Sale of Gammel Estrup

In 1920, major political changes were made involving the abolishment of entailed estates, meaning that all heirs had then to inherit equally. For the six centuries previous, Gammel Estrup had not been sold, but handed down from father to son/daughter.

On the death of Christen Scheel (1853-1926) there were 11 heirs, none of whom was able to take over the place alone and the family decided to sell the estate.

A son-in-law, Valdemar Uttenthal (1872-1951), bought the actual manor house in 1928, and in collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the self-governing institution Gammel Estrup, Jutland’s Manor House Museum, was founded in 1930. The farm buildings and land were run as a commercial farm until 1969. The state then purchased the farm buildings and the state-owned Danish Agricultural Museum (today The Green Museum) moved in.

In 2018, Gammel Estrup changed its name to Gammel Estrup – The Danish Manor & Estate Museum.