A Taste of History at MARK

The Museum Reflects 400 Years of History

The museum mirrors the last 400 years of history, telling the story of the transition from an agricultural country through industrialization to the welfare society we have today. Karensminde is the only remaining farm out of the seven that once made up the village of Morsbøl. It is a meadow farm, where the farmer used the grass from the lush meadow area to keep cows and sheep, among others farm animals. The farms were like pearls on a string, and the road which past them was colloquially called "The Milky Way" due to all the milk the cattle provided the meadow farmers. Karensminde was the wealthiest and finest farm in the village by the end of the 18th century and later became the parish council farm.

On a fine summer day, the farm radiates coziness and idyll. But it hasn’t always been this way. Like other farms in the country, everyday life in the 1900s was marked by child labor, hunger, fear of witches and sorcery, fire, thieves, social inequality, lice, disease, and the struggle for survival. The flip side of the coin also existed: well-tended fields, festivities, holidays, traditions, and stocked pantries.

Take a Trip Back to 1920

With Karensminde, we zoom in on agriculture as it was practiced from the 1920s to the 1950s—a period of significant change for farming. Even at Karensminde, hay in the livestock’s winter feed was replaced with beets. Large parts of the meadow areas were drained, and throughout the 1900s, the meadow farm transitioned from traditional farming to industrial farming, before re-emerging as a museum farm and cultural attraction later on. Today, the farm cultivates 50 acres of land, equivalent to over 40 football fields, using a seven-field crop rotation to keep the soil alive and fertile. We also have meadow areas where our old Danish livestock breeds graze.

Beer is a Must

When you visit us, we will tell you about household practices, the food that was eaten daily, and how food was preserved in a time without freezers and refrigerators. We do this in the kitchen garden, potato cellar, and the main house with the kitchen and pantry.

For many years, brewing beer was a central task in the kitchen. Everyone, children and adults alike, drank beer daily. When you brew beer, the water is boiled, making it safe to drink. However, the beer given to children and consumed daily was not very strong; it was the thin beer—an expression that has become a saying for a part of a group that does not stand out in any way. They are included as the thin beer.

The Beer Became Our Fate

We have brewed beer for more than 3,000 years. For example, the Egtved Girl took a jug of beer with her on her journey to the other side. The process is well-known, but up until 1883, yeast had not been tamed. Grain, water, yeast, and herbs/hops are the ingredients for a good brew. It is simple, but the process is long and complicated. The grain must germinate. After 4-7 days, germination must be halted by drying or roasting the grain (which is now called malt). The sprouts are removed. The malt is crushed and mashed at around 65° for several hours, extracting the sugars into the water (the wort). The mixture is then strained, and the wort is boiled with hops for an hour. It is then cooled before fermentation can begin. It requires extensive knowledge, experience, the right tools and storage conditions, reasonable hygiene, and a good dose of luck to convert those few ingredients into a good brew.

Beer with a Glow

No strangers were allowed to witness the beer brewing. Strangers were untrustworthy; they could be witches or other evil beings. If strangers visited, a glowing coal could be thrown at them as they left the farm. Iron and fire could ward off evil forces. They may also have thrown a coal or iron coin into the beer to remove the evil and ensure the process succeeded.

In many beer barrels and casks, you can see that crosses have been carved into the wood to keep evil away. Additionally, small songs about good and evil were sung while brewing beer or sprouting grain.

Under the Floor, the Spirits Threaten

It was believed that the spirits lived beneath the floorboards. They were small, malevolent, and resembled elves. When beer was spilled on the floor, the drops would fall to the spirits, keeping them calm. However, if they received no beer, they would become angry and cause the inhabitants to fall so they could drink blood instead. Previous residents of Karensminde defended against this by placing a calf's skull under the floor.

Beer was on the Annual Calendar

The good, strong beer was brewed in spring and autumn when it was neither too hot nor too cold. Everyday beer was brewed when the barrel was nearly empty. Then the barrel was tilted to get the last drops. We know this today in expressions like: When the day is tilting down.

From Brew Room to Laundry Room and Wet Rubber Boots

In the 19th century, every farm had its own little brewery for personal use. The word “bryggers” (brew room) comes from "bryggerhus" (brew house)—a special room for the farm’s beer brewing. Later, the room was used for other major kitchen work, like baking or butchering. Today, a "bryggers" includes more than just a room with a sink; it may have a deep freezer, washing machine, boots, and possibly central heating.

We Still Brew

Karensminde also brewed beer. However, the residents did not advertise it in the 1800s. Brewing took place secretly in this region because religious forces were on the rise. In the latter half of the century, the Inner Mission spread and gained influence over the people on the heath. The Inner Mission advocated for abstinence, and it was frowned upon to drink excessively.

Today, we still brew beer, following proud traditions with roots back to the 1800s. We use our own homegrown crops like grains and hops. The grain is a six-row barley variety that can be traced back to 1860.

You can buy a Karensminde Ale—or two—at the museum shop. Do it. Then you can taste history when you get home and ponder whether it is coincidental that the most esteemed malt barley in England is also a six-row barley instead of the usual two-row malt barley.