Augustenborg Palace and town

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Duke's South Jutland community

Near Augustenborg Fiord on Als stands an 18th century ducal town complete with a castle, palaces, park and a town full of fine rococo houses. Duke Ernst Günther bought the village of Stavnsbøl in 1651 and transformed it into the Augustenborg estate. In 1764-77, Duke Frederik Christian I built a new castle and a farm with stables and gate tower. Meanwhile, the court employees were building houses in the town. The Palace was built in 1786-88 and was home to the duchess dowager Louise Augusta in 1816-1843. The duke's family fled after participating in the civil war in 1848-50 on the Schleswig-Holstein side. In 1884, the estate was restored to the family by the German Kaiser. Augustenborg was bought by the state in 1921 and became a state hospital in 1927-28.

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Illegitimate princess becomes political crown jewel

Story written by Peter Dragsbo

Time / Periode 1651 1851

3 Comments 0 recommendations

Officially, Louise Augusta (1777-1843) was the daughter of Queen Caroline Mathilde and King Christian VII. In fact, she was probably the daughter of the Queen's lover and the King's personal physician, Struensee. The mother's infidelity was revealed shortly after Louise Augusta's birth. The baby's father was promptly executed and her mother was banished. At the tender age of 15, Louise Augusta was married to Duke Frederik Christian II of Augustenborg. The union was a political move to unify the two lines of the royal family, the ruling Oldenborg and the Augustenborg lines. The duchess had several children, including Caroline Amalie, who in 1815 married the man destined to become King Christian VIII. As a duchess dowager at the Augustenborg Palace, Louise Augusta surrounded herself with a rich palette of parrots and lovers. She was the last person to be interred in the Schleswig-Holstein ducal burial vault at Sønderborg Slot.

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