Forests of the World, through donations from forest certificates and in collaboration with the Danish Nature Foundation, has purchased parts of Frejlev Skov. The forest is not only rich in species and important for Danish biodiversity, but it is also packed with ancient relics. The richness of the forest’s nature is largely due to the historical struggles of local farmers against overwhelming forces.
Frejlev Skov belongs to a league of forests that are particularly important for the preservation of biodiversity in Denmark. This has been confirmed by researchers from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate at the University of Copenhagen in their study Conservation of Biodiversity in Danish Forests: An Analysis of the Necessary Efforts and What They Mean for the Forest’s Other Public Goods.
Here, Frejlev Skov is mentioned as one of the “well-known forest locations with special biodiversity or natural values.” The report also concludes that “An area of at least 75,000 hectares of deciduous forest outside of forestry operations would make a significant difference for biodiversity.” It further states: “Efforts in state-owned forests cannot stand alone. A large part of the forest-dependent biodiversity is only found in areas with very little state forest. Therefore, significant efforts in private forests are necessary.” For this reason, Forests of the World, in collaboration with the Danish Nature Foundation and with funding from donations from our forest certificates, has purchased 20 hectares of Frejlev Skov, which will now be removed from production. Caspar Olausson, secretary-general at Forests of the World, thanks those who have helped finance the purchase of the forest.
“If we are to stop the loss of species in Denmark, we need to prioritize nature and give it space. Right now, there are national nature parks, untouched forests, and other initiatives underway on public lands. But private initiatives are also necessary. That’s why we are very happy and proud of the interest Danes have shown in purchasing forest certificates, which we have used to buy parts of Frejlev Skov to help the species that are struggling in the country. We are also very happy with our collaboration with the Danish Nature Foundation. We hope that Danes will continue to help us purchase and protect species-rich forests in the future,” he says.
The Murder of the Bailiff
Originally, the peasants of the village of Frejlev were granted the forest near the town as a communal forest by Queen Margrete I, allegedly as a reward for helping her in war. Over the years, the peasants had their ownership rights to the communal forest renewed by successive kings, with the oldest known deed today issued by King Christian II. In the past, most forests were unowned, known as almindinge or communal forests, and the peasants could freely make use of them. Over time, however, these forests were claimed (or “land grabbed,” as we might call it today) by the monarchy or the nobility. Other communal forests in the area around Frejlev were gradually brought under Aalholm Castle in Nysted, and the peasants had to pay dearly to allow their pigs to forage there.
However, with the deed in hand, the peasants of Frejlev were spared paying the king or the nobility the so-called “olden fee” for letting their pigs forage for acorns and graze in the forest. They could also freely gather timber and firewood. Despite this, various noble lords tried to challenge the Frejlev peasants’ rights and steal the forest from them. The peasants, however, fiercely resisted, often with the deed in one hand and a pitchfork or scythe in the other.
Matters came to a head in 1533 when the steward of Aalholm Castle, Jürgen von der Wisch, a man notorious for oppressing peasants, sent his bailiff to cut down parts of Frejlev Forest with a group of workers from the neighboring village of Kettinge. When the peasants tried to stop the bailiff, he prepared to shoot one of them. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as the peasants promptly dragged him from his horse and killed him. Armed with scythes and pitchforks, the enraged peasants forced the workers from Kettinge to flee.
Legend has it that, after being stabbed repeatedly with pitchforks, the bailiff was lifted by the village blacksmith and thrown onto a tall, sharp stone, breaking his back. The stone thereafter became known as the “Knækkerygstenen” (the Back-Breaker Stone), and it can still be seen near the forest.
It could have ended very badly for the peasants, as the nobility at that time was not hesitant to massacre rebellious peasants. However, they got off relatively lightly. At this time, a special council of noblemen, known as a herredag, was in the process of selecting a new king, and the peasants presented their case to them. The herredag ruling from June 17, 1533, shows that the steward was ordered to leave the peasants and their forest alone. The judgment for the actual murder was deferred to the new king. When Christian III ascended the throne, he reportedly imposed an unusual penalty: the peasants were to pay a fine of 12 white oxen with red ears for the murder. However, the peasants could only procure 11 oxen with the required coloring and decided to paint the ears of the twelfth ox.
Their deception was exposed when it rained, washing the paint away. Upon learning of their mischief, the king must have been amused, because rather than imposing a harsher punishment, he merely instructed the peasants to erect a cross—known as the “Skalkekors” (Rogues’ Cross)—to commemorate their roguish deeds. In Frejlev, however, the cross was not viewed as a mark of shame but as a symbol of victory over injustice and oppression. For centuries, locals have cared for and maintained the cross, replacing it several times. Today, it still stands near the forest in excellent condition.
