"The heath dweller shall remember his name with gratitude whenever he harvests his sheaves there, where previously barren heath prevailed. Generation after generation in the Koldinghus district shall recall him as the one who laid the foundation for the prosperity of their forefathers..." - From the funeral speech of Pastor Lauritz Haase of Michaelis Church in Fredericia for the District Manager of Koldinghus District, Mr. Hans de Hoffman, on February 19, 1793.
Hans de Hoffman, born at Skerrildgaard Manor near Nebsager in the Bierre-Harde, received the royal commission in 1755 to undertake the significant task of directing the establishment of settler villages on the Randbøler Heath and the Alheide. This seven-year effort was carried out without special remuneration, but "as a reward for the king and for the benefit of the country."
As the last president of the royal "staple city" Fredericia, he achieved in 1762 the creation of a new town hall for the city and the acquisition of valuable properties. Hoffman contributed to freeing the farmers of the Koldinghus district from communal ties, bringing progress and prosperity. Hoffman completed the Danish Atlas "Atlas Danske" by Erik Pontoppidan and collected foundation charters as well as donation deeds from Denmark and Norway.
Through the "Prince's Portal" in Fredericia, a large and magnificent funeral procession passed in February 1793. Along the road, crowds of townspeople and farmers stood, respectfully uncovering their heads to pay their final respects to their faithful benefactor. For over 33 years, the district manager and president Hans de Hoffman had passed through this gate for his last journey through the wintry East Jutland landscape. The destination of the funeral procession was the old church of the family in Nebsager, where Hans de Hoffman had erected a burial chapel in 1754 for himself and his first wife, Mrs. Bodil Bjerring.
Few Danish nobles, like Hans de Hoffman, understood the great sense of responsibility that came with rank, status, and honors. In 55 years of state service, he had, through his tireless and diligent efforts, improved the farming community in the Koldinghus district to better living conditions. But most importantly, the name Hans de Hoffman became associated with the colonisation of the Randbøler Heath and the Alheide, where his significant efforts gained importance for both German colonists and Danish heath farmers. His entire life as president in the city of Fredericia and as district manager over the Koldinghus district, which later became Vejle district, was filled with the aim of dedicating himself to a lasting and greatest cultural and economic task for the satisfaction of all - thereby earning an unforgettable name.
Hans Dreyer de Hoffman was born 10 July 1713, at the Skerrildgaard Manor in the Bierre-Harde. As a child, he received his education from his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Commerce Councillor Dreyer in Copenhagen, and passed the legal administrative examination in the summer of 1734. He traveled on scholarships to France and Belgium, studying for two years at Leiden University. In 1736, he became the secretary of the General Agricultural and Trade Collegium and, in 1740, an assessor at the Citizen's Court. After his appointment as a Chancellery Councilor in 1743, he purchased his ancestral estate, Skerrildgaard, and familiarised himself with agricultural operations. In the same year, he married the wealthy Miss Bodil Bjerring, the niece of one of Jutland's richest men, Estate Councillor Gerhard de Lichtenberg in Horsens. Hoffman's circles of friends in Copenhagen were envious of him due to this wealthy marriage; even his friend Langebeck praised Miss Bodil in poetic verses: "She is a lily for all Jutland maidens, a mirror for all Copenhagen maidens, a pearl for all Parisian Mademoiselles." The poet Chr. Wadskjaer wrote a bridal poem for the wedding in Horsens on October 22 for 6 specie ducats.
At Skerrildgaard, Hoffman received his first significant historical task from King Frederick V of Denmark - to collect foundation charters and donation deeds to preserve them from fire, moisture, and oblivion. Hoffman's brother, Justice Councillor and Assessor in the Supreme Court, Tycho de Hoffman*, had started these descriptions, which unfortunately were interrupted by Tycho de Hoffman's death in February 1754. On the southern choir wall in the church in Nebsager, there is a peculiar marble memorial plaque for Tycho de Hoffman. The artwork, executed by Professor Stanlui, depicts a small boy bending over a number of books, extinguishing a burning torch with concern.
