg on the island of Als you can buy fine
apple juice made from the Gravenstener apples in
this neighbourhood.
nA fine Mespilus Germanica can be seen by a farm in
Rinkenæs Nederby (Nederbyvej 97-99). Private property.