At the time of
my visit to Denmark’s Soro Academy the head master was a shoe in for a stand in
of Prince Charles. I had a hard time taking my eyes off him as he showed us the oldest brick church in Denmark that monks built
between two lakes in 1160-1170. There is only a meter difference in lake
levels, but that was enough to build a water mill. The church was walled all
around containing a couple of gate houses that were built for the teachers and
are now the oldest continuously inhabited houses in the country. Entering the
church we found beautifully carved pews as well as gorgeous railings and other
carved wooden works. The organ with its many angels was restored in 1944.There were several tombs inside with one dating to 1170.
In
1586 King Fredrick established an academy in the old monastery. It was meant
for 30 noble boys and 20 middle class boys, and the King’s son was one of the
first students. An 1812 fire destroyed the school but it was rebuilt and today
there are 470 students, several of them exchange students from all around the
world. The Academy is the only state high school in the country. The other high
schools are run by the county or municipality. It is one of five boarding
schools in Denmark. Girls were admitted as boarding students in 1993.
The large main foyer overlooked Lake Soro,
and in each corner was a large marble
statue—Plato, Homer, Hesodet, and Euclides.
In the ballroom owls decorated the high
walls just below the ceiling. It seemed appropriate for a place of learning
–the wise old owl.
In the teachers’ all purpose room the
chairs were 117 years old. Of course they had been reupholstered many times
over the years and the wood had recently been stained to match the modern
tables. Of the original 49 chairs 48 remain! Amazing for such continual use.
As we were leaving, the headmaster told
us, “All schools including five universities are free. High school is a bit
different than yours. If one’s grades are high enough he enters high school at
16 and four years later graduates with a baccalaureate. About 50% of students
go this route. Others attend vocational school and a few drop out. Children
learn English at age 10. Nearly everyone is bi or multilingual. To graduate from the Academy one must be fluent
in three languages other than Danish!”
MARIBO CATHEDRAL
In another part of Denmark we visited
Maribo Cathedral built in 1390 between the North and South Lakes. Originally it
was a monastery for 60 nuns and 65 Augustine monks. Destroyed by fire in 1600, it was opened to
the public when rebuilt.
The large church had many gothic arches,
but there were no frescos or ships hanging from the ceiling. The altar, pulpit,
and chandelier were all quite ornate. Maribo means the place where Mary lives.
As the guide walked us into a room behind
the altar she showed us the original altar and a 1420 canvas painting of Mary in
its original wooden frame. Today it is preserved under glass. We also saw a
large carved statue of St. Augustine and the original crucifix which is hollow.
During a difficult time in Danish history a priest hid treasures in the
crucifix and it was 300 years before they were rediscovered! A 1550 bible was
open on the table.
In the church the beautiful carved
marble baptismal font was dated 1777. Originally the church was Catholic but
after reformation it became Lutheran. Denmark has ten cathedrals and ten
bishops.
Remains of the nunnery have been
preserved. Many large beech and chestnut trees covered the grounds providing
welcome shade. The area was quiet, scenic and peaceful. One advantage of getting into the
countryside and away from ‘tourist spots’ is that one often sees and learns
interesting things.
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