[*Tycho de Hofman. Historian and genealogist; Secretary in the Danish Chancellery (1741), Judge in the Royal Court at the castle of Copenhagen (1747). Interested in genealogy and history, he published 'Leben einiger wohlverdienten Dänen' (1741) and 'Historiske efterretning om velfortjente danske adelsmeænd' (1746). Contributed to the promotion of Danish book production]
From his time as a Chancellery Councilor Secretary, Hoffman was knowledgeable about all historical and geographical information concerning the foundations and districts. The significant work "Foundations and Donation Deeds of Denmark and Norway" was published in 11 volumes and provides an excellent cultural-historical snapshot of churches and hospitals with associated "charitable gifts and legacies."
Hoffman looked with concern at the enormous sum of over 2 tons of gold tied up for the sustenance of "6000 lazy hospital members" but found nothing allocated for the marriages of poor girls, which, in his view, held greater importance for the country's future.
Hoffman gained insights into the town of Vejle from Pastor Hans Henrik Neuchs of St. Nikolaikirche, who was also a clergyman of the hospitals in Vinding and Vejle. There is a detailed description of the many burials in St. Nikolaikirche, including epitaphs, gravestones, and paintings. The organ has only eight voices and is inscribed with the Latin phrase: "Cantere Domino canticum" (Sing to the Lord a song). The church space has two long aisles and four rows of chairs. A detailed description of the church will be included later in "Denmark's Atlas". The charitable legacies for the church reflect the adorned style of the time. For example, the legacy from Mrs. Oberhofmeister Benedicta Grabau amounts to "One hundred and forty-five Reichsthalers, One Mark, and Six Shillings, which shall belong unshakably and irrevocably to the Poor Fund and its poor members (of the town of Vejle) for all eternity." The legacy of Susanne Marie Seipens, amounting to 117 Reichsthalers and 14 ¾, is given to poor children instead, "so that they may not grow up begging and learn nothing but vice". Andreas Dorup's legacy is to be distributed among "properly destitute, old, and decent poor" individuals. An account of the revenues and expenses of the Vejle Hospital at Nordertor is presented. It includes 13 members calculated for 13 months with 28 days each. The salary of the schoolteacher consists of commodities, including cash amounts, and properties such as 9-10 loads of hay, two "hop mounds," some pieces of meadowland, 1 piece of sheaf land, "biscent," and burial fees, amounting to 15,916 Reichsthalers of the sexton's rent from Gaorslund, sexton's corn from Egtved, and king's tithe from the Skibet parish. The town of Vejle pays 13 shillings for each hearth and 2 Reichsthalers around Christmas.
As a government commissioner for the Koldinghus district, Hoffman directed some significant roadworks. In 1756, the new road between Vejle and Horsens was initiated. The old curves and segments of trade routes were straightened and used to significantly widen the roads. The Vejle-to-Horsens road was measured at 10,552 fathoms. A new road, following the "King's Road" from Uldum to Aale, was also executed in 1757.
Later, all other highways leading to the Koldinghus district were undertaken. The 12 highways to the Jutlandic towns of Flensburg and Haderslev were in a state of disrepair. Each farmer in the district received, according to his hartkorn (standard measure of land tax), a segment of road to fill with fascines and sand. The 160 bridges were nearly rotted, and new bridges were constructed from solid oak timber and planks. Overall, it involved 26 miles of highways throughout the district.
In the summer of 1757, the newly-founded Society for the Promotion of Heathland Utilisation conducted an investigation aimed at making the most suitable heath areas in Jutland arable. They sent their application to King Frederick V. The King ordered that the heath matter should be supported by the most grateful Jutlandic authorities, namely Justice Councillor Hans de Hoffman at Skerrildgaard, Chancellery Councilor Dichman in Fredericia, Chancellery Councilor Steen Steensen zum Aunsbjerg, and Justice Councillor Hvas zu Tviskloster. However, Hoffman's in-depth knowledge of the Jutlandic peninsula and solid insight into economy and agriculture naturally made him the head of the commission for the establishment of settler villages on the Randbøler Heath and the Alheide.
