Kragerup Gods
<p style="font-weight: 400">The history of Kragerup Gods dates back to 1327, when Kragerup was part of the village of Kragetorp. Kragerup consists of 200 hectares of forest and 1200 hectares of agriculture and has always been run as a crop farm, previously with a large dairy herd, a large pig herd, slaughterhouse, dairy and nursery. There were also two churches in the old days, of which Ørslev Church has always been our family church. History also includes Karen Blixen, who was born Dinesen and came to visit her family here at Kragerup Gods when she was young. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The first known owners of Kragerup</strong></b><br />
The first known owner of Kragerup was knight Mathæus Jacobsen Taa. The Taa family originated from a manor house in Tjørnelunde. At the time, Kragerup was just a farmhouse in the middle of a small village with a church. The church was on the other side of the main road. In 2016, a small figurine of the Virgin Mary was found where the church was located. The figurine used to sit on top of the cross in the church and is now on display in a museum. It was also named one of the top 10 biggest finds in Denmark that year. Kragerup remained in the Taas family for over 200 years. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">After the Taa family, Eggert Ulfeldt took over the estate in the late 1500s. He left behind two remarkable mementos; one is an octagonal stone table with his and his wife Elisabeth Galde’s coat of arms. The other is a tombstone inserted in the church wall of Ørslev church and an alabaster altarpiece that belonged to Kragerup. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">The next owner was Christian Friis, who in 1616 was appointed Chancellor to King Christian IV. The vaulted cellar remains from his time. At the time, the main building was inverted with a drawbridge to the east. Friis built a new main building with a moat, acquired considerable land and, despite his many tasks for the king and country, made Kragerup Gods a significant and valuable estate. Later known owners were the Urne, Juul and Lerche and Fogh families. The latter grew the first potatoes on Zealand, established a large wool factory and a fish farm with many large carp ponds. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The Dinesen family takes over<br />
</strong></b>The first owner of Kragerup in the Dinesen family was Justice Jens Kraft Dinesen, who was born in 1768. He owned Gyldenholm, which he sold in 1800. He bought Kragerup in 1801, which exuded the glory days of knights, noble families, power and influence, as the manor had been owned by some of the country’s most prominent and important men. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">After Jens Kraft Dinesen’s death in 1827, his son, Anders Didrich Dinesen, took over and rebuilt the existing side wings in 1838 and 1840 respectively, but died in 1840 aged just 42. His widow Sophie Jacobine Dinesen (née Neergaard) was skilled and active. She took over the farmstead, built new farm buildings and established the Rugskov farm. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">Four generations later, in 1960, Birgitte Dinesen’s father, chamberlain Erik Dinesen, took over the estate. He redesigned the park and modernized the main building, the farm and the farm buildings. Erik Dinesen was married to Marie-Louise Dinesen and together they had three children: Birgitte, Anne and Charlotte. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">When Birgitte Dinesen took over the estate from her father, she renovated the entire main building and all the farm buildings and opened the first six bed and breakfast rooms in 1998. At the time, Birgitte and her daughter Regitze still lived in the main building, so when all six rooms were booked, Regitze had to pack her suitcase so guests could move in. In the kitchen, Birgitte cooked breakfast for the guests and did the dishes, cleaned the rooms and did all the other practical things herself. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">The small bed-and-breakfast has grown into a hotel with 57 rooms and is a venue for conferences and parties. Kragerup Activity Park is located in the forest with Denmark’s first climbing park, Go High, which opened in 2009, and Denmark’s first trampoline park in the trees, Go Bounce, which opened in 2019. The activity park also offers many other activities – on land, on water and in the air. The main building houses Restaurant Blixen, which opened in 2015. In addition, Kragerup Gods is now CO2-neutral with its six large wind turbines, its own straw boiler and its own underground water. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The current estate owner<br />
</strong></b>In 2021, Birgitte’s daughter, Regitze Sophie Dinesen, will take over Kragerup Gods and continue her mother’s work with pride. Today, Kragerup Gods is a large company, and as a graduate in business administration (psych), Regitze is very focused on operations, opportunities for improvement, and what creates the best value for guests. Regitze believes it is still important to dream, be inspired, search for renewal and develop Kragerup’s green profile.</p>
