Alling Abbey

Alling Abbey (Alling Kloster) was one of the last Benedictine monasteries to be built in Denmark. Alling Kloster was located north of Silkeborg in the parish of Svostrup in Viborg County.

Alling Abbey (Alling Kloster) was one of the last Benedictine monasteries to be built in Denmark. Alling Kloster was located north of Silkeborg in the parish of Svostrup in Viborg County.

Post Reformation

The Danish Reformation in 1536 brought all religious institutions and their income properties to the crown. In 1538 the last Abbot, Hans Lauridsen, turned the keys over to Johannes Hŏcken, a secular nobleman (lensmand) to look after the king's interest in the property. He then took off his habit and became the first Lutheran priest in Grønbæk and Svostrup parishes. The monks were permitted to remain for a time until the abbey was closed sometime before 1540. The property was mortgaged to Johan Hŏcken in 1539 and 1543. The mortgage was redeemed by Jakob Berthelsen, bailiff of Silkeborg Castle (Silkeborg Slot) in 1573 and the entire abbey was razed for the building materials that could be sold from the site. The archives of the abbey were moved to Silkeborg Castle, inventoried in the late 16th century, and then disappeared. A few letters between abbots and other church leaders exist in the State Archive.

Excavations

Several excavations identified the abbey's precise location, so that it has been completely mapped. The ruins of the monastery were exposed through archaeological investigations conducted by the National Museum of Denmark in 1894 and 1942. In 1989 the monastery's floor plan was clarified with protective turf ramparts, which now hide the otherwise exposed masonry. The site has been protected as a national historic location since 1901. Portions of the foundation have been left exposed so visitors can see how the abbey was laid out.

References

External links

Alling Kloster

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363350211 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.