In the year 1758, Hoffman, along with the other commission members, embarked on a ten-day journey across the heath and documented their investigations in the Economic Journal. On July 9, the travel party reached Vrads Sande, where they discovered ruins of a smelting furnace for bog ore over 100 years old, and among the slag, a piece of iron weighing over 100 kilograms. On July 10, they visited Enfesvang with the old church site, and on July 11, the company was at the King's Alheide to examine the quality and nature of the heath soil. The next day, the journey continued through Grønbæk and Haversdal to Karup. Here, many old wheel tracks indicated ancient cultivation. In the following days, they traversed the Randbøel Heath, "where heather reaches knee height," heading towards Nordbæk near Egtved.
On the subsequent journey, the company passed through Give with the Devil's Moor and continued through the Ringive parish with the "terribly large Upper and Lower Simmel Heath." On July 16 and 17, Hoffman himself traveled across the Randbøel Heath to Barkke. He passed through Bindeballe, Spjarup, Pitting, Slauggaard, Knorborg to Skoede. Over time, the farmers of these villages had independently acquired substantial portions of the Randbøel Heath for peat and heather cultivation and sheep farming. Hoffman found clear traces of old constructions in many places. At the desolate spot called "Schafsteig" near Godrum and Pluborg, there were remnants of good meadows and foundation pillars of farms. Hoffman believed that colonisation could be successfully implemented in this area. Finally, Hoffman visited the magnificent paper mill of Gerhards de Lichtenberg in the Randbøel Valley and the copperworks Haraldskjaer, praising their production of utility paper and copper items in high regard.
In the Economic Journal, Hoffman provides a detailed explanation for the cultivation of heath areas. He proposed bringing in Germans from Lüneburg and Brandenburg to cultivate the heathlands and suggested plans for establishing farms. Within a distance of 6 to 7 miles from cities, heath farmers were not allowed to harvest more than they and their families could consume.
The Danish state entrusted the recruitment of German colonists to the Legation Secretary Moritz in Frankfurt am Main. The first colonists from the Rhineland arrived in the fall of 1759, surprising everyone. The entire cultivation plan existed only on paper, and Hoffman had to hastily welcome the first Germans in Alheide. On the Randbøel Heath, 20 colonist huts were built near Knorborg (now Frederiksnaade). Seven buildings were erected towards Frederikshaab. In the summer of 1760, more colonists arrived, and their accommodations posed many difficulties for Hoffman. He wrote a letter to Legation Secretary Moritz in Frankfurt: "For God's sake, gracious sir, do not let them come to Jutland. The 250 families give us such work day and night that we are completely exhausted from writing and traveling.
For Hans de Hoffman, the heath matter was a matter of the heart. For five years, he undertook week-long journeys to Alheide and Randbøel Heath, observing the life and activities of the colonists and patiently listening to their countless complaints. Despite all the troubles, he rejoiced in the development of the colonist villages.
On the Randbøel Heath, the various colonist sites were named after the most well-known men and women. The ancient St. Rybjerg was renamed Frederikshaab after Frederik V. Klein-Rybjerg received the name Hoffmansfeldt after Hans de Hoffman, and other places were named Guldborgsminde, Karilinensynde, Mariesnaade, Christiansejegod, and Reventlowsbede.
With the peaceful times in Germany, most colonists abandoned their farms and returned to the Rhineland. Hoffman procured Danish farmers for the abandoned farms on the Randboel Heath without any cost to the Danish state. Hoffman's expenses as commissioner for the reclamation of the heath amounted to no less than 1400 Reichstalers. In 1758, Hoffman became a Justice Councillor, and in 1760, he became the president of Fredericia; in 1774, he became a Conference Councillor. Eight years later, he was honoured with the "white ribbon" - Grand Cross - and awarded the "Pro Merito" ring. He received a splendid gold box adorned with allegorical figures representing the care of the field from the Crown Prince.
In Fredericia, he established a dignified residence on Vendersgade and, in 1760, set up a relief-carved sandstone plaque with his name, the year, and the Hoffman coat of arms with bars and three balls. Crown Prince Frederik stayed in the tasteful home during his visit to the city in 1787. Hoffman's house employed six servants and two clerks, who were engaged in his extensive correspondence and the collection of historical and topographical material. Hoffman's wife passed away in 1769, but he later married Marie Elisabeth Benefeldt of Olstedgaard in Funen.
