Professional Documents
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Maarup Church and Sorroundings April 2007 - December 2014 GB
Maarup Church and Sorroundings April 2007 - December 2014 GB
Maarup Church with Rubjerg Wandering Dune in the background, September 1999.
Tore Gundersborg Sandbl
Peter Sandbl
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Content:
Content: ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Preface .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Sand drifts and erosion.............................................................................................................. 5
References: ..................................................................................................................................... 6
April 2007 ........................................................................................................................................ 8
May 2009 ........................................................................................................................................ 15
October 2009 ................................................................................................................................ 21
July 2012 ........................................................................................................................................ 24
December 2014 ........................................................................................................................... 43
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Preface
The background for compiling this material is a number of personal interests and
reasons:
1) Through more than 40 years of genealogical research, I have been able to trace
one of my ancestral lines back to this parish and church.
In other words, they were members of the parish and worked the land just
north of the church, which is now for the majority in the ocean. Very possibly
so, are their remains.
Family relations and others, who may be interested in further details may find
these at the following link:
http://tubakken.dk/9540/Jesper%20J%C3%B8rgensen%20&%20Kirsten%20Nielsdatte
r
2) It has almost, always fascinated me how mankind and nature forms our
environment and puzzled me how and why personal and political decisions
influence the outcome.
A lot of this is beyond the scope of the present material. However, a very
instructional site covering some of these aspects should be available in Danish,
English and German at the following link:
http://rubjergknude.dk/engelsk/cover-page/front-page/
A link to an NGO site with the goal to save the church on sight unfortunately
only in Danish and German - is available at this link:
http://www.maarupkirke.dk/maarup.htm
3) I took my first photos at the age of 4 and has had it as a on and off hobby ever
since. I have never brought it to the point of technical perfection or professional
use, but still like it for documentation, preserving impressions and
communicating both.
More photos on various topics are available through this link, which is only
partially in English: http://www.sandbol.dk/
4) With time, I have realised that available time, life and relationships are fragile.
New discoveries may also find place.
Whatever detailed reasons, a consequence is that a perfect result may never be
reached. As a result, effort and time is lost.
In conclusion and not being sure about covering all interests and reasons I have
decided to share my work along the way and hope that it may be of use as a stepping
stone for others, who may share in an equal way.
I sincerely hope that some of you may find it interesting and maybe even inspiring
and in the latter case that you will not forget the source.
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A witness of Vennebjerg District Court of March 1652 says that fields and meadows of
Lnstrup, plus gathering of firewood and grazing was partly destroyed by sand and
partly taken by the sea, so that now there was neither meadow nor firewood.
A court witness of December 15th 1653 states: V. Vidstrup fields, meadow, firewood
and grazing is so spoiled by sand, that it is impossible to plow or grow anything and
that the small earthen dwellings are drifted by sand, and their kitchen gardens ruined.
One smallhold is deserted due to sand drift.
In 1680 Lnstrup Village in Maarup parish lay open to the beach and sand drifting,
which immediately ruined the fields and the sea cut from the fields, so that they
caught fish where they used to grow good cereal. At the priests farm the majority
was wasted and V. Vidstrup fields and meadow lay covered in white sand, and the
inhabitants had moved except from one smallhold.
In the field register from 16?? Maarup village is: the old, due to sand drift, moved
Wistrup Village and now called Maarup in the land registers.
The damages due to sand drift have certainly been huge, as Maarup Village in 1688
only consisted of 6 bol. Of the villages total land, 69 acres were in Vidstup fields, 14.3
in Vennebjerg field and 0.7 in Lnstrup Field. In Rubjerg Village there was one full size
farm besides the priests in 1688, 11 full and 5 half bol plus 9 houses with land.
Ulstrup Village in Rubjerg parish was only a small village with hardly 4 full and 2 half
bol plus one house with land. The position of Lnstrup in the bottom of a deep ravine
had certain practical aspects: easy access to fresh water, shelter from the western
winds and natural way down to the sea. In 1688, Lnstrup Village had 3 full farms, 1
half farm, 8 full and 1 half smallhold plus 3 quarter bol 1 smallhold and 11 housses
without land.
