Kalundborg Friary - Dissolution

Dissolution

Under Frederik I, successor to Christian after his forced abdication in 1523, Denmark was embroiled in the debate over Luther's reforms of the Roman Catholic church and moved rapidly towards religious reformation. Many Danes were tired of the enforced tithes and the donations sought by monasteries, hospitals, and other religious foundations. Although Frederik officially adopted even-handed treatment of Catholics and Lutherans, he actively promoted Lutheran ideas. He granted local officials permission to forcibly close Franciscan houses all over Denmark, or looked the other way when officials overstepped their authority and closed religious houses without permission. Prince Christian, later Christian III, also encouraged the closure of Franciscan houses on his lands.

In 1532 the governor of Kalundborg Castle forced the Franciscans from the friary at the instigation of Mogens Gjø, an ardent Lutheran who worked tirelessly to force the closure of monasteries on Jutland and Zealand. The last guardian of the friary, Melchior Jensen, offered only token resistance and then became the first Lutheran pastor of Kalundborg.

Denmark became officially Lutheran in October 1536 when all remaining religious houses in the country were closed. The buildings and properties associated with Kalundborg Friary became crown property and were administered by the governor of Kalundborg Castle. The buildings were converted into housing for workers on the royal farms and for storage (Kalundborg Slots Ladegård).

By 1751 most of the friary had already been demolished and a new large farm headquarters building was constructed on the site. Subsequently, the remaining buildings were also pulled down, and there are no visible remains of the 300-year history of the Franciscans in Kalundborg.