The History of Dueholm Monastery
Monastery
Dueholm Monastery was founded before 1371 by the Johanitte Order. The order, which was established in connection with the Crusades, founded monasteries across Europe to raise funds for defending Christianity in the Holy Land. Their hospital services in particular were a lucrative source of income for the order. Dueholm Monastery was the order’s sixth monastery in Denmark.
During the Reformation in 1536, the Danish monasteries' estates were confiscated by the Crown, including Dueholm, which was among the last places where the Reformation was implemented. The monks were allowed to remain at the monastery, but it was strictly forbidden to accept new members. The last prior, Master Jacob Jensen, died in November 1559.
Royal Fief
Dueholm Monastery was converted into a royal fief and was mortgaged to Niels Lange by King Christian III in 1539. A fiefholder's duties included tax collection and providing soldiers for the king. He was also responsible for maintaining the fief, but Dueholm’s buildings gradually fell into disrepair. The situation worsened when Dueholm was occupied by imperial German troops in 1627, who used much of the main building’s timber as firewood.
Efforts to repair the damage had little effect, as Dueholm was occupied again in 1657, this time by the Swedes. The wars were costly for the Crown, which was now forced to sell off estates, including Dueholm, to its creditors.
Manor House
The Crown sold Dueholm in 1664 to Poul von Klingenberg, but for many years, the estate changed hands frequently. In 1752, Dueholm entered a new era when the estate’s administrator of twenty years, Anders Christensen Tøttrup, purchased the manor. This marked the beginning of a stable period for Dueholm, which was expanded and improved over four generations of the Tøttrup family.
However, this period came to an end in 1845, and for the rest of the century, the estate was once again characterized by frequent changes in ownership. The land was gradually sold off and subdivided, and by 1898, only the courtyard, the garden, and a small meadow remained. There were plans to demolish the old main building and divide up the remaining area.
Museum
Morsland’s Historical Museum, which had been established in 1901, found itself in need of space for its collections and exhibitions in 1908. Dueholm was considered a suitable location, and efforts were immediately made to raise funds for purchasing the main building. Half of the purchase price was financed through the national budget, while the rest was granted by the municipality of Nykøbing.
On October 24, 1909, the museum opened its doors to visitors at Dueholm Monastery for the first time. Over the course of the 20th century, the museum acquired the surrounding buildings, which are now used for exhibitions. In 2015, the museum was renamed to the more modern-sounding Museum Mors.