Kragerup Gods
<p style="font-weight: 400">The history of Kragerup Gods dates back to 1327, when Kragerup was part of the village of Kragetorp. Kragerup consists of 200 hectares of forest and 1200 hectares of agriculture and has always been run as a crop farm, previously with a large dairy herd, a large pig herd, slaughterhouse, dairy and nursery. There were also two churches in the old days, of which Ørslev Church has always been our family church. History also includes Karen Blixen, who was born Dinesen and came to visit her family here at Kragerup Gods when she was young. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The first known owners of Kragerup</strong></b><br />
The first known owner of Kragerup was knight Mathæus Jacobsen Taa. The Taa family originated from a manor house in Tjørnelunde. At the time, Kragerup was just a farmhouse in the middle of a small village with a church. The church was on the other side of the main road. In 2016, a small figurine of the Virgin Mary was found where the church was located. The figurine used to sit on top of the cross in the church and is now on display in a museum. It was also named one of the top 10 biggest finds in Denmark that year. Kragerup remained in the Taas family for over 200 years. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">After the Taa family, Eggert Ulfeldt took over the estate in the late 1500s. He left behind two remarkable mementos; one is an octagonal stone table with his and his wife Elisabeth Galde’s coat of arms. The other is a tombstone inserted in the church wall of Ørslev church and an alabaster altarpiece that belonged to Kragerup. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">The next owner was Christian Friis, who in 1616 was appointed Chancellor to King Christian IV. The vaulted cellar remains from his time. At the time, the main building was inverted with a drawbridge to the east. Friis built a new main building with a moat, acquired considerable land and, despite his many tasks for the king and country, made Kragerup Gods a significant and valuable estate. Later known owners were the Urne, Juul and Lerche and Fogh families. The latter grew the first potatoes on Zealand, established a large wool factory and a fish farm with many large carp ponds. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The Dinesen family takes over<br />
</strong></b>The first owner of Kragerup in the Dinesen family was Justice Jens Kraft Dinesen, who was born in 1768. He owned Gyldenholm, which he sold in 1800. He bought Kragerup in 1801, which exuded the glory days of knights, noble families, power and influence, as the manor had been owned by some of the country’s most prominent and important men. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">After Jens Kraft Dinesen’s death in 1827, his son, Anders Didrich Dinesen, took over and rebuilt the existing side wings in 1838 and 1840 respectively, but died in 1840 aged just 42. His widow Sophie Jacobine Dinesen (née Neergaard) was skilled and active. She took over the farmstead, built new farm buildings and established the Rugskov farm. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">Four generations later, in 1960, Birgitte Dinesen’s father, chamberlain Erik Dinesen, took over the estate. He redesigned the park and modernized the main building, the farm and the farm buildings. Erik Dinesen was married to Marie-Louise Dinesen and together they had three children: Birgitte, Anne and Charlotte. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">When Birgitte Dinesen took over the estate from her father, she renovated the entire main building and all the farm buildings and opened the first six bed and breakfast rooms in 1998. At the time, Birgitte and her daughter Regitze still lived in the main building, so when all six rooms were booked, Regitze had to pack her suitcase so guests could move in. In the kitchen, Birgitte cooked breakfast for the guests and did the dishes, cleaned the rooms and did all the other practical things herself. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400">The small bed-and-breakfast has grown into a hotel with 57 rooms and is a venue for conferences and parties. Kragerup Activity Park is located in the forest with Denmark’s first climbing park, Go High, which opened in 2009, and Denmark’s first trampoline park in the trees, Go Bounce, which opened in 2019. The activity park also offers many other activities – on land, on water and in the air. The main building houses Restaurant Blixen, which opened in 2015. In addition, Kragerup Gods is now CO2-neutral with its six large wind turbines, its own straw boiler and its own underground water. </p>
<p style="font-weight: 400"><b><strong>The current estate owner<br />
</strong></b>In 2021, Birgitte’s daughter, Regitze Sophie Dinesen, will take over Kragerup Gods and continue her mother’s work with pride. Today, Kragerup Gods is a large company, and as a graduate in business administration (psych), Regitze is very focused on operations, opportunities for improvement, and what creates the best value for guests. Regitze believes it is still important to dream, be inspired, search for renewal and develop Kragerup’s green profile.</p>