Holsteinborg Castle

Holsteinborg
Holsteinborg's north wing with the main gate
General information
Architectural style	Renaissance/Neoclassical
Location	Slagelse Municipality
Country	Denmark
Coordinates	55°12′53.15″N 11°27′48.07″E / 55.2147639°N 11.4633528°E / 55.2147639; 11.4633528Coordinates: 55°12′53.15″N 11°27′48.07″E / 55.2147639°N 11.4633528°E / 55.2147639; 11.4633528
Construction started	1596

Holsteinborg Castle is a manor house located 12 kilometres southeast of Skælskør, Slagelse Municipality, Denmark. It was built in the first half of the 17th century by members of the Trolle family, who gave it the name Trolholm, but has been owned by the Holstein family since 1707. Hans Christian Andersen was a frequent visitor to the estate in the middle of the 19th century. The main building is situated close to the coast, overlooking Holsteinborg Nor, a shallow watered cove which is almost closed off from the Småland Sea and Great Belt by Glænø, Glænø Stenfed and Glænø Østerfed.

A fortification was in about 1200 built approximately at the site of the current castle to guard Bisserup Harbour, then a naval support point. The estate is referred to as Bråde in 1357 when it is owned by Roskilde bishopric. The property was confiscated by the Crown 1536 in connection with the Reformation.

In 1562, King Frederick II ceded the estate to Niels Trolle, a younger brother of Herluf Trolle, in exchange for his holdings in northern Zealand. Niels Trolle was killed in the Action of 7 July 1565 on Bornholm in 1565. His son, Børge Nielsen Trolle, changed its name to Trolholm in 1682. Børge Trolle commanded a flotilla attending Christian IV on his Arctic exploration in 1599. The voyage is described by the author Thorkild Hansen in "Jens Munk". Børge Trolle's son, Niels Trolle, who owned Trolborg from 1615–1667, served as Steward of Norway from 1657 until 1661. The estate was owned by members of the Trolle family until 1707.