User:Thypingvinen/sandbox/Middelaldercentret

Not to be confused with Bornholms Middelaldercenter.

Middelaldercentret

Middelaldercentret
The world's largest trebuchet at Middelaldercentret in Sundby
Location within Falster
Established	1992
Location	Ved Hamborgskoven 2, 4800 Nykøbing Falster
Coordinates	54°46′30.37″N 11°50′27.47″E
Type	Cultural history open-air museum
Visitors	44,968 (2016)
Director	Roeland Paardekooper
Curator	Thit Birk Petersen
Public transit access	Bus (Gul linje 702)
Website	middelaldercentret.dk
"Middelaldercentret". Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister. Central Business Register.

Middelaldercentret (English: The Medieval Centre) is a Danish open-air museum, living history centre and research centre focusing on the Danish medieval period around the year 1400. The museum is located at the northern edge of Sundby, on the Lolland side of Guldborg Sund opposite Nykøbing Falster, and is the area's most popular attraction.

The centre features a reconstruction of a typical Danish medieval market town, which includes workers' accommodation, market stalls, and a harbour with both small and large ships. Workers at the museum wear period dress, live in the reconstructed buildings, and re-enact everyday medieval activities such as cooking, performing manual trades, and weapons training. Additionally, the centre has a collection of medieval weapons including trebuchets (one of which is the world's largest), ballistae, and gunpowder weapons such as arquebuses and cannons. Demonstrations of the weapons are given daily during the centre's opening season. Approximately 100 times a season, the centre holds jousting competitions.

The museum has full-time employees, as well as temporary workers provided by the local authority. This is supplemented by a public support group, from which is drawn a large number of volunteers to assist as actors. All the actors "live in the middle ages", which extends to pretending to be unaware of modern devices such as television and mobile phones when interacting with visitors. Until 2015, the museum inspector was the historian and speaker Kåre Johannessen. He remains loosely connected to the museum. In April 2021 the Dutch archaeologist Roeland Paardekooper took the directorship.

In addition to being a normal museum, the centre also carries out wide-ranging research into the medieval period and its technologies. The resulting reconstructions have included weapons, ships, clothing, hoisting mechanisms, and diving equipment. The museum is considered to be one of Europe's most authentic medieval reconstructions. As such, its medieval town has been frequently used for films, documentaries, and television series; the museum workers and their equipment have featured in several of these productions.

Location

The museum is located at the northern edge of Sundby on Lolland, on the shore of Guldborg Sund, with views towards Nykøbing Falster across the strait to the east. At first, the museum site was a beach meadow used to demonstrate a reconstructed stone-throwing catapult; the open location was chosen such that the weapon could be fired without the risk of damage to the surroundings. To the north of the museum lies the wood Hamborgskoven, which is a fredskov (English: protected wood). The wood is owned by the charitable foundation Det Classenske Fideicommis, but part of the area's edge is leased to the museum. The reconstructed town has a man-made harbour with access to Guldborg Sund. Outside the harbour proper there are docking facilities used for modern ships or as overflow docking for museum vessels.

The centre further owns a neighbouring building with surrounding land, which is located opposite the main entrance building. This neighbouring building originates from 1875 and is classified at level 3 under the Kulturarvsstyrelse (English: Cultural Heritage Agency) building conservation scale (where lower scores indicate higher cultural and historic value). The entrance building itself is classified at level 4, while an administrative building also makes the scale. Previously the museum also owned the 32 hectare island Flatø, which is located in Guldborg Sund south of Nykøbing Falster.

The museum is accessible by public transport using bus 702, which departs from Nykøbing F Station. By car, the required motorway exit from the southbound E47/E55 is junction 45; then the roads Majbøllevej followed by Guldborgvej lead to the museum. There is also access (again via Guldborgvej) to the museum from Danish national road 9, which passes through Nykøbing Falster. By bicycle, the museum is directly accessible from the Panorama route Sundruten, a 44 km route around Guldborgsund.

History

Establishment–1999

The two trebuchets at Middelaldercentret. Left: the smaller from 1989. Right: the larger from 1991, which today is the world's largest trebuchet.

The precursor to Middelaldercentret began with the 1989 working reconstruction of a medieval catapult, called a trebuchet, in celebration of the 700 year anniversary for the founding of Nykøbing Falster. A committee had asked for ideas for events to mark the anniversary, and museum inspector Peter Vemming Hansen requested and received a grant of DKK 700,000 (equivalent to approximately DKK 115,000 in 2013, adjusted for inflation) to build the weapon. The local museum (Falsters Minder) constructed the trebuchet, finishing on 10 July; over the next three weeks, 15,000-30,000 guests came to see the trebuchet being fired. For safety reasons the trebuchet was fired into Guldborg Sund. The firing was announced six weeks beforehand in the shipping safety periodical Efterretninger For Søfarende (English: Announcements For Seamen), while there was a safety boat in the strait to escort any ships around the target area. The local theatre, Teatret Masken, performed a historical play at the trebuchet site, and the then rigsantikvar (English: state antiquarian) Olaf Olsen gave a speech. This was the first time in recent memory that a working trebuchet had been constructed, and as such the events received both national and international media coverage.

After the enormous interest generated by the trebuchet, the project "Middelalderligt teknologicenter" (English: "Medieval technology centre") was launched, which ran for two months over the summer of 1991. The project consisted of a range of workshops and a kitchen tent surrounding the trebuchet. Around 20,000 people visited the project over August and September.

Middelaldercentret proper was launched in 1992, and the number of visitors grew steadily. The centre eventually ran into financial difficulties and considered that it would be forced to shut if it could not raise investment for further facilities, such as public toilets. In 1994, the fund Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond (English: The Workforce's Holiday Fund) gave the centre a large grant for the building of an entire town complete with houses, an arena, and a completely new entrance building. Several new houses have been built since, and roughly one large new attraction has been added each year.

In 1994, two nearby local authorities (then Nykøbing Falster Kommune and Sydfalster Kommune) together purchased the Guldborg Sund island Flatø under foreclosure, with a view to selling it on to Middelaldercentret. This sale concluded in 1996. It was planned to convert the island to a habitat resembling the medieval countryside; the island would be used as a location for various courses and as a destination for the centre's reconstructed ships. However, the island never became a fully integrated part of the centre, and was therefore sold on again in 2005.

The inn Den Gyldne Svane (English: The Golden Swan), which was opened in 1996.

In May 1996, the museum opened the restaurant/inn Den Gyldne Svane (English: The Golden Swan), which was designed to mimic a medieval feast hall. The restaurant's menu was the work of the archaeologist and food historian Bi Skaarup, who also trained the kitchen workers in medieval cuisine. This opening took place at the same time as that of the new houses, arena, and entrance building. The opening was attended by Prince Joachim, the then mayor of Nykøbing Falster Kommune Poul-Henrik Pedersen, and the director of Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond Aase Olsen, all of whom ate in the restaurant.

Over the winter of 1996–1997, groundworks were undertaken to create the centre's harbour, which was completed in time for the season opening on 1 May 1997. The harbour, which has access to Guldborg Sund, was complemented by the building of further houses. It was funded using money from the large 1994 donation. Additionally a wharf was constructed in the harbour for use in displaying the centre's numerous completely or partially reconstructed medieval ships (see also § Ships). Amongst the extra houses completed in 1997 were a fisherman's cottage (today used as a ropewalk) and, on the new wharf, a tailor's workshop, a dyery, and a warehouse. The latter was renovated in 2007 and is now a greengrocer's.

In August 1997 the Danish political party Venstre held their summer meeting at Middelaldercentret, during which then-leader Uffe Ellemann-Jensen fired the larger trebuchet. That year's Folkeskolens Afgangsprøve (English: People's School Exit Assessment) in mathematics included a question about a visit to Middelaldercentret, which asked students to find the money saved by buying a family ticket, calculate the area of a medieval house, and perform a calculation based on rising visitor numbers.

2000–2010

In 2003, construction of a new greengrocer's house began, which was completed in 2006. This new building is less frugal than the original from 1997. The house, which measures 6.5 m by 11 m, was built in partnership with archaeologists from Denmark and North Germany. At the time, it was the largest reconstructed medieval building in Scandinavia.

A timber frame building at Middelaldercentret, which is similar to one built at the Swedish museum Salvestaden in 2006.

In 2006, Middelaldercentret assisted with the construction of a two-storey timber-framed house at the museum Salvestaden in Kalmar, Sweden. The construction methods were very similar to those used for the 2003 greengrocer's house, and more generally Salvestaden was founded with Middelaldercentret as the main inspiration. The Swedish house was a reconstruction of a historical building in Kalmar and was built as a part of the EU project Ancient Times, which involved five museums in Northern Europe. Salvestaden went bankrupt in 2011, after which Middelaldercentret purchased the house for SEK 70,000 - a cost far lower than that of building a house from scratch. The centre spent an additional DKK 105,000 to dismantle the building and relocate it to Denmark. In 2012, it was then reassembled in the centre's medieval town, where it sits on the main square and now contains reconstructions of a hostel and market stalls.

On 5 May 2007, the museum received its millionth guest and reported a customer satisfaction of 97 %. The same year, a number of repairs were carried out, including to surfaces at the harbour that had been damaged by winter floods. A newly reconstructed gallows was also raised. The US ambassador James P. Cain visited the museum that season as part of a tour of the surrounding regions. He was allowed to fire the trebuchets and described the museum as a "cultural pearl".

The jousting arena (originally completed in 1996) was expanded and received new spectator stands throughout 2008–2009. These additions were completed by May 2009. The museum also chose to adjust the format of future jousting tournaments to make them more realistic, based on advice from experts at the Wallace Collection in London. That same year, a small house was constructed for the blacksmith of the medieval town, with many of the timbers used being taken from a dismantled building from the museum's very early days.

The woodland to the north of the museum, which is leased from Det Classenske Fideicommis, was integrated into the museum proper in 2009 with an exhibition on medieval belief and superstition. Between the Christmas and New Year of 2009, the museum's cafe building caught fire following an act of arson. The building, which additionally housed a storage loft for props, suffered significant damage, although fortunately most of the props were saved. No people were injured in the fire, and none of the reconstructed buildings were damaged. In December 2010, a utility building under reconstruction in the medieval town also caught fire. The building, which had its foundations dug in 2009 and was almost complete, was completely destroyed. The arson incident of the previous year lead to worries that a pyromaniac was targeting the museum, but investigations concluded that the utility building fire was not deliberately started. No other buildings were involved, but the damages were still significant at around DKK 500,000. The building was rebuilt by 2011, and opened the following year. A local thatcher from Idestrup, Falster built the roof.

2010–

In 2010, the museum held its first international knight festival, at which several European re-enactment groups took part in jousting competitions. The event took place at the start of August and involved over 100 foreign re-enactors. Middeladercentret reported an increase in visitor numbers of 9 % compared to the previous year, which contrasted with a year-on-year fall in visitors before. Almost 59,000 people visited the museum in 2010, and it made a profit that year.

However, in 2011 and 2012 the museum again experienced a fall in visitor numbers and did not turn a profit in either year. Despite this, the year-averaged visitor satisfaction remained high at 96 % and 98 % respectively. Queen Magrethe and Prince Henrik visited the museum on 5 June 2012 as part of their summer cruise on the royal ship Dannebrog. Amongst other activities, they ate lunch at the museum's restaurant Den Gylnde Svane and watched a jousting competition.

Christine Antorini and Kåre Johannessen at the opening of the medieval technology park in 2013.

On 24 June 2013, the museum's new medieval technology park (one of the most significant new attractions for many years) was opened by the Minister for Children and Education Christine Antorini. The park lies in the rented forest area to the north of the museum and has a range of reconstructed medieval machines and inventions built to full scale (see also § Other research). This park was the first stage in a scheme to turn the museum into a year-round (rather than seasonal) attraction.

On 1 May 2014, the museum opened for its 25th season. In celebration, the mayor for Guldborgsund Kommune held a speech in which he recounted some of the museum's history and development. The museum also revealed a brand new war machine reconstruction on that date. The weapon is reconstructed from medieval manuscripts and takes the form of a very early tank (see also § Gunpowder and cannons). In August, the centre held an authentic jousting competition involving full contact with the use of swords, clubs and lances. It took place over three days under the name Turneringen om den Gyldne Lænke (English: The Tournament of the Golden Chain). This, one of the largest events in the museum's history, was organised in partnership with a group of German riders and with assistance from the Leeds Royal Armouries Museum, the London Wallace Collection and the Lower Saxony horse museum Fürstliche Hofreitschule Bückeburg. It was so successful that Peter Vemming Hansen suggested allowing the group to return the next year. The German riders have since performed in Nyborg and Moscow; their technique is considered to have improved since the first event, and they are considered to have the best equipment amongst modern knight re-enactors.

A kiln for the production of slaked lime and brick, built in 2014 and operational from 2015.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, Kåre Johannessen announced his resignation as the museum's director. Anders Kramer Vestergaard, a newly qualified archaeologist from Aarhus University, was appointed in his place. In June of that year, the museum began using a reconstructed kiln built the previous year. The first use was for an experiment mimicking medieval slaked lime production. This experiment ran for several days, during which the kiln was fired constantly in order to obtain the consistent high temperatures required. During this period, the evening opening hours were extended such that visitors could follow the process. On the Christmas Eve of 2015, the centre hosted a party for disadvantaged families that did not have the money or resources to celebrate Christmas themselves. Around 100 people attended, many of whom were from Syrian families that had come to Denmark earlier that year as refugees.

The band Sømændene performing at Danmark Dejligst, the concert held at the centre in 2016.

On 27 May 2016, the museum hosted the music festival Danmark Dejligst, which had previously taken place at various locations in Denmark since 2012. The festivals were free and and organised by the Danish musician Rasmus Nøhr, who also performed at each event. The museum's edition took place on open ground opposite the entrance building and additionally featured Zididada, Bo Evers, Sømændene, and several local groups. More than 10,000 people attended the festival; around 1,800 of those also visited the museum proper.

Over several days in July 2016, the museum celebrated its 25th year as a self-owned institution. Around 200 re-enactors from all over Europe were invited, and 500-800 guests visited during the celebration. In the Autumn of that year, a local running club organised a marathon whose route passed through the centre. This was inspired by an earlier race in and around the Mønsted Chalk Mines at Viborg. The marathon was started with a salute from the museum's cannon. In total, 32 runners took part, including the race organiser (dressed in borrowed medieval clothing).

Visitors gathered for the concert Danmark Dejligst opposite the museum's entrance building in 2017.

During the 2017 season, the museum again hosted the concert Danmark Dejligst on the land opposite the entrance building. The performers that year included Birthe Kjær, Rasmus Nøhr, Wafande, and several local bands. Over 2,600 guests visited the centre proper as a result.

Prior to the 2018 opening, the kiln built in 2014 was removed. This was the result of cracks in the kiln wall caused by heat damage, which were subsequently worsened by weathering. The museum decided that it was too expensive to replace the kiln. Other pre-season work included covering one of the jousting spectator stands and part of the cafe area, to allow them to be used in poor weather. The weekend before the opening, the centre organised a re-enactment of a medieval pilgrimage. The format was a 22 km walk from Abbey Church, Nykøbing Falster to Kippinge Church further north. Several of the participants wore medieval clothing and footwear throughout.

The same year, from 28 July to August 3, the centre organised a large medieval craftsmen's fair. Many historical craftsmen from the re-enactment group Company of Saynt George (which had visited the museum in the past) attended and demonstrated medieval handiwork. In order to match the group's re-enacted time period, the centre declared that week to represent a year around 1460, which was different from that used for the rest of the season.

In March 2019, the centre announced the upcoming opening of a large new woodland area. Called Griffenholm (English: literally Isle of the Griffin), the site consists of several houses decorated as the laboratories of a fictional professor studying creatures from medieval folklore. This area is entirely separate from the centre's more realistic medieval town. The houses are of Victorian style - both in architecture and in furnishings - and take inspiration from Harry Potter and the novels of Jules Verne. Eventually the houses will be used for educational visits from schools and will also feature an escape room. Unlike the remainder of the museum, this area is intended to be open throughout the year. The idea of the project was first suggested in 2016 and was then partially funded by a grant of DKK 6.1 million from Nordea.

In April 2019, the museum engaged a bricklayer to continue previous work on the construction of a medieval church. As in the previous year, a pilgrimage re-enaction was arranged. In this case the 15 km route started in Krønge, continued through the wetland area Maribosøerne, and finished at the convent and cathedral in Maribo. Once again, several of the participants wore medieval dress.

For the 2020 season, the museum erected signage and enforced social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 season was adversely affected by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Despite many other industries receiving government financial assistance early in Denmark's lockdown, it was only in early May that grants to cover income loss were provided to the so-called videnspædagogiske aktivitetscentre (English: scientific educational centres), which include the centre. Continuing restrictions meant that the centre was unable to open as usual in May. It was originally planned to reopen the centre on 8 June, but this was delayed because of the prohibitively high cost of implementing coronavirus safety measures, as well as starkly reduced visitor numbers. This was worsened by the lack of overseas tourists. Eventually the season began on 1 July, albeit with restrictions such as visitors not being allowed inside the houses, and a limit of 50 spectators at trebuchet firing. The usual illusion of entering a medieval town had to be reluctantly abandoned to allow for signage and hand sanitiser dispensers. Despite this the museum reported excellent visitor numbers by mid July, helped by a government program that covered half the entrance cost for certain tourist attractions. The main season concluded one-and-a-half months early on 17 August. Later that year, during the autumn school holidays, the centre opened once more under the same restrictions as over the summer. Visitor numbers in this period were much lower than in previous years.

