Voer Abbey

Voer Abbey was relatively wealthy and over the hundreds of years of its existence came into possession of many income-producing properties as far as Southern Jutland and as far north as Mors Island and Thisted.

In 1172 the monks diverted the water of the Gudenå River into a 1300-metre canal they dug to Mossø Lake, to operate a grist mill.

The next hundred years were difficult for the abbey since many of the farms were destroyed and the peasants killed or fled.

The wealth of the community led to abuses and at the request of the bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus, the abbey was placed under the control of the Cistercians, whose reputation for strict observance of the rule was hoped would restore confidence in the house.

[2] In 1536 Denmark became officially a Lutheran country and all religious houses and their property reverted to the crown as a consequence of the Reformation.

In an unusual arrangement, the monks were permitted to remain at the abbey as a secular community to operate the mill and manage the farms.