# Birkeborg

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**Birkeborg**, also called **Villa Birkeborg**, is a former [country house](/source/English_country_house) and [mansion](/source/Mansion) in [Skodsborg](/source/Skodsborg), [Rudersdal Municipality](/source/Rudersdal_Municipality), situated on the [Øresund](/source/%C3%98resund) coast north of [Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen), [Denmark](/source/Denmark).

Designed by architect [Carl Harald Brummer](/source/Carl_Brummer), the mansion was built between 1909 and 1910. Over the next 50 years, Birkeborg served as a country house and summer residence for several wealthy Copenhagen families until it was demolished in the 1960s. The property has since been converted into a [recreational](/source/Recreation) [beach](/source/Beach) [park](/source/Park), **Birkeborg Park**, renamed the [Struckmann Park](/source/Struckmann_Park), in 1973.

## History

The area on which Birkeborg was eventually constructed was originally parcelled out from the [Aggershvile](/source/Aggershvile) estate, and Birkeborg was built on the Aggershvile [hill](/source/Hill) (Danish: *Aggershvilebakken*). The grounds of the Birkeborg estate totalled about 3 [barrels of land](/source/Barrel_of_land) (Danish: *tønder*), equal to over 16,000 [square metres](/source/Square_metre).[1]

The mansion itself with adjoining [pergola](/source/Pergola) and [pavilion](/source/Pavilion) was designed by architect [Carl Brummer](/source/Carl_Brummer), for which he was awarded the [Eckersberg Medal](/source/Eckersberg_Medal) in 1911.[1] In addition, an adjoining [caretaker's](/source/Property_caretaker) residence was also constructed on the grounds. A grand and stately [landscape garden](/source/Landscape_architecture) was established on the property, designed and maintained by Danish [garden architect](/source/Landscape_architect), [Erik Erstad-Jørgensen](/source/Erik_Erstad-J%C3%B8rgensen).

Birkeborg was built during [World War I](/source/World_War_I) for a Swedish [war profiteer](/source/War_profiteering) (Danish: *Gullaschbaron*), Lorenz Beijers, and was a typical example of the prevailing Swedish-German [architectural style](/source/Architectural_style), that influenced [Swedish architecture](/source/Architecture_of_Sweden) after the marriage of [Victoria of Baden](/source/Victoria_of_Baden) and [Gustaf V](/source/Gustaf_V) in 1881. The building featured four storeys, a roof superstructure with a [tower clock](/source/Clock_tower) and a columned [colonnade](/source/Colonnade) facing the beach, dominating the more modest villas on Strandvejen.[2][1]

In 1916, [shipowner](/source/Ship-owner) and [merchant](/source/Merchant), Andreas Erlandsen (1877-1943) bought Birkeborg. He purchased a vast piece of land to the north to expand the garden,[3] and used it as a summer residence until 1926, where the wealthy [Artom Rand](/source/Artom_Rand) (1880-1956), director of [Copenhagen Fruit Auctions](/source/Copenhagen_Fruit_Auctions) acquired the mansion. Rand was married to Rigmor Rand ([née](/source/Birth_name) Aller), the daughter of Danish publisher [Carl Aller](/source/Carl_Aller), and they lived at Birkeborg until Rand's death in 1956, whereafter Rigmor alone owned the property.[4] Rigmor was also the co-owner of the grand [manor house](/source/Manor_house) [Sophienholm](/source/Sophienholm) on the shore of [Lake Bagsværd](/source/Lake_Bagsv%C3%A6rd) in [Lyngby](/source/Lyngby-Taarb%C3%A6k_Municipality), from 1926 to 1963.