In January 2021 the museum announced the appointment of a new director, namely Roeland Paardekooper, to replace Peter Vemming Hansen after his retirement in the coming spring. The centre opened as usual on 1 May, but some restrictions continued and the jousting tournaments were cancelled until government restrictions on gatherings were lifted.

Finances and organisation

The museum is a self-owned institution, funded by its own income and grants from the state, local authority, and various foundations. In 2013 these grants comprised 39% of the income, while the centre held capital of DKK 4.5 million and DKK 35.7 million of assets. Generally the museum has received less state support than other institutions in the area, but it is reliant on such grants for its existence.

Between 1994 and 1997, the centre increased its self-generated income by approximately 300%, largely as a result of visitor numbers almost doubling over the same period. Nevertheless, in 2006 the museum posted a deficit. Despite an increase in visitors for the 2007 season, the absolute number of these was too low to recoup costs, and a larger deficit of DKK 370,000 (roughly DKK 420,000 in 2013, adjusting for inflation) was posted. This trend unfortunately persisted into 2008, and since the season coincided with the end of term for several large bank loans previously taken out by the museum, the centre was forced to apply for extraordinary financial assistance from the local authority. Bolstered, the museum posted surpluses in the next two years, but falling visitor numbers once again led to deficits in 2011–2012. This time the museum was able to absorb the losses using its own capital. Given its nature as an outdoor attraction, the centre is strongly dependent on the weather, and especially wet summers or periods of drought have been observed to correlate with lower visitor numbers and hence lower income. More concretely, a 2013 calculation estimated that a reduction in 10,000 visitors costs the museum around DKK 900,000. The museum decided in 2012 that its current spending was unsustainable, particularly given the failure of increased marketing to substantially increase visitor numbers. Hence it introduced a new savings plan and effected budget cuts of approximately DKK 250,000.

In January 2014, the museum appealed to the local authority (Guldborgsund Kommune) for a doubling of its usual yearly grants. The response was initially negative, with mayor John Brædder commenting that the musuem should not expect extra funding unless it could demonstrate that more people were visiting. Anders Høiris, one of the museum's management, objected that extra funding was required to expand the centre in order to attract the desired guests. Eventually the museum received DKK 1.5 million from the council in 2014.

In September of the same year the centre appealed to the council again, this time for DKK 800,000 to cover an underestimation in the number of visitors (although the absolute number of visitors had increased). This was only the second time in its history that the centre was forced to seek such emergency assistance. At the time the museum was negotiating with external foundations for a grant of DKK 36 million to build a new area, and these donors commented that they expected the council to provided significant assistance during the works, as well as afterwards also. In fact the funding was contingent on this expectation. Soon after this emergency application, the local newspaper published a story claiming that museum was at risk of closure. The article stated that if the assistance was not received, the centre would be forced to make so many redundancies that opening in the coming season would be impossible. However, the day after the newspaper clarified that closure was in fact one of four plans being considered by the museum. An editorial from the paper commented that it would be a waste of the huge efforts invested in the museum, as well as its future potential, if it was to close.

The local council subsequently commissioned an external audit of the centre, which concluded that the museum offered an excellent experience and had enormous scientific value. It also commended the centre's employees. However, it also reported that the museum had a failing commercial model, which it attributed to a lack of clear marketing and sales strategies. The museum replied that it considered this to be unfair, given that its marketing had for many years been run by the manager of the centre's restaurant, who had experience in HORESTA (both as regional head and as a member of the gastronomic council) and as a representative in Business LF.

Year	Turnover (DKK)	Year-end financial result (DKK)
2006	-	-356,096
2007	-	-370,540
2008	-	-80,000
2009	11,487,558	609,569
2010	10,973,210	26,428
2011	10,567,306	-363,272
2012	8,835,614	-703,899
2013	9,025,130	148,562

Throughout its existence, the centre has received a large number of donations towards expansions, research, and joint projects with other museums. Perhaps the most influential donor has been Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond (English: The Workforce's Holiday Fund), who provided much of the capital to initially develop the centre. The first donation in 1994 comprised DKK 38 million (DKK 56.5 million in 2013, adjusting for inflation). Two years later, the museum received a further DKK 2.62 million (DKK 3.7 million in 2013) for use in purchasing the island Flatø.

In 1999, the museum received another large donation of DKK 23 million (DKK 30.7 million in 2013), this time from a partnership between Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond and the then extant Storstrøm County. A further DKK 4 million (DKK 4.6 million in 2013) from Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond contributed to the construction of a greengrocer's house between 2003 and 2006. In 2008, the fund gave the centre another grant of slighly over DKK 2 million (DKK 2.2 million in 2013). Nykredits Fond gave DKK 250 thousand towards the construction of a medieval church in 2012 (see also § Buildings), and Arbejdernes Byggeforening contributed an additional DKK 150 thousand. The same year, the centre also acquired almost DKK 5 million for establishment of the tecnology park. Østdansk Turisme (English: East Danish Tourism) gifted DKK 50 thousand in December 2013 toward miscellaneous expansion. In more recent years, the museum received a one-off DKK 100 thousand from Guldborgsund Kommune to cover the costs of a large event in 2014 and has also received grants from Dronning Margrethe og Prins Henriks Fond, the Danish Outdoor Council, and the now-defunct Turistregion Syd (English: Southern Tourist Region).

As well as these sources for practical purposes, the centre has received assistance from the EU for collaborations with other European museums. Teaching and outreach funding has included grants from Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet (English: Ministry of Childen and Education), and once again Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond. In 2011, the centre received DKK 146 thousand from Guldborgsund Kommune and DKK 300 thousand from Vækstforum Sjælland (English: Zealand's Development Forum) for completion of a development plan for the next 20 years of operation. It has been reported that the centre, as well as the jobs it creates, have been very beneficial for the local area; the museum is considered to be an important part of the regions tourist industry. Additionally, VisitDenmark has estimated that the state continually recoups around 60% of the museum's turnover via taxes and levies.

Management

The Dutch archaeologist Roeland Paardekooper, who took the directorship of Middelaldercentret in April 2021.

The archaeologist Peter Vemming Hansen was the director of the museum from its establishment in 1992. Prior to this, he was involved in the construction of the centre's first trebuchet in 1989 in his capacity at Falsters Minde (now a part of Museum Lolland-Falster). He retired in Spring 2021. The directorship was then taken up by Roeland Paardekooper, a trained archaeologist with degrees from Leiden University and a PhD from the University of Exeter. Paardekooper is also one of the founders of the international cultural heritage project EXARC, of which Middelaldercentret is a member.

Historian Kåre Johannessen accepted the inspectorship of the museum in 1994, a role which he held until 1999, when he left to become the leader of Trelleborg Museum. He was followed by Leif Plith Lauritsen, who resigned in 2004. Johannesen returned to the museum and this time held the role until early 2015, when he once again resigned, this time to become an unaffiliated historian. He has, however, remained loosely connected to the museum. Following Johannesen's departure, a newly qualified archaeologist from Aarhus University became the inspector. His qualifications were in medieval and renaissance archaeology, he had previously volunteered at the museum over several years, and practised both LARPing and HEMA. However, he was no longer in the position by the end of the year. On 1 January 2016 the museum instead employed Thit Birk Petersen, a volunteer at the centre since 1997. Petersen holds a mag.art. in prehistoric archaeology from Copenhagen University. Before her employment at the centre, she worked for Museum Lolland-Falster and was involved in archaeological excavations in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.

John Brædder, previoulsy CEO of the musuem, at the opening of the technology park in 2013.

The museum has eight governors sitting on its board, consisting of representation from Guldborgsund Kommune, the National Museum of Denmark and Det Classenske Fideicommis, as well as others appointed at the governors' discretion. The current members include historian and curator Poul Grinder-Hansen from the National Museum and the deputy mayor of Lolland Kommune, namely Henrik Høegh.

Since 2016, the CEO of the centre has been Michael Bang, who is the director of the further education college CELF in Nykøbing Falster. Previously Morten Melgaard, the director of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, was also part of the leadership. The first CEO was Otto Sørensen. From 2002 to 2007 the CEO was member of the Folketing Lene Jensen. Afterwards the post was filled by John Brædder (later the mayor of Guldborsund Kommune), who held it until 2010, when the businessman Anders Høiris took over.

Employees

The centre has a number of permanent employees, who wear medieval clothing and demonstrate various crafts in the reconstructed buildings. In 2004, there were 10 of these workers and a number of additional technical employees. Additionally, a large number of volunteers assist with the demonstration and have the same responsibilities as the permanent employees while volunteering. They also wear period dress and mostly assist during the school holidays, when visitor numbers rise significantly. There is significant variation in the volunteers, who include families, couples, singles, large groups of friends, students, and pensioners. The majority of the volunteers are Danish, but the museum has also hosted helpers from England, Finland, Holland, Italy, Portugal, and Germany.

From its inception, the museum has also been used as part of projects to improve the prospects of the local unemployed. In 1998, more than 30 people worked at the museum as part of this assistance. In the first years of the program, this was combined with taking qualifications at the vocational college Hjortesbjerg. The project was terminated in 2010 (with intended effect from 2011) by the local town council after having run for 16 years. However, there was a lag in this taking effect, with 150 people participating in 2012. The centre has also run work experience placements, and training programs for those on benefits.

Year	Number in full-time equivalents
2009	51-53
2010	32
2011	-
2012	30
Uptake on the various assistance programs at Middelaldercentret

For several years, the centre has hosted two young Europeans (over the age of 18) over the summer. These individuals are participants in the European Voluntary Service program, which organises foreign trips for EU nationals who wish to volunteer. The visitors work alongside the museum's usual employees and volunteers in the day-to-day activities and likewise wear medieval dress. This exchange is operated in partnership with AFS Intercultural Programs and the local authority.

Marketing and popularity

The museum is advertised both nationally and internationally, with special focus on the local area, the Zealand Region, and Northern Germany. This is partly facilitated by partnerships with local accommodation, tourist offices, and the East Denmark Tourism Board. There are also several holiday parks in the museum's vicinity, namely in Marielyst, Stubbekøbing and Rødby, where the centre additionally advertises.

The centre has a member on the board of the business organisation Business LF, which advertises and markets tourism and business for Lolland Falster. This organisation also administers an 'embassy' at Rosengården, Copenhagen, which is responsible for marketing of the museum in the capital. Previously, the centre has sent employees (with their medieval dress) to the embassy during various culture evenings, as well as during the school winter holidays. In both Denmark and Germany, the museum has sent representatives to various trade conventions; it has also participated in Turismens Dag (English: Tourism Day), which is a national program dedicated to increasing visitor numbers at attractions, mainly by cutting entrance fees on particular dates. In March 2015, the museum also took part in Historiske Dage (English: Historical Days), a history and culture convention held in Øksnehallen, Copenhagen. This was the inaugural edition of that event, and the centre contributed with an exhibition on fencing techniques and a show about medieval executioners. The latter was voted to be the fifth best of all the 90 shows at the event, while the museum's stall (which was shared with Museum Lolland-Falster) was voted similarly highly as the fourth best stall. In 2016, the centre took part again, this time presenting a historical fashion show and a play about Saint George and the dragon. These were highly popular, with the stall being voted to an overall second place out of the entire event.

Middelaldercentret often collaborates with other tourist attractions in the area to improve its marketing. One example was the centre's inclusion on a special 'tourist map' of the area, which gave discounts on entry to participating attractions. The centre, along with several other locations, also negotiated with Scandlines for discounts on ferry fares for visitors. International initiatives are also used, such as arranging bus trips directly from Rostock, Germany to the centre, which proved very popular and sold out completely. Often the centre prints entrance vouchers in the local paper Lolland-Falsters Folketidende, which has a readership of over 55,000, and also arranges special activity days for subscribers. Roskilde Festival has previously carried films about the centre on its internal television system.

Concessions are given to pensioners and students, as well as to members of various unions and organisations. This includes customers of holiday lettings agency Sol og Strand, subscribers to Politiken via the Politiken Plus rewards scheme, and members of FDM. Admission to the museum is also available through the 'experiences package' Smartbox. Newcomers to Gulborgsund Kommune are eligible for a 'Guldpas', which gives access to various local attractions, including the centre. Similarly, the museum is a stop on a tour of the local area available to new residents. Several local businesses and institutions also make use of the centre for team-building exercises.

Generally, the marketing budget of the museum has been quite small, and therefore primetime television advertisement has been considered too expensive by the leadership. Surveys have shown that many visitors learn about the centre through word of mouth. Instead the centre makes heavy use of its website, where it posts information about the centre as well as news and future plans; it also hosts several blogs where employees write about research projects and new initiatives. As well as this, the museum has a YouTube channel with information on the upcoming season and films detailing research into medieval casting and smithing Like many other museums, the centre uses Facebook to advertise upcoming events and give updates on ongoing work and activities.

Sign on Sydmotorvejen indicating the exit for Middelaldercentret.

In April 2011, motorway signs indicating the exit for Middelaldercentret were erected. This was part of a larger project to improve navigation to attractions along Sydmotorvejen, and more generally the whole of Funen. The project was started by Østdansk Turisme with the intention of increasing visitor numbers, based on research from England and Germany showing such signage to have a positive effect on tourism. Relevantly, the museum's development plan for conversion to a year-round attraction is partially based on an expectation of increased German visitors, who will be able to easily access Lolland-Falster when the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is finished.

At the end of 2013, the museum employed a dedicated marketing specialist. Amongst other schemes, they developed a new overarching visual profile for the centre. The next year, the visitor numbers for the first months of the season were considerable higher then in 2013, which the employee attributed to their marketing work. That season also involved a partnership with Nykøbing Falster Festuge (English: Nykøbing Falster Festival Week) and Nysted Middelaldermarked (English: Nysted Medieval Market), which run roughly simultaneously over the summer. The partnership included joint marketing, discounts when several of the events were attended, and the sponsoring of the festival by the centre.

During a three-week period in May 2021, children with an address in Guldborgsund Kommune were granted free access to the centre. This was as part of the kulturpas (literally 'culture pass') initiative, which also encompassed several other attractions chosen by the local authority.

Visitor numbers

The museum's opening season runs from May to September, during which it is open in the daylight hours. From time to time, it also opens in the evening for special events. In the quieter parts of the season, the centre shuts on Mondays; in the busiest periods, during the school summer holidays, the opening times are extended slightly. During the off-season, the museum also opens during the autumn school holidays, though it is otherwise not financially viable to open during the winter months. Over the first few years of operation, visitor numbers grew steadily to a maximum around 1999. Since then numbers have dropped to lie between about 45,000 and 55,000 visitors per year, although the centre desires around 70,000 visitors for full use of the facilities. Between 40 and 50% of the visitors have been to the museum before.

The initially high visitor numbers have been attributed to the novelty of the initiatives that eventually led to the establishment of the museum proper. By around 1994, a few years after the museum was fully established, visitor numbers had reached 40,000.

Visitor numbers rose to around 100,000 over the next few years as the museum was expanded and general public interest in the Middle Ages in Denmark rose. This interest perhaps culminated in 1999, which was declared to be the National Medieval Year and involved many large events related to the Middle Ages all over Denmark.

Year	Visitors
1989	15,000–30,000
1991	20,000
1994	40,000
1996	90,000
1999	110,000
2002	90,000
2005	55,000
2006	52,098
2007	54,273
2008	50,500
2009	53,873
2010	58,559
2011	47,356
2012	46,310
2013	43,698
2014	44,812
2015	40,461
2016	44,903
2017	-
2018	-

Museum partnerships

Agnete, the reconstruction of the Gedesby ship that sailed from Roskilde to Korsør as part of the project project Da Danmark Blev Til (English: When Denmark Came To Be).

The museum has a long history of partnerships with other museums in Denmark, the Nordic countries, and the rest of Europe.

Since 2003, the centre has been a member of EXARC, which is a European federation of open-air museums. Peter Vemming Hansen, previously a director at the centre, sat on the board of EXARC for several years. From March 2003, the museum took part in the EU project Ancient Times, which involved the now-defunct museum Salvestaden in Kalmar, Sweden, the Lofotr Viking Museum on Lofoten in Norway, the Slavic Village Passentin in Germany, and the town Cēsis in Latvia. The aim of the project was to improve European historical reasearch, as well as the quality of related attractions. Since Kalmar municipality was the driving force behind the project, it was dissolved following the closure of Salvestaden. Probably the most visible physical sign of the project is a greencrocer's house that Middelaldercentret constructed at Salvestaden.