The memorial stone of the visit Christian IX in Loenstrup in 1871, west of Maarup
Church, was 265 feet from the escarpment in 1889; but 17years later only 221 feet
and in 1936 144 feet.
The illustrations shown after the references may give an impression of the change of
the coastline during time.
References:
Hansen, C.R. 1964. Prsteindberetninger om fstegods m.v. i Vendelbo Stift 1568 og
1599. Udg. Udvalget for udgivelse af kilder til landbefolkningens historie. Dansk
Videnskabs Forlag.
Hansen, V. 1964. Landskab og bebyggelse i Vendsyssel. Studier over
landbegyggelsens udvikling indtil slutningen af 1600-taller. Kulturgeografiske Skrifter
Bd. 7. C.A. Reitzels Forlag 1964, Kbhvn. Eng summary: Morphology and rural
settlement in Vendsyssel.
Klitgaard, C. 1942. Sandflugten i Vendsyssel og en forsvunden landsby ved Kjul
Strand. Vends Aarb Bd XIV, 1-46. Hist Samf Hjrring Amt 1941-42.
Knudsen, H. 1911-14. Indberetninger fra prsterne i Aalborg Stift 1638. Jy Saml, Rk
4 Bd I, 73-141. Jy Hist Top Selsk 1911-14.
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Map from the land registry from about year 1800 showing the church just below the name Maarupgaard.
(The Ministry of Environment).
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April 2007
Maarup Church from the west side. The Anchor stems from the British ship the Crescent which
stranded under way to Gothenburg in 1808, during the Napoleonic wars (In Denmark we call
them the English wars).
Peter Sandbl sandbol.peter@gmail.com - www.sandbol.dk
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Maarup Church.
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View to the South from Maarup Church. Rubjerg Mile (wandering dune) and Rubjerg Knude
Lighthouse which is now abandoned. The lighthouse was first lit on December 27th 1900 and on
August 1st 1968 the light was turned off finally. The tower is 23 meter tall and placed on the
highest spot above sea level (60 meters). However today the Dunes are higher than the tower.
When it was build it was 200 meters from the sea today it is about 30-40 meters.
Peter Sandbl sandbol.peter@gmail.com - www.sandbol.dk
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View from Rubjerg Wandering Dune towards Maarup Church (white at the edge of the sea) and
Loenstrup Village, where the new church made of red bricks and substitute for Maarup, is seen
in the green forest.
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May 2009
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The Church from the west side. Roof and walls down to about 6-7 feet above ground level has
been removed.
Peter Sandbl sandbol.peter@gmail.com - www.sandbol.dk
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The interior of the church. Plaster on the walls and church furniture removed.
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The Anchor stems from the British ship the Crescent which stranded under way to Gothenburg
in 1808, during the Napoleonic wars (In Denmark we call them the English wars). It has now
been moved to the land side of the church. In the background, Rubjerg Mile (wandering dune)
and Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse.
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Vennebjerg Mill.
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October 2009
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July 2012
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The memorial stone of the visit Christian IX in Loenstrup in 1871. The memorial stone has
been moved further inland.
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Marup church from the west side. The western wall is now removed.
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November 2012
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Maarup Church.
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Plate in memory of the officers and men drowned from the Crescent in 1808. Originally placed
in the church of Maarup, now in the church of Loenstrup.
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Part of the original alter from Maarup Church, now in the church of Loenstrup. Showing the
Holy Mother Maria with the child Jesus next to her mother Scta. Anna.
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December 2014
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The interior of Maarup Church from the west The northern wall of the main room has been removed.
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View from Rubjerg Wandering Dune towards Maarup Church and Loenstrup.
The Lighthouse at Raabjerg Knude. The houses are complete broken down.
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