In 1960, Rigmor Rand sold the property to a local [master builder](/source/Master_builder), Arp Hansen. Shortly afterwards, in 1961, the [Danish Ministry of Culture](/source/Ministry_of_Culture_(Denmark)) acquired the Birkeborg property from Hansen, after which the demolition of the mansion began and was completed in 1966. In connection with the dismantling, a public [recreational](/source/Recreation) [beach](/source/Beach) [park](/source/Park) was established on the vacated area, initially called the ‘Birkeborg Park’, however in 1973 it was renamed the [Struckmann Park](/source/Struckmann_Park) (Danish: *Struckmannparken*), named after the chairman of the [Danish Society for Nature Conservation](/source/Danish_Society_for_Nature_Conservation) and one of the pioneers of Danish [nature conservation](/source/Nature_conservation), [Erick Struckmann](/source/Erick_Struckmann).[5][6]

## Architectural features

The building was built on an [Öland](/source/%C3%96land) stone plinth, with plastered and slightly yellow-washed [facades](/source/Fa%C3%A7ade). The roof surfaces were covered with black glazed [tiles](/source/Tile) and the vertical wall of the [mansard roof](/source/Mansard_roof) was covered with [copper](/source/Copper).[7]

The [hall](/source/Hall) extended over two storeys and had access to the curved [loggia](/source/Loggia) from the living room; from the first floor, a wraparound [gallery](/source/Art_gallery) led to a [balcony](/source/Balcony) resting on the [pillars](/source/Column) of the loggia. The villa was situated on a [slope](/source/Slope) facing the beach, offering excellent views of the [Øresund strait](/source/%C3%98resund) and the [Swedish](/source/Sweden) coast.[7]

## List of former owners

- 1910-1916: Lorenz Beijer, Swedish merchant.
- 1916-1926: Andreas Erlandsen, merchant and shipowner.
- 1926-1956: [Artom Rand](/source/Artom_Rand), founder, director and owner of [Copenhagen Fruit Auctions](/source/Copenhagen_Fruit_Auctions).
- 1956-1960: Rigmor Rand ([née](/source/Birth_name) [Aller](/source/Carl_Aller)), widow of above.
- 1960-1961: Arp Hansen, a local [master builder](/source/Master_builder).
- 1961-1966: [Ministry of Culture of Denmark](/source/Ministry_of_Culture_(Denmark)).

## References

### Citations

1. ["Architektonische Rundschau: Skizzenblätter aus allen Gebieten der Baukunst (27.1911)"](https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/architektonische_rundschau1911/0146/image,info). *digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de*. Retrieved 2024-11-15.

1. Brandt, Lauritz (13 March 1978). ["Vedrørende Kystområdets planlægning: Birkeborg"](https://public.filarkiv.dk/Document/Open/118/byggesag/5056020B325D4C4C87013156BD3663A0?searchSource=0&ts=638524200815556200#pagemode=thumbs&view=fitV) (Document). Skodsborg Landowners' Association & the Building Inspectorate of [Søllerød Municipality](/source/S%C3%B8ller%C3%B8d_Municipality). p. 42.

1. Erstad-Jørgensen 1922, p. 31.

1. Haste 1930, p. 103.

1. Stilling, Niels Peter (ed.) (2016). [*Søllerødbogen 2016*](https://bibliotek.slaegt.dk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=41637) [The [[Søllerød]] Book 2016] (in Danish). [Holte](/source/Holte): Historisk-Topografisk Selskab for Søllerød Kommune. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-8787113960.

1. ["Skodsborg"](https://rudersdaltv.dk/skodsborg/) (in da-DK). *Rudersdal TV*. Retrieved 2024-10-10.

1. Brøchner 1912, p. 15.

### Sources

- Brøchner, Georg (1912). [*Nordiscke Villaer og Hjem: Afbildninger af nordiske Arkitekters og andre Kunstneres Arbejder, Eksteriører, Interiører, Grundrids og Planer*](https://books.google.com/books?id=a_h6Di8xryMC) (in Danish). E. Jespersen.
- Haste, William (1930). [*Strandvejen: dens huse og mennesker*](https://books.google.com/books?id=PQ4eMwAACAAJ) (in Danish). H. Hagerup.
- Sørensen, C. Th. (1939). [*Om Haver*](https://bibliotek.dk/materiale/om-haver_c-th-soerensen-f-1893-/work-of%3A870970-basis%3A10092655?type=bog). 1st ed. Copenhagen: Egmont H. Petersens Kgl. Hof-Bogtrykkeri.
- Erstad-Jørgensen, Erik (1922). ["Birkeborg i Skodsborg"](https://www.dropbox.com/s/1y0vkebfw4eg6hi/Havekunst_1922.pdf?dl=1). *Havekunst (Landskab)*. **3**: 31–36.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Birkeborg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkeborg) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkeborg?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.