In 2005, the centre participated in Historiens Dag (English: The Day of History), which was a national initiative to improve public understanding of the Danish cultural heritage. This was the first year that the event was held, and around 600 attractions with connections to history and culture took part. Almost 45,000 people visited the attractions in connection with the event. From 2005 to 2007, and again from 2008 to 2011, the centre formed a partnership called Baltic Bridge with Oldenburger Wallmuseum in Oldenburg, Holstein. The German museum is dedicated to the Slavic peoples, and the project aimed to exchange knowledge and improve teaching at both the museums. Consequently the two museums have run staff exchanges multiple times, and Middelaldercentret has held jousting tournaments at the German museum. Staff from the two locations also went on a joint research trip to Gotland, Sweden in October 2010, during which they visited various museums and historical sites, including a fishing museum in Kovik, the hillfort at Torsburgen, the open-air musuem at Bunge, and the medieval city Visby, known for its well-preserved church and the Visby City Wall. In 2014, culinary staff at both the musuems announced plans for gastronomic cooperation.

Middelaldercentret has also worked in partnership with Minjasafnið á Akureyri (English: Akureyri Museum), Iceland. The centre has attended medieval markets organised by the Icelandic musuem for several years, helped by funding from Nordisk Kulturfond. Workers from Akureyri Museum also assisted researchers from the third Galathea expedition with sulphur extraction (see also § Gunpowder and cannons). In July 2007, staff from Middelaldercentret visited the Icelandic museum as volunteers.

For three years from 2009 onwards, the centre worked with a boat-builder's school in Lübeck as part of the EU project Regionet, which aims to preserve and share knowledge about historical ship construction. The boat-builders from Germany came to Middelaldercentret to sail the centre's reconstructed ships, as well as assist in their maintenance.

Since 2010, the centre has worked alongside Foteviken Museum, Scania in a project called Amaprof (from amateur and professional). The project mainly consists of an exchange scheme allowing volunteers from each museum to work at the other.

Along with the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Sagnlandet Lejre, and a number of other musuems and historical markets from Central and West Zealand, the centre took part in the project Da Danmark Blev Til (English: When Denmark Came To Be). The project, which ran from 2011 through 2014, focused on the viking and medieval periods in Denmark and the establishment of the Kingdom. As part of this, the centre joined Togtet in July 2013, which was a 12-day voyage of reconstructed viking and medieval ships from Roskilde to Korsør; it was the largest event of its type ever seen in Denmark. Ships involved included Havhingsten from the Viking Ship Museum, Aslak from the Maritimt Forsøgscenter at Lyndby, and Agnete (see also § The Gedesby Ship) from Middelaldercentret. The fleet stopped on Orø, at Rørvig, and in Kalundborg.

In 2021, the museum began a partnership named 'Roter Hahn' with Geschichtserlebnisraum Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. This involved knowledge and experience exhange, as well as employees and volunteers from both of the museums visiting the other. As part of the programme, volunteers from the centre's painting group helped decorate the walls of a chapel being built at the German attraction.

Recognition and prizes

The centre is one of the local area's most significant cultural offerings and is by far its most popular tourist attraction. It has often been listed as the municipality's best museum, while, more specifically, it is certainly the physically largest attraction on Nykøbing Falster.

The museum is both nationally and internationally recognised for its high quality research and pioneering operation concept (see more under § Concept). As a result of the centre's focus on historical accuracy and authenticity, as well as its uniquely detailed physical environment, it is often considered to be one of the best Middle Ages-related sites in Europe. As a result, it is popular with many of the major European re-enactment groups. The centre is also known for the high quality of its experimental archaeology; it is one of the few global sites where realistic and authentic investigation into day-to-day medieval life can be performed.

Tourism organisation Danske Turist Attraktioner (English: literally Danish Tourist Attractions), often shortened to DTA, previously gave the museum four out of five stars several times, which meant that it considered it to be "a complete attraction of very high value at the national level". DTA inspected the attraction every two years; at their visits in 2005 and 2007, the museum comfortably achieved four stars. In 2009, the museum again received four stars but was just three points from five stars, a level that only a handful of attractions reached prior to the dissolution of DTA in late 2011.

In 2013, the centre was visited by the presenter of the travel program Anne-Vibeke Rejser. She praised the overall feeling of 'travelling in time' as well as the lack of signs, which is intended to force visitors to engage with the actors. On TripAdvisor, the musuem had an approval rating of 98% in April 2019; positive reviews tend to focus especially on the authenticity, the actors' engagement, the oppurtunity to leran and take part in activities, and the centre's restaurant Den Gyldne Svane. Users of Google+ gave the attraction 4.4 stars, and the musuem's official Facebook page has 4.7 stars.

The centre has been described as family-friendly by several newspapers, websites, and magazines. The website highways.dk, which is a guide to self-drive holidays, visited the musuem in July 2014. They praised the public historical outreach of the centre and concluded that both children and adults could easily spend most of a day at the attraction. Vores børn, a magazine aimed at parents of young children, listed the centre as one of seven "Danish holiday pearls" and similarly commented that the attraction was suitable for even very young children. On the websites of Sjov for Børn and Børn i Byen, users rated the musuem at 4.5 stars, and the associated reviews tend to praise the authenticity and liveliness of the attraction. The centre's restaurant Den Gyldne Svane was listed on gastronomic website spiseliv.dk as part of of series of good restaurants on South Zealand and Lolland-Falster.

Several travel bloggers have visited and subsequently commented on the musuem. The reception has generally been positive, and the bloggers tend to emphasise the authenticity, the conduct and knowledge of the actors, and the large degree of public engagement.

Middelaldercentret's entrance building, which won an architectural prize in 1996.

In 1991, before the establishment of the museum proper, the trebuchet project was awarded the local newspaper's initiave prize, the purpose of which is described as "recognition of extraordinary efforts and extraordinary initiatives that are of future benefit to Lolland-Falster". Immediately after the construction of the entrance building in 1996, Nykøbing Falster council awarded it an architectural prize. Buildings in and around Nykøbing Falster were eligible, and the awarding committee were impressed that the entrance bulding was of modern style yet still gave nods to the Middle Ages. It further wrote that the centre had "got themselves a beautiful entrance bulding that will bolster the museum's development, and strengthen its position as the town's largest attraction".

In 2009, the musuem was nominated for the East Denmark Tourist Board's innovation prize in recognition of its innovative outreach and educational value. This was the first year of the prize, and it was intended to be awarded to attractions that were forward-thinking and excellent at attracting visitors. Four attractions other than the centre were nominated, and the prize eventually went to the manor house and estate at Kragerup.

At the end of 2016, Guldborgsund Kommune announced its project Guldkanon, which was inteded to mimic the Danish Culture Canon by selecting the most culturally signifcant locations in the local area. Over 800 locations were nominated, and Middelaldercentret was one of 350 places shortlisted. Voting took place in Spring 2017; over 1,100 people cast votes. In the following April a total of 37 sites were elected to the project, of which the centre was one.

The centre has had a very high visitor satisfaction, namely over 95%, for several consecutive years.

Concept

See also: Living history

The large trebuchet in June 2008.

The centre mainly has an interest in medieval life and focuses on the Danish market town culture around 1400. More concretely, it follows the actual calendar with an offset of 610 years - that is to say 2014 focused on 1404, and so on. This choice is partly to avoid jarring anachronisms, since, for example, typical clothing was very different in the 1000s and 1400s. Additionally, this allows the centre to show changes within the Middle Ages, during which some fashion trends changed significantly over the course of 10–15 years.

Research and investigation underpins the work at the centre, since it aims to be as authentic as possible; it is felt that authenticity is absolutely vital for the suspension of disbelief needed to give a realistic portrayal of the the Middle Ages and create the feeling of "travelling in time". Furniture, objects, and decorations in the centre's houses are reconstructed based on artefacts and illustrations from the Middle Ages. One of the main aims of the centre is public education, but it also considers research in its own right to be important. It mostly achieves the latter through its experimental archaeology, that is to say modern-day reconstruction of historical objects and technology by reference to preserved sources and artefacts. This method allows actual practical information about life in the period to be obtained and has significantly contributed to knowledge of the medieval period. The museum has used the concept of edutainment to describe its attitude to teaching the public and performing research in a fun way.

The musicians Truppo Trotto wearing clothes sewn from medieval patterns. The instruments are reconstructions.

The centre has a group of permanent employees, but it also works closely with Guldborgsund Gildet, which coordinates a large number of volunteers. Both employees and volunteers wear medieval clothing and, as closely as possible, mimic medieval life 610 years ago during opening hours. There are no signs explaining buildings or items in the museum, which is intended to encourage visitors to talk to the actors in a historically realistic manner. The centre spends considerable effort on training the workers in the medieval history such that their portayal is as accurate as possible. This extends to the actors not wearing glasses or piercings, and not using mobile phones, televisions, or other anachronistic items. To make identifying the actors easier, the centre does not normally allow visitors to wear medieval clothing. Each of the actors has a specific role to play, and they do not break character unless it is absolutely neccessary, for example in emergencies. Most of the workers' clothing is handmade, and likewise items such as belts, knives, and shoes are constructed based on artefacts or medieval illustrations. This attention to detail means that the centre has a reputation as the most authentic portrayal of the Middle Ages in Europe, and more generally as world-leading in medieval history.

