In the 13th century Orebygaard belonged to the crown, It seems to have played an important role in the defence of the coast against the Vens. The first known private owner was Sivert Lauridsen, a nobleman, who owned the estate from 1315 to 1316.[1]
Some sources mention Erik Sjællandsfar, possibly an illegitimate son of Christopher II or Erik Menved, but this is contested by other sources.[2] According to the first-mentioned sources, Sjællandsfar's daughter Bodil Eriksdatter brought it into her marriage with Laurids Jensen Blaa. Their sons, Sivert and Oluf Lauridsen Blaa, divided the estate in two. This lasted until the beginning of the 16th century when Mads Eriksen Bølle obtained full ownership of the estate. Bølle supported Christian II during the Count's Feud and his estate was on several occasions looted by citizens from Sakskøbing. His grand daughter, Birgitte Bølle, brought Orebygaard into her marriage with Christoffer Gøye, a son of Mogens Gøye.[3] They were major landowners but had no children. Orebygaard was therefore passed on to one of Birgitte Bølle's more distant relatives, Axel Ottesen Brahe. whose son sold it to Jakob Ulfeldt in 1618. It was then owned by members of the Ulfeldt family until Sophie Ulfeldt brought it into the Holck family through her marriage to Christian Christopher Holck.[1]
Orebygaard and Berritsgaard were in 1784 merged into a barony under the name Guldborgland. In 1803, Højbygaard and Lungholm were converted into a stamhus under the name Sønderkarle.
Rosenørn-Lehn family
The new main building.
When Poul Abraham Lehn died in 1804, Guldborgland was passed on to his grand daughter Christiane Henriette von Barner. She married
Otto Ditlev baron Kaas-Lehn on 1 September that same year but he died in 1811. In 1820, she was married for a second time to Henrik Christian Rosenørn. Henrik Christian Rosenørn was shortly thereafter created friherre under the name Rosenørn-Lehn. Christiane Henriette von Barner took over the management of the estates after her husband's death in 1847. The baronies of Guldborgland waspassed on to her eldest son Otto Ditlev Rosenørn-Lehn When she died in 1860. It was as a result of the lensafløsningsloven of 1919 dissolved with effect from 1922.[1]
Architecture
Detail from Orebygaard's altarpiece by Henrik Werner which is now on display in the National Museum in Copenhagen
Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder constructed a new main building for Birgitte Bølle in 1578 to 1587. It was a one-winged, two-storey brick building with a tower in each end. In 1638, it was expanded with a chapel to the southwest. Christiane Henriette von Barners modernized the main building in 1813 to 1815 with assistance of J. Chr. West. The two towers were removed and the exterior adapted to the Neoclassical style. The building received its current appearance when it was adapted by the architect Petersen in 1872 to 1874.
The current Neo-Renaissance style main building is constructed in red brick with horizontal cement bands. It consists of a long north-south oriented main wing with two short side wings to the east and an octagonal tower at its southwestern corner and a larger, square tower at the northwestern corner.[5] in the 1890s the interior underwent minor alterations in the under supervision of the architect Axel Berg.[1]
