Follow
Vilhelmsborg is the National Equestrian Centre of Denmark and a listed building in Aarhus Municipality. The main manor building was completed in 1842 and was listed by the Danish Heritage Agency on 3 March 1945. The manor lies 10 km. south of Aarhus, by Beder-Malling in Mårslet Parish, and is today owned by Aarhus Municipality along with 288 hectares of adjoining land.
In the 19th century H. C. Andersen lived on the Vilhelmsborg estate on several occasions and some of his fairy tales are said to have been inspired by the view of Mols from his window. Johan Skjoldborg also frequented the estate and his novel Gyldholm depicts the hardships of farm hands by the end of the 19th century.
The Vilhelmsborg estate lays on the site of the former farm Skumstrupgård and the small village of Skumstrup. The farm was elevated to the status of manor at the end of the 15th century and over time it gradually absorbed the lands and farms surrounding it until the village of Skumstrup ceased to exist. In 1660 Gabriel Marselis was given the farms Moesgård, Havreballegård, Stadsgård and Skumstrupgård as payment for debts incurred by the crown during the Second Northern War. In 1673 Marselis' son, Vilhelm Güldencrone, inherited Skumstrupgård and had it elevated to a barony. The name Vilhelmsborg means "Vilhelm's Castle" in reference to Vilhelm Güldencrone and the manor stayed in the Güldencrone family for generations, into the 20th century. In 1919 political reforms altered many of the inherited titles and their privileged positions resulting in the Güldencrone family leaving the estate and selling it in 1923.
In 1973 the estate was bought by Aarhus Municipality. The city council elected to turn the estate into the National Equestrian Centre. Several riding halls were erected and much of the arable land was sold off while the forest and park was opened for public use.
Owners:
- Peder Ebbesen Galt
- 1548 Jost Andersen Ulfeldt
- 1548 Anne Ulfeldt, married Friis
- Jørgen Friis
- 1625 1651 Niels Friis
- 1651 1662 Mogens Friis
- 1662 1673 Gabriel Marselis
- 1673 1683 Vilhelm Marselis Gyldenkrone
- 1683 1692 Regitze Sophie Vind gift Gyldenkrone
- 1692 1746 Christian Gyldenkrone
- 1746 1747 Vilhelm Gyldenkrone
- 1747 1753 Matthias Gyldenkrone
- 1753 1788 Christian Frederik Gyldenkrone
- 1788 1824 Frederik Julius Christian Gyldenkrone
- 1824 1863 Ove Christian Ludvig Gyldenkrone
- 1863 1895 Carl Vilhelm Gyldenkrone
- 1895 1920 Ove Theodor Carl Gyldenkrone
- 1920 1923 Holger Gyldenkrone-Rysensteen
- 1923 1954 Lars Niels Christian Hviid
- 1954 1973 Knud Gustav Hviid
- 1973 ... Aarhus Municipality