There are no concrete plans for the 'final form' of the centre. Instead the museum continually adjusts its portrayal to take account of new medieval research, so that it is always as authentic as possible. As a result, some of the centre's buildings have been renovated or had their use changed to better reflect the actual Middle Ages.

Attractions and events

International interest

Pupils from King Edward's School in Birmingham visiting the centre in 2008.

The centre has been visited by medieval groups form a large range of countries. In the early 1990s, the centre received its first visit by a re-enactment group, namely an English group interested in cannons and medieval firearms. Since 2010, the centre has held a large festival during the school summer holidays, to which international re-enactment groups are invited. The length of the festival has varied from three days to a week depending on the invited groups. To allow more groups to attend, the museum relaxes its strict medieval calendar (see under § Concept) and allows slight anachronisms. The Company of Saynt George, an internationally-renowned Swiss living-history group focusing on the years 1460–1490, has attended the festival the most times of any organisation. Other groups, such as the Order of the Crescent - which has won the World Joust tournament in Leeds a consecutive three times and works alongside the Royal Armouries and the Wallace Collection - attend frequently. Prior to 2010, the museum still held festivals and special events, albeit just with internal personnel. During the rest of the year, smaller groups of volunteers also visit the centre; these have included groups from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Italy.

Since 2008, the museum has been visited by students from King Edward's School in Birmingham every two years. Most of the students are aged 14–18 and are taking a special extra subject, as part of which they learn about archery and the Middle Ages via living history. The trip lasts about two weeks, and the students help the centre's actors and volunteers in their day-to-day activities.

Provision for schools

The museum runs an education program, which caters for both schools and after-school activity groups. This provision includes single-day events as well as longer camps, where the students wear authentic medieval clothing and stay in the reconstructed town alongside the centre's workers and volunteers. Additionally, the museum runs tours around its forest areas for schoolchildren about medieval beliefs and superstitions.

As part of the creation of the centre's technology park in 2013, a large range of teaching materials about medieval inventions aimed at primary school children were produced.

Overall, the provision is extremely popular; roughly 10,000 students visit the museum annually, and the facilities for the longer camps are frequently booked for essentially the entire season.

Events outside the museum

Although the museum is primarily based at the site in Nykøbing Falster, it has often taken part in external events, both in Denmark and internationally. In 1993, employees from the museum assisted at a jousting tournament held during the autumn school holidays at the Danish War Museum, Copenhagen. The centre helped at another event at the Copenhagen museum in 1995. In the same year, the museum took part in a medieval market held in the castle ruins at Hammershus, Bornholm. Amongst other things, they provided smiths, bakers, and archers.

Research and reconstructions

As a research institution, Middelaldercentret has investigated and reconstructed various weapons, buildings, and ships from the Middle Ages. Many of the reconstructions themselves were built using reconstructed medieval tools based on historical artefacts and illustrations

Trebuchets

As far as is known, the centre was the first modern institution to reconstruct a fully-functioning trebuchet. Perhaps the most infamous of the previous attempts was that of Napoleon III in 1851; this ended in the projectile being shot 70 m backwards, and the trebuchet collapsed after a few shots. Middelaldercentret's first trebuchet was constructed in 1989 as part of Nykøbing Falster's 700th anniversary. This first attempt ended in failure, and the trebuchet was instead used to decorate a roundabout just outside Nykøbing Falster. The second attempt was successful. This working trebuchet consists of about 10  tonnes of oak along with a stone ballast of approximately two  tonnes. It has now been fired thousands of times since its creation, with its record shot (in 2002) reaching a distance of 168 m with a 15 kg projectile. In 1991, the centre built a second trebuchet; this is much larger, with 21 tonnes of oak used. This size allows for a ballast of up to 10 tonnes, which would give a range of 500 m. However, for practical and safety reasons, the actual ballast used is around 4 tonnes, which restricts the range to a lower 250 m. Priming the throwing arm on the smaller trebuchet is achieved using ropes and pulleys, while the larger trebuchet instead uses four people walking inside two large wheels. The trebuchets were constructed with help from windmill-builder John Jensen at his workshop. A smith and a rigger trained in hoisting extremely heavy items also assisted.

In 2005, the centre was hired to build a trebuchet at Warwick Castle. This was built to almost the same design as the large trebuchet from 1991, with the only difference being a lengthening of the throwing arm to 18 m. The extra length meant that the Warwick trebuchet temporarily took the record as the world's largest, which had until then been held by Middelaldercentret. The parts of the trebuchet were produced at the centre and then sent to Wiltshire for assembly. As well as the construction, the centre also trained personnel at the castle in the firing of the trebuchet. In 2011, the centre took back the record for the largest trebuchet; the arm of the large trebuchet had broken and was replaced with a longer one.

Approximately two tonnes of iron was used in the construction of the Warwick trebuchet, and in 2006, it was recognised as the strongest in the world. The record-winning shot was over a distance of 249 m with a projectile of 13 kg, which comfortably beat the previous record of 228  m.

On 10 April 2015, a thatched boathouse caught fire after a burning projectile was fired from the Warwick trebuchet. It was quickly reported in the media that a spark from the projectile was the cause of the fire, although the castle's spokeswoman insisted that the investigation into the cause was not yet concluded. Hundreds of visitors were evacuated, but the castle stated that there was never any danger to individuals. The Daily Telegraph described the boathouse as "historic" and "medieval", but also noted that it actually originated from 1896, when it was built by Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick to house an electric boat.

Middelaldercentret was also involved in the construction of another foreign trebuchet, namely one in Nijmegen, the Netherlands in 2008.

The centre also has a much smaller trebuchet, called a perrier, without a counterweight. This is instead fired by many people pulling ropes attached to the throwing arm simultaneously.

Gunpowder and cannons

Visitors watch as a hand cannon is fired.

The centre hosts an international research group focussing on medieval gunpowder production. Founded in 2002, the group consists of historians and archaeologists form both Denmark and the UK. The members refer to themselves as the "Ho Group", with the name coming from the eponymous town in South Jutland, where the group has performed many experiments with reconstructed firearms. Collaborators of the group include Lars Barfod, previously the pyrotechnician at Tivoli, and personnel at the military artillery school in Varde. Roughly annually, the group holds conferences or seminar series with researchers from Denmark, the UK and the USA, amongst other countries.

A subset of this group took part in the 2006–2007 Galathea 3 expedition, which investigated the medieval extraction (and transport to Europe) of sulphur in Iceland and nitrates in Pondicherry, India. The Indian part of the project included capturing pictures and video of the nitrate extraction, which at the time used ancient methods thought to be similar to those used in the Middle Ages, in order to preserve information on the quickly-vanishing traditional techniques. In Iceland, the centre worked with the Akureyri Museum at sites where, historically, sulphur has been mined for gundpowder production. This built on earlier work in Iceland by the same Ho Group in 2001 and 2005, while the members have also investigated similar sulphur extraction on Sicily. As part of the centre's experimental archaeology program, the group built a henhouse in 2001, such that the chickens' faeces could be collected and used to extract nitrates. Around a decade later, the group discovered that horse dung was much more suited to such extraction, and the chicken project was scrapped.

Other focuses of the gunpowder project have included fire lances, flaming arrows, and the composition of the powder itself. Fire lances are recorded as far back as 10th century China and consisted of an early form of Roman candle, in that they were designed to throw small balls of flaming material at the enemy's buildings. Flaming arrows had roughly the same function, and although more primitive, had been investigated little in modern times before the Ho Group's experiments.

Copy of the Loshult cannon at the centre.

Ships

Reconstruction of the Egernsund barge.

The centre is in possession of several reconstructed ships from the medieval period, several of which stem from actual found remains. Together with the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, two large merchant vessel reconstructions have been built, based on the Bredfjed ship and the Gedesby ship.

Additionally, the museum has built reconstructions (or copies in the case of modern-day vessels) of the Egernsund barge, a dinghy found in Kalmar, Sweden, two Faroese boats, and a Nordland. One of the smaller ships (with a capacity of 12 people) was renovated by the centre in 2012 at Bevaringsværft Plutteø (English: Plutteø Conservation Wharf), Nakskov, with assistance from Lolland Produktionsskole (English: Lolland Manufacturing School). This was done to repair fungal damage to several of the ship's pine planks. The original Kalmar dinghy was found in the 1930s and is today exhibited at Kalmar Castle. Testing of the reconstructed dinghy has shown it to be very manoeuvrable, and it is suspected that it was used as a fishing vessel.

