Werner Parsberg (October 22, 1647 – November 7, 1719) was a nobleman, colonel and landowner. He owned Eskjær Manor in Salling and Skivehus and Bidstrup near Randers.
Genealogy
The Parsberg family was a noble family from the castle of Parsberg in Bavaria. A branch of the family came to Denmark during the 1400s and bore a coat of arms identical to the present-day arms of the Bavarian town of Parsberg.
From 1619 the family owned Eskjær Manor, where Werner Parsberg was born in 1647. Eskjær was initially owned by the family until 1664, when it had to be sold due to financial difficulties.
Military career
Werner Parsberg received military training and became a captain in Brockenhuus’ Dragon Regiment at the age of 30 in 1677. He later became a major and finally in 1698 a colonel in the general staff.
Landowner
In 1681, Werner Parsberg bought back Eskjær Manor after it had been out of the family for 17 years. Werner Parsberg also experienced financial difficulties, and in 1698 he had to sell Eskjær to Christiana Barbara Rantzau, whom he married immediately. In 1693 he had acquired Skivehus, and together with his wife he farmed Eskjær and Skivehus until his death in 1719.
Jeppe Aakjær has described Werner Parsberg in a text as a “tough guy”. This could be seen in the conflicts he had with the market town of Skive. For a period of time, Parsberg charged bridge tolls for everyone who crossed the road over the river at Skivehus, and he was in conflict over the ownership of the land around Skive Købstad. This led to a lawsuit, which Parsberg lost in 1708. He had to pay compensation to Skive Købstad, which made it possible to afford a new organ for Vor Frue Kirke.
Literature
- Mortensen, Niels: “Gamle Skivehus”, Skivebogen 2012, page 5-38 (see page 17).
- Aakjær, Jeppe: “Fra det gamle Skivehus”, Skivebogen 1926, page 10-38 (see page 16-17).
- Aakjær, Jeppe: “Gamle Skivehus i det 17. Aarhundrede”, Skivebogen 1913, page 86-133 (see page 125-133).
Sources on the internet
- Danish manors, database: Eskjær, Skivehus, Bidstrup.
- Finn Holbek, website about Danish noble families.
- Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, about the Parsberg family.
- Parsberg coat of arms.