Fredericia was designed as a royal staple city with fine and elegant residences. The magistracy consisted of the president, a mayor, and four aldermen. When Hoffman assumed the presidency, Fredericia was a poor, poorly governed, and ailing city. Hoffman's first task was to build a new town hall in 1762. It became an imposing structure with a high cellar, cupola, and bell tower. Hoffman donated the storm bell, still marked with his name, and the furnishings of the town hall.
At the Michaelis Church, formerly known as the German Church, restoration had come to a complete standstill, and the north side still retained its old half-timbered construction. Hoffman obtained a royal letter and financial assistance to complete the church, personally donating 100 Reichstalers for the embellishment of the church and securing substantial income for it.
On a specific weekday, all farmers in the district could bring their small and large legal matters and disputes to him, and Hoffman tried to reach settlements to protect the farmers from falling into the clutches of lawyers and getting involved in expensive lawsuits. Hoffman had less success in establishing factories in Fredericia and attracting enterprises. The most significant impact on the city of Fredericia was the purchase and management of the outer suburbs around the city by Hoffman, which belonged to the Koldinghus district in 1718. For his own account, in 1765, he bought Trelde-Koppel and Bredstrup-Koppeln, as well as later the windmill and watermill on Prangervej. He allowed all previous tenants to repurchase their old shares. At the same time, he improved roads and streets, often at his own expense. With the same generosity, he helped many poor people seeking his assistance. Hoffman became Fredericia's last and certainly most prominent president. Upon resigning in 1773, he was appointed district governor of Koldinghus but continued to reside in Fredericia.
In 1754, Hoffman was commissioned by the king to complete the work on the Danish Atlas "Atlas Daniae." His brother-in-law, Court Preacher and Pro-Chancellor at the University of Copenhagen, Erik Pontoppidan, had worked on a major work on Danish cities until his sudden death, having published the first two volumes. Thanks to the extensive source material of the foundations, Hoffman had a rare opportunity to obtain accurate descriptions for the third volume and later for the four other volumes, which he compiled himself. The work "Atlas Daniae" was published on January 29, 1768, Christian VII's birthday, and was adorned with solemn wishes and tributes to the king. The Danish Atlas has an extensive subtitle: "The Kingdom of Denmark with its natural features, elements, inhabitants, works, animals, and other living beings, partly old events and modern conditions in all the cities of the provinces, churches, and manors, the latter presented in a detailed description of the country." It is amusing to follow Hoffman's descriptions of Jutlandic foundations, especially from the Koldinghus district, which later became the Vejle district. Many so-called unhistorical legends and long-disappeared stories from ancient times still retain their significance for regions and places they refer to. Many of his historical records remain valid today.
As the district governor of the Koldinghus district with an annual salary of 500 Reichstalers, Hoffman made a great and benevolent effort for the city residents and farmers throughout the district. In 1786, he published an overview of divisions in the 8 Harden in "Coldinghus Amts Beskrivelser" (Descriptions of the Koldinghus District). Hoffman relieved the farmers of some of the many corvées and promised them better brandy. In Skjearup, he established an oil mill where farmers could press their seeds into oil for free. He helped the farmers in every possible way to improve agriculture, tirelessly traveling through different districts. He was not stingy with praise for the farmers for their progress, which would also benefit the descendants on the farms. He achieved his greatest goal with the division of communities in the district. He paid for all his official trips, meals, and transportation out of his own pocket.
After a prolonged illness, Hans de Hoffman died on February 3, 1793, in his home in Fredericia. The news of his death spread beyond the borders of the city of Fredericia, and people flocked to linger at the coffin of their dear district governor. Hoffman's coffin was on display in his home for two days. At the funeral on February 19, the entire city was filled with deep sorrow. Members of the mounted civic corps stood guard at his home, in the death chamber, and at the Michaelis Church. Here, the parish priest Mag. Phil. Basse delivered his famous funeral sermon, mentioning Hans de Hoffman's great deeds for the city of Fredericia and the Koldinghus district. The members of the magistracy carried the coffin to the hearse amid the funeral music of the city musicians.
Slowly, the funeral procession set in motion, and the large entourage joined, filling the entire street. At "des Prinzen Portale," the grand procession stopped to bid farewell to their president and district governor. For 55 years, Hans de Hoffman had served the king and the fatherland, earning an unforgettable posthumous fame.
His name became immortal.
Aage Wohlert.