Egholm, Lejre Municipality

Egholm traces its history back to the 13th century. Remains of a Romanesque castle is still seen at the site. It is believed that it was built for Jacob Nielsen, Count of Halland, a grandson of Valdemar II.[1] Egholm is first mention in written records in 1405 when it was owned by Predbjørn Podebusk. In 1419 he presented the estate to his nephew Henning Podebusk. In 1435, Henning Podebusk ceded it to his uncle's son Claus Podebusk. These transactions may, however, only have comprised a share of the estate since Hans Grubendal, who was probably married to Predbjørn Podebusk's daughter Gisele Podebusk, in 1436, is also mentioned as owner of Egholm. Gisele Podebusk was later married to Jens Due, who was the sole owner of Egholm from 1460.[2]

Egholm was later ceded to the brothers Eiler and Niels Mogensen Hak, probably as an endowment by Gisele Podebusk and Jens Due. In 1484, Eiler Mogensen Hak acquired his brother's share of the estate. His widow Anne Nielsdatter became the owner of the estate after his death in 1501. It was later passed on to first their son Christoffer Hak and then in 1539 their daughter Lene Krafse (née Hak). Egholm was after her death owned by members of the Krafse family for the next one hundred years.

Oluf Rosenkrantz

In 1640, Otto Krafse sold the estate to Holger Rosenkrantz. Holger Rosenkrantz 'The Wealthy', was one of the most wealthy noblemen in the country. On his death in 1647, Egholm was passed on to his son Oluf Rosenkrantz. He expanded the estate through the acquisition of many new tenant farms. He later established a new manor from part of the estate, naming it Krabbesholm after his wife's family. He was created Friherre in 1671. Egholm was granted the status of a birk that same year with the effect that it became an independent jurisdiction. Rosenkrantz fell out of favour at the court after opposing the new Absolute monarchy and was forced to cede all his estates to his daughters and sons-in-law. Egholm was ceded to Mogens Skeel but Oluf Rosenkrantz and his wife Birgitte Krabbe lived on the estate until their deaths in 1685. Mogens Skeel then sold the estate to his brother Otte Skeel. He increased the estate through the acquisition of more land. After Skeel's death, Egholm was passed on to his daughter Birgitte Skeel and son-in-law Otto Krabbe. They had no children and Egholm was therefore endowed to Iver Rosenkrantz. He was already the owner of a number of other estates.[3]

Iver Rosenkrantz died in 1745 and his widow Charlotte Amalie Skeel then owned the estate until her death in 1763. Their son Christian Rosenkrantz once again expanded the estate. He was also the owner of Krabbesholm, Ryegaard, Barritskov and Trudsholm. He endowed his estates to Niels Rosenkrantz with an obligation to establish a stamhus (family trust) from the estates. Stamhuset Rosenkrantz blev was established from Ryegaard, Barritskov and Trudsholm while Egholm and Krabbesholm were sold to his brother Marcus Gøye Rosenkrantz. He sold Egholm to count Christian Conrad Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe and Lars Larsen just two months later. Lars Larsen became the sole owner of the estate in 1806 but sold it in 1809.

Wolfgang Haffner

Johan Wolfgang Haffner acquired Egholm in 1812. By testament, he decided that the estate should be turned into a stamhus for the Haffner family in 1831. This was done by his son Wolfgang Haffner in 1831.

The new main building

He also constructed a new main building, expanded the forests and sold the tenant farms to the tenant farmers.

After his death in 1887, Stamhuset Egholm was passed on to his eldest daughter Amalie Haffner. On her death in 1902, it was passed on to her younger sister, Ebba Wilhelmine Haffner, who was married to a Swedish count. The next owner was her son, Erik Alfred Wolfgang Haffner Piper, a Swedish count.

The stamhus was dissolved as a result of the Lensafløsningsloven of 1919. The main building and park were then disjoined from the home farm (avlsgården) which was sold to the manager. The main building was sold to Axel Kaufmann. He later sold it to baroness Henny Caroline Wedell-Neergaard.

Ole Falck, a great-great-grandson of Sophus Falck, founder of Falck, purchased the main building in 1988. He He later also purchased its former home farm, Egholm Møllegård and Egholm Skovgård as well as most of the land that had previously belonged to the estate.