Bækkeskov

Bækkeskov is a manor house and estate located eight kilometres north of Præstø, Denmark. The Neoclassical main building was built for Charles August Selby in 1796-98 and was listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918. It is located on a small hilltop in a parkland setting with views of Præstø Inlet. The home farm is located a few kilometres to the southwest of the main building. The estate is owned by Michael Immanuel Jebsen, the eldest son of Hong Kong-based businessman Hans Michael Jebsen.

Early history
Bækkeskov is a relatively new manor. In the 17th century, it belonged to Joachim Beck- Pm his death, it passed to his daughter Vibeke Beck Galde. In 1631, Bækkeskov became crown land.

TIn crown sold the relatively small manor again in 1633 to Merete Grubbe. She later sold it to the naval officer Christoffer Godskesen Lindenov.. He served as chief of Holmen from 1645 to 1657 with rank of admiral. On his death, Bækkeskov passed to his daughter. Anne Elisabeth Christoffersdatter Lindenov. In 1691, she sold the estate to Otto Krabbe. In 178+, Frederick III had granted him nearby Holmegaard.

Sten Skinkel acquired Bækkeskov in 1693. In 1729, it was sold by his son Rudolf Skinkel to Knud Ahasverus Becker. In 1718, he was appointed as deputy district judge of Lolland and Falster. He was known for his brutal treatment of the farmers on his estate. In August 1738, he was assaulted and killed after correcting and beating one of the farmers. 11 farmers were later sentenced to death.

The von Munthe af Morgenstierne family
In 1641, Bækkeskov was acquired by Bredo Munthe. He placed the land from some of the tenant farms directly under the manor, modernized the management of the estate and improved the farm buildings. In 175, he was ennobled ny letters patent under the name von Munthe af Morgenstierne. He died on the estate on 13 January 1757. His widow Anna Dorothea von Munthe af Morgenstjerne née Smith passed Bækkeskov to their eldest son, Otto Christopher von Munthe af Morgenstierne. He shut down the small village of Bækkeskov and instead incorporated all its land directly under the manor. In the 1782, he constructed Bredeshave after planting fruit trees on the surrounding land. He became a member of the Generalitets- og Kommissariatskollegiet in 1783 but was dismissed in 1789, possibly due to his opposition to the abolition of the Stavnsbånd.

1795–1843: Changing owners
In 1795, Munthe sold Bækkeskov to the English-born merchant Charles August Selby. He had founded the merchant house Selby & Co. in Copenhagen in 1777. He retired on the estate. He changed the operations with inspiration from England, introducing stable feeding, cattle fattening and the cultivation of beetroot, cabbage and potatoes. In 1807. he was ennobled with rank of baron. August Selby Bækkeskov in 1805. In 1809, he bought Orupgaard on Falster. He died at Güldenstein in Holsten in 1823.

The new owner of Nækkeskov was Peter Benedikt Petersen. In 1710, he sold the estate to Mikkel Leigh Smith. It was later sold by his widow Cecile Caroline Smith ( née de Coninck).

1843–1923: The Vind family
Christian Vind acquired Bækkeskov in 1844. His widow kept the estate after his death in 1869. It was later taken over by their son Emil Vind who spent most of his time abroad as Danish envoy in St. Petersburg and Berlin. He had no children and Bækkeskov was therefore endowed to his nephew Ove Vind. He initially acquired more land but had to sell all the tenant farms in 1920 as a result of the land reforms of 1919.

Later history
More of the land was sold to the government in 1923 and converted into smallholdings.

Peter Hermann Zobel purchased Bækkeskov in 1996. He retired as CEO of the insurance company Codan in 1999.

Architecture
The main building is designed in the Neoclassical style. It consists of two storeys over a high cellar and has a rectangular floor plan. The central part of the southern facade features four Ionic pilasters. The building has sash window, an influence from English architecture. The hipped, black-glazed tile roof features four dormer windows on each side.

Today
The estate covers 745.8 hectares of land of which 180.2 hectares are farmland and 450 hectares are woodland.

List of owners

 * (     -      ) Joachim Beck
 * (     -1609) Vibeke Galde, née Beck
 * (1609-1631) Christoffer Galde
 * (1631-1633) The Crown
 * (1633-     ) Merete Grubbe, gift Urne
 * (     -1679) Christoffer Godskesen Lindenov
 * (1679-1691) Anne Elisabeth Christoffersdatter Lindenov, gift Urne
 * (1691-1693) Otto Krabbe
 * (1693-1711) Sten Skinkel
 * (1711-1718) Anne Marie von Offenberg, gift Skinkel
 * (1718-1729) Rudolf Skinkel
 * (1729-1738) Knud Ahasverus Becker
 * (1738-     ) Helene Marie Brummondt, gift 1) Becker, 2) Folsach
 * (     -1741) Hans Folsach
 * (1741-1757) Bredo von Munthe af Morgenstierne
 * (1757-1759) Anna Dorothea Smith, gift von Munthe af Morgenstierne
 * (1759-1795) Otto Christopher von Munthe af Morgenstierne
 * (1795-1805) Charles August Selby
 * (1805-1810) Peter Benedikt Petersen
 * (1810-1843) Mikkel Leigh Smith
 * (1843-1844) Cecile Caroline de Coninck, gift Smith
 * (1844-1869) Christian Andreas Vind
 * (1869-1881) Anne Sophie Elisabeth Hoppe gift Vind
 * (1881-1906) Carl Rudolph Emil Vind
 * (1906-1923) Ove Frederik Christian Vind
 * (1923-1924) E. Bruun
 * (1924-1926) E. Bruun
 * (1926-1929) P.F. Lagoni
 * (1929-1936) Emil Victor Schau Lassen
 * (1936-1942) Siegfried Victor Raben-Levetzau
 * (1942-1975) Else Illum, gift Trock-Jansen
 * (1975-1996) Børge Hinsch
 * (1996-2017) Peter Hermann Zobel
 * Bækkeskov Gods A/S (Michael Immanuel Jebsen, a son of Hans Michael Jebsen)

Rxternal links

 * Bækkeskov
 * Drawing in the Danish National Art Library