Voer Monastery –
Klostermølle during the Middle Ages 

The Benedictine monks probably founded Voer Monastery some time between 1050 A.D. and 1100 A. D.. It is the general view that Voer Monastery was one of the earliest monasteries in Denmark.

The building of Voer Monastery in an area on the west side of Mossø was not accidental. The Benedictine monks’ ideal requirements were satisfied here. The place was uninhabited and undisturbed and it had good, variable agricultural land. The River Gudenå provided fresh water, it was an important transport route and both the river and lake had an abundance of fish. There was a perfect opportunity to utilize the water-power of the river by the lake, Mossø. It is probable that it was the monks at Voer who took the decision to construct the 1300-metre long dike along the foot of Sukkertoppen (a hill). The dike channelled the River Gudenå, starting at a place called Riværket, into a canal running along the southern edge of Klosterkær delta. A fall, enough to drive a watermill, was thus created. Hence the name "Klostermølle".

Map drawn by Bendt Nielsen

Voer Monastery was one of the most important abbeys up to the time of the Reformation. An abbey’s economic base was the landed property received in gift from the brothers or others. The property of each monastery was extended by purchase, gift of testament and payment for a requiem.

By the time of the Reformation Voer Monastery owned many properties in the districts of Voer, Nim, Tyrsting, Bjerre and Hatting as well as the 5 parish churches of Voer, Sønder Vissing, Yding, Bryrup and østbirk. The monastery also had properties in Thy, on Mors and in Sønderjylland (South Jutland). The monastery’s copyholders paid dues to the monastery in the form of agricultural products that were stored in farm barns before being sold, processed or used in the monastery itself. One of the monastery’s farm barns was in Voerladegård (lit. Voer farm barn).

After the Reformation all the monasteries in the Lake District were abolished and in 1561 Voer Monastery was pulled down. The stones were reused as building material for Skanderborg Castle, which the Crown was in the process of extending and fortifying.

Remains of medieval bricks and an interesting flora, the medicinal plants that grow among the buildings of Klostermølle, all bear witness to the earlier activities of the monks.

There are various species of mallow. Their medicinal use was all round. They were used for constipation, dysentery, breast-feeding mothers and for mouth and throat infections to name but some. Mallow was also used in the kitchen as a salad and cabbage plant and it is still used in the Egyptian kitchen.

Gudenå and Klosterkær

Klosterkær is a river delta with many small streams. It was the monks, who constructed the 1.3 kilometre long dike from Riværket, forcing the River Gudenå’s course into a canal along the edge of Klosterkær. A large enough fall was created beside the monastery to drive a water-wheel.

Foto: Bendt Nielsen

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