In 2016, the centre's leaders visited Bangsbo Museum in Frederikshavn to take measurements of the Ellingså ship for use in a future reconstruction. This ship is a knarr dated to 1163 and is often viewed as an intermediate step between the earlier Viking ships and medieval vessels. A grant of DKK 500,000 for an initial project planning and exploring the ship's reconstruction has been provided by the fund Augustinusfonden.

The Bredfjed ship

Reconstruction of the Bredfjed ship, called Sophie.

The original Bredfjed ship is a merchant vessel from the 1600s. It was found at Bredfjed, Lolland on an area of reclaimed land previously covered by Rødby Fjord.

The museum reconstructed the ship in partnership with the Danish National Museum's Marine Archaeology Centre. Only the bottom of the original ship had survived, and so the remainder of the reconstruction followed pictures of ships from the same period. The pictures used were the early-1600s chalcograph Koppenhagen by Hugo Allard, the 1611 chalcograph Hafnia by Jan Dirch, and an oil painting by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom (now hung at Marienlyst Castle in Helsingør).

Researchers have concluded from the construction of the ship's keel that it had two masts.

The first blueprints for the reconstruction were completed in 1999, and the hull was built during the winter of 2000 at Fejø Bådeværft (English: Fejø Wharf). Further construction took place at Middelaldercentret, and the ship had its maiden voyage on 7 May 2001. The ship was named Sophie after the historical Danish queen Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow; she lived at Nykøbing Castle whilst the original ship was in use. Sophie weighed 15 tonnes and used 10 tonnes of stone ballast, with the stones coming from the square in Sakskøbing.

In 2013, it was noticed that the ship had been attacked by a fungus. The damage was so severe that the reparation costs would be greater than the cost of an entirely new ship. Investigation showed that the fungus had been present in the ship's timbers even before it was built, such that poor maintenance was not the issue. The museum made a plan to scuttle the ship as an investigation of rotting in historical shipwrecks, findings from which could then be applied to other cases.

In 2019 the centre announced that Faaborg Museum, who had taken responsibility for sinking the ship in the South Funen Archipelago, had been unable to obtain permission for the scuttling. Sophie had at this stage been in Faaborg for five years. The centre then moved it back to their land for use as a demonstration of fungal damage to medieval ships.

The Egernsund barge

The original Egernsund barge, which dates to the 1200s, was found at Egernsund in South Jutland.

The centre's barge was reconstructed using copies of original medieval tools, such that both the materials and labour were as authentic as possible. Researchers consider the construction techniques and materials used for the original barge to indicate high technical competence, despite the seemingly simple result. Tests of the barge have showed it to have good manoeuvrability and goods capacity, and as a demonstration it has been used to transport small horses.

The Gedesby ship

The original Gedesby ship has been dated to the first half of the 1300s. It was found at Gedesby, South Falster in 1988.

The centre produced a model of the ship at 1:5 scale before the main reconstruction began. Work on the reconstruction proper took place from 1993 to 1995 at the centre, in partnership with the Danish National Museum's Marine Archaeology Centre. Approximately 70 m³ of oak was felled for use in the project. The ship was launched on 1 June 1995 and was named Agnete after the figure in the Scandinavian folk ballad Agnete og Havmanden. This naming ceremony was performed by Aase Olsen, the chief of the fund Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond.

The first test of the ship was carried out near Gedser and the Rødsand sandbank in winds of up to 16 m/s. Later experiments with the reconstructed ship have contributed significantly to the understanding of medieval marine goods storage and sailing techniques. Following further research at the Viking Ship Museum, a citadel was constructed to be mounted on Agnete. Citadels were small armoured enclosures used to defend the ship against pirate attacks, while also giving a strategic advantage at other times by raising the ship's defences above the deck and improving visibility.

Buildings

There are no examples of Danish medival houses from the 1300s or 1400s - these have either been historically demolished, or lost in some other way. Hence the buildings in the mediveal town are based on archaeological excavations of fondations, as well as medieval images and illustrations from other Northern European countries that historically had comparable construction methods. The buildings include both timber-framed and post-and-plank examples, both of which were widely used in medieval Denmark. Most of the large buildings were raised in partnership with the architect John Kronborg Christensen, who specialises in restoration work and historical buildings. Christensen was also involved in the construction of the centre's technology park.

Other research

The centre has an interest in research in to textiles and clothing. Many different types and qualities of material have been tested, as well as diverse cutting patterns. Perhaps the main use of this testing is to improve the centre's own reconstructed clothing. Examples of specific reconstructed pieces are a so-called "Jew coat", that is clothing that some medieval Jews were forced to wear to distinguish them from Christians, and a priest's robe based on items held at the Bavarian National Museum in Munich and at Schnütgen Museum in Cologne. Other sources for the reconstructions include medieval statues and Denmark's numerous church frescos.

In 2015, workers at the centre assisted with the practical PhD research of archaeologist Vivi Lena Andersen from the Museum of Copenhagen. The experimentation involved four employees recording their use of medieval clothing throughout the season; amongst other items, Andersen received the workers' worn shoes for analysis. One of the findings was that the durability of the medival shoes was strongly affected by the terrain and weather, with dry footing significantly increasing the shoes' lifetime. It was intended that these conclusions be applied to the investigation of actual medival specimens. Andersen subsequently defended her dissertation in March 2017.

The museum has performed experiments into winter occupation of medieval buldings at total of four times, with the most recent in 2009. Here the aim was to test conditions such as temperature and lighting, as well as the general diurnal rythms of the occupants, to gain insight into the day-to-day life of a medieval winter.

Publications

Then centre's work and research has been continually released in several publications. Since the winter of 2005, the museum has released a newsletter at least once a year with articles on its latest research and the centre itself. The newsletter is inspired by a similar one published by the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Essex.

Publications authored by those connected to the museum include (in chronological order):

• Hansen, Peter Vemming (1990). "Rekonstruktion einer Steinschleuder" [Reconstruction of a catapult]. Deutsches Waffenjournal (in German).
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (1991). "The Trebuchet". Military Illustrated. No. 27. Publishing News Ltd.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (1992). "The Witch with Ropes for Hair". Military Illustrated. No. 30. Publishing News Ltd.
• Etting, Vivian (1992). Riddervæsen, Krigskunst og Turneringer i Danmarks Middelalder [Knighthood, the Art of War and Jousting in the Danish Middle Ages] (in Danish). Center for Historisk Teknologi, Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-1-7.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (1993). "Experimental reconstruction of a medieval trebuchet". Acta Archaeologica. 63.
• Jørgensen, Dorthe Wille (1993). Børn og børnelege i middelalderen [Children and child's play in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Center for Historisk Teknologi, Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-4-1.
• Skaarup, Bi (1997). Mad og spisevaner i middelalderen [Food and eating habits in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-6-8.
• Johannessen, Kåre (1997). Magi og heksetro i nordisk middelalder [Magic and witchcraft in the Nordic Middle Ages]. Middelaldercentrets lille bogserie (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-8-4.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (1998). Middelalderens mekaniske apparater til krigsbrug [Mechanical war machines of the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Photo editor: Catharina Oksen. Middelaldercentret. ISBN 978-87-987197-1-7.
• Johannessen, Kåre (1998). Den skæve pind : buen som militærvåben i middelalderen [The bent stick: the bow as a military weapon in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-7-6.
• Johannessen, Kåre (1998). Hor saa vide: seksualiteten i middelalderen [A flood of fornication: sexuality in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-9-2.
• Gerdrup, Kjeld (1998). Agnete - en dejlig skude [Agnete - a lovely ship] (in Danish). Photo editor: Catharina Oksen. Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-987197-2-6.
• Meldgaard, Kirsten (2000). Børn og børns vilkår i middelalderen [Children and their lives in the Middle Ages]. Middelaldercentrets lille bogserie (in Danish). Middelaldercentret.
• Oksen, Catharina (2000). Rekonstruktioner af mands- og kvindedragter på Middelaldercentret: et øjebliksbillede af 1390'erne [Reconstructions of male and female clothing at Middelaldercentret: a snapshot of the 1390s] (in Danish). Photos: Peter Vemming Hansen. Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-987197-3-4.
• Esbjørn, Line; Lauritsen, Leif Plith (2001). Død & pine [Death & suffering] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-987197-4-2.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2001). Rekonstruktion og skydeforsøg med Loshultkanonen [Reconstruction and test firing of the Loshult cannon] (in Danish). With additional contributions from Jørgen Svender. Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-987197-5-0.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2002). "Casting and firing a replica of the Loshult gun". Journal of the Ordnance Society. 14. Leeds.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2003). Det lo de meget af - middelalderens humor [This they laughed at - humour in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Center for Historisk Teknologi, Middelaldercentret.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2004). Hvad mønten fortæller - en introduktion til middelalderens møntvæsen [What the coin tells us - an introduction to the medieval mint] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2005). "Lidt om krudtets historie og eksperimenter med tidlige kanoner og krudttyper" [A bit about the history of gunpowder and experiments with early cannons and powder types]. Aktuel Arkæologi (in Danish). No. 7. Sammenslutningen af Danske Amatørarkæologer.
• Dahl, Camilla Luise (2005). Ath prydæ synæ clæder: bezanter, beslag og påsyningspynt i middelalderen [Ath prydæ synæ clæder (Middle Danish for To decorate one's clothes): bezants, fittings and sew-on decorations of the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-990421-2-6.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2006). Stil og status: møbler og boligindretning i middelalderens verdslige bygninger [Style and status: furniture and interior design in the Middle Ages' worldly buildings] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-990421-4-2.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2010). "Early guns and gunpowder – experiments and ethnoarchaeological research" (PDF). euroREA (7). EXARC: 23–26.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2011). Blandt Spøgelser, Gengangere og Andet Godtfolk – om det overnaturlige i middelalderen [Amongst Ghosts, Doppelgängers and Other Folk – regarding the supernatural in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2011). Guds Dilletanter... og Hvermands - teater i middelalderen [God's Players... and the People's - theatre in the Middle Ages] (in Danish). Middelaldercentret.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2014). Løgne, misforståelser og halve sandheder : 10 myter om middelalderen [Lies, misunderstandings and half-truths: 10 myths about the Middle Ages]. Middelaldercentrets lille bogserie (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 978-87-997385-0-2.
• Johannessen, Kåre (2014). Middelalderens tyske fægtemestre [German fencing masters of the Middle Ages]. Middelaldercentrets lille bogserie (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. ISBN 978-87-997385-1-9.