The oldest surviving deed for Frejlev Forest, signed by Christian II, remains in Frejlev’s possession. Every first Sunday in May, it is ceremoniously transferred, along with other documents chronicling centuries of struggle for the forest, to the new alderman, kept safely within the town chest.
In the early 1800s, the area’s collective ownership gradually gave way to private ownership, and Frejlev Forest was divided into parcels tied to individual farms. Over time, many of these parcels were sold off, consolidated into fewer hands, and no longer necessarily connected to the farms in Frejlev.
Mads Jakobsen, senior consultant at the Danish Nature Fund, explains that the forest’s history of collective and later parcel ownership has positively influenced its current ecological quality.
“Parcel forests, which we also see in other parts of the country, tend to be managed less intensively than some of the larger, contiguous forests. This could be because the owners of small parcels often have different priorities than intensive forestry. Additionally, the forest’s local historical significance and its management by a guild likely played a role. There’s probably been a sense that the forest was something to care for and preserve. At least, there’s been greater restraint in managing it harshly,” he explains.
This has ultimately saved a number of species that the forest is home to today and has been decisive in why the World’s Forests and the Danish Nature Foundation have chosen to purchase and display the rich nature here, so that it will also be protected in the future.
“The forest has been well cared for and, in some cases, still is. We are now taking the next step by halting forestry entirely on the areas we acquire,” Jakobsen explains.
Frejlev Forest is a deciduous forest that is home to at least 664 forest-dwelling species of animals, plants, and fungi, including 26 endangered species and 13 rare species. Among the trees growing here are oak, hornbeam, lime, elm, and hazel, making it a mixed forest. Rare species found here include fungi, four species of longhorn beetles, a click beetle, a butterfly, the tree species field elm, and the white-tailed eagle.
“Frejlev Forest has the characteristics of a mixed forest, which is a forest type that has become increasingly rare in Denmark. We will now stop forestry operations in the areas we acquire and leave deadwood from deciduous trees, so we can build natural values such as old trees and tree debris, where woodpeckers, fungi, and other species can thrive,” says Mads Jakobsen. He also explains that some parcels of the forest have been planted with conifers, and that several parts of the forest have also been drained and planted with beech, which may challenge the forest’s status as a mixed forest.
“In the areas we acquire, we will remove the coniferous forest and allow it to transition to natural growth. Over time, several parts of the forest have also become more uniformly dominated by beech, while less economically significant but rarer tree species have disappeared. We will work to remove artificial drainage to raise the water level so that trees able to grow in wetter soil can gain a more prominent position than, for example, beech, which does not thrive in high water levels. Of course, this will be done in collaboration with the neighbors so that they can still drain their parcels in the forest,” says Mads Jakobsen.
He also hopes that in the future, there will be support for purchasing more of the forest, so the area can become larger and more cohesive.
“Our presence in Frejlev Forest is long-term, and if more becomes available for sale, we are certainly interested in buying it, ideally creating more cohesive parcels,” he says.
Burial Mounds Galore
The wild peasants of Frejlev aren’t the only ones fueling sagas in the area. While the clashes between the peasants and the nobility, as well as the killing of the bailiff, are well-documented, the episode involving the Knækkerygstenen (the Backbreaking Stone) is less certain. It’s a compelling story, but the stone itself is located a few kilometers from where the confrontation is said to have taken place. Still, there may be a grain of truth in the legend. Several sagas mention stones used for breaking people’s backs as offerings to Thor.
The area also boasts one of the highest concentrations of ancient monuments in the country. The forest is dotted with visible passage graves, dolmens, and burial mounds from the Neolithic period, as well as Bronze Age barrows, many of which have recently been restored. The abundance of burial mounds and large stones further suggests that large parts of Frejlev Forest have never been cultivated. Otherwise, many of these stones and mounds would have been removed, lending the area its unique character.
So, who knows… With an area so saturated with burial mounds, where the air seems to hum as if filled with the unheard voices of the past—desperately trying to share thousands of years’ worth of stories, legends, and sagas—you want to believe that the distinctively sharp-edged stone played a role in one or more of the area’s many events.
Freeing Forests with Forest Certificates
The purchase of Frejlev Forest has been 100 percent funded by contributions. By purchasing a forest certificate, you support the acquisition of Danish forests that are designated as untouched forests, while also backing Forests of the World’s efforts to create a world with richer forest biodiversity. You can buy certificates to support untouched forests here.
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We work to preserve the world’s forests, both in Denmark and the world’s tropical forests.Our focus areas include sustainability, Indigenous Peoples and local engagement.
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