Halsted Abbey

Facts

House of worship

By Anne-Lotte Sjørup Mathiesen (3 stories)

Halsted Abbey on Lolland was mentioned as crown lands in Valdemar Sejr's survey from 1231. All that changed in 1284 when Erik Plovpennig's daughter Jutta gave the land to the Benedictines. The monks happily accepted the land and the old parish church that had already been built on the site. In 1510, the abbey was burnt down by marauders from Lubeck. But it was rebuilt. After the Reformation, the abbey was no longer part of the church. Its only ecclesiastical obligation was to supply food and clothes for the monks who were still resident. The abbey was called the Barony of Juellinge in 1721-1922. It was not called Halsted Abbey again until 1922.

Partly a public place

Selected entry

Pious wish becomes a curse

Story written by Anne-Lotte Sjørup Mathiesen

Time / Periode 1100 2000

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Legend has it that Halsted Church was built by a lady at Halsted Abbey. As payment for her efforts, she asked God to let her live until the church disappeared. She became so old that she shrank to nothing and was finally unable to speak. Christmas night was the only time she could talk at all. One Christmas night she had had enough and asked to be put in a coffin behind the church altar. Every Christmas night the vicar checked in on her. And every time she asked him: Is the church still standing?" The vicar would nod and the woman would fall back into the coffin. She wanted the church to burn and put her out of her misery. But she was destined to repeat her question for centuries. One time a vicar prayed for her three Christmas nights in a row, and she was blessed with eternal rest. "