Film and television

The centre's medieval town, Sundkøbing, has been used as a setting for both Danish and international films, television programs, and documentaries.

TV2's Christmas calendar Pyrus i Alletiders Eventyr (English: Pyrus' Excellent Adventure), first broadcast in 2000, had several of its episodes filmed at the centre. The series follows the nisse Pyrus, who has interfered in a number of fairy tales. Along with his friends, he then travels into the stories to restore order. Both the town and the jousting arena featured, where many employees and volunteers helped as extras. The then curator Kåre Johannessen had his own small speaking part in the series. In 2004, DR broadcast the satire program Drengene fra Angora (English: The Boys from Angora) featuring Esben Pretzmann, Rune Tolsgaard, and Simon Kvamm. Each episode contained a song with accompanying music video. The video for the song Ridder-problemer (English: Knight problems) used a short clip of the centre's trebuchet alongside the lyric "Og det bliver efterfulgt, af en tur i katapult" (English: "When we've called it a day, there'll be a go on the trebuchet").

Mark Williams' Big Bangs, a 2006 Sky documentary presented by English actor Mark Williams on the history of explosives, used the centre's harbour for a demonstration of blowing up a boat.

In 2008, several of the town's buildings were used as sets for the Danish fantasy film Vølvens forbandelse (English: Curse of the Seeress), which premiered in 2009. The film follows a pair of siblings travelling back in time to help a man cursed by a seeress to immortality.

The jousting tournament was used in the recording of Pyrus i Alletiders Eventyr (English: Pyrus' Excellent Adventure).

A reconstruction of a bout from the program on Hans Talhoffer's fencing manual.

The reconstructed medieval town Sundkøbing has been used for both national and international filming.

The small trebuchet, whose firing speed was tested in the 2013 program I krig for Danmark (English: At war for Denmark)

Frank Erichsen, known from his television program Bonderøven, at the centre during the 2015 lime kiln experiment.

Gallery

• 
  Boathouse at Middelaldercentret.
• 
  Target for archery.
• 
  A prison, based on a similar reconstruction at Quedlinburg, Germany
• 
  The rowing boat Havmanden (English: The Mereman), which is a reconstruction of a find now displayed at Kalmar Castle.
• 
  An exhibition about a medieval inventor's workshop in the centre's entrance building.

References

Bibliography

Books

• Bain, Carolyn; Bonetto, Christian; Stone, Andrew (2001-06-01). Lonely Planet Denmark (6 ed.). Lonely Planet. pp. 239–240. ISBN 978-1741792812. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Gerdrup, Mia (2001). Flatø - Guldborgsunds perle [Flatø - the pearl of Guldborg Sund] (in Danish) (1 ed.). Middelaldercentrets Venner. ISBN 87-987197-7-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Hansen, Peter Vemming; Lazenby, David; Simonsen, Torben; Johannessen, Kåre (1997). Middelaldercentret - et museumscenter [Middelaldercentret - a museum centre] (in Danish). Nysted: Middelaldercentret. ISBN 87-984133-3-3.
• Lerdam, Henrik (1998). Danske middelaldersforskere: en oversigt [Danish medieval researchers: an overview] (in Danish). Museum Tusculanums Forlag. ISBN 87-7289-485-7. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2014-11-30.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Oksen, Catharina (2000). Rekonstruktioner af mands- og kvindedragter på Middelaldercentret [Reconstructions of male and female clothing at Middelaldercentret] (in Danish). Nysted: Middelaldercentret.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Paardekooper, Roeland (2013). The Value of an Archaeological Open-Air Museum Is in Its Use (Thesis). University of Exeter. ISBN 9789088901034. Retrieved 2014-03-31 – via Sidestone Press.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

Newsletters

• Christensen, John Kronborg; Oksen, Catharina; Jensen, Lene; Smith, Robert; Hansen, Peter Vemming; et al. (2006). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad vinteren 2005/06" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter winter 2005/06] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Christensen, John Kronborg; Brædder, John; Mygind, Jette; et al. (January 2007). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad vinteren 2006/07" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter winter 2006/07] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Johannessen, Kåre; Brædder, John; et al. (2008). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad vinteren 2007/08" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter winter 2007/08] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Brædder, John; Hansen, Peter Vemming; et al. (2009). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad forår 2009" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter spring 2009] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming; Christensen, John Kronborg; Høiris, Anders; Krogh, Helle; et al. (2010). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad forår 2010" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter spring 2010] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Johannesen, Kåre; Jensen, Lars Sass; et al. (2011). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad sommer 2011" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter summer 2011] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Christensen, John Kronborg; Bach, Pia; et al. (2012). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad sommer 2012" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter summer 2012] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Høiris, Anders; et al. (2013). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad sommer 2013" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter summer 2013] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
• Jensen, Lars Sass; Løvgren, Joakim; et al. (2014). "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad sommer 2014" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter summer 2014] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
• "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad vinteren 2018" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter winter 2018] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
• "Middelaldercentrets nyhedsblad vinteren 2020/2021" [Middelaldercentret's newsletter winter 2020/2021] (PDF) (in Danish). Middelaldercentret. 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-13.

Annual reports

• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2009). "Årsberetning 2009" [Annual report 2009] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2014-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2010). "Årsberetning 2010" [Annual report 2010] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2012). "Årsberetning 2012" [Annual report 2012] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-26. Retrieved 2014-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Hansen, Peter Vemming (2013). "Årsberetning 2013" [Annual report 2013] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2014-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

Annual accounts

• Melgaard, Knud Erik; Nielsen, Flemming (2007-04-23). "Årsregnskab 2006" [Annual accounts 2006] (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Nielsen, Michael S. (2010-03-26). "Årsregnskab 2009" [Annual accounts 2009] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Nielsen, Michael S. (2011-03-25). "Årsregnskab 2010" [Annual accounts 2010] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Nielsen, Michael S. (2012-03-30). "Årsregnskab 2011" [Annual accounts 2011] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Nielsen, Michael S. (2013-04-12). "Årsregnskab 2012" [Annual accounts 2012] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-26. Retrieved 2014-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Nielsen, Michael S. (2014-04-04). "Årsregnskab 2013" [Annual accounts 2013] (PDF) (in Danish). Guldborgsund Kommune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2014-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

External links

• Official Facebook page
• Guldborgsund Gildet - Friends of Middelaldercentret
• YouTube channel
• Press film fra 2009
• Press film of the medieval technology park

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Living museums
• Open-air museums in Denmark
• Medieval reenactment
• Buildings and structures in Guldborgsund Municipality
• Museums in Region Zealand
• Museums established in 1992
• Experimental archaeology