Tønnisgaard is not merely the setting for our nature centre; it is a building steeped in Rømø’s dramatic history. The farmstead dates back to around 1625, when it was built by Peder Pedersen, and since then it has witnessed everything from whaling adventures to banking operations.
From Commander’s Farm to Agricultural Farm
The farm has been in the hands of 17 different owners over the years.
Originally, Tønnisgaard was simply a house with a kitchen garden, but later became the home of a commander’s family – the Tønnis family. A Commander was the captain of the large whaling ships which, from around 1650 and for some 200 years thereafter, sailed up to the Arctic Ocean off Greenland in search of oil for Europe’s lamps.
From 1855 onwards, the building underwent a major transformation. The then owner, Chresten Jørgen Pedersen, demolished the old farmstead and rebuilt it in its current style as a solid agricultural farm. In 1863 and 1873, various extensions were added to the barn wing.
A family of whalers and seal hunters
Tønnisgaard has been home to some of the island’s most successful seafarers. The name ‘Tønnis’ derives from Commander Hans Hansen Tønnis, who sailed from Hamburg to Greenland in the mid-18th century.
Although we often talk about whaling, it was actually the seals that brought prosperity. Over a period of 53 years, Hans Hansen Tønnis and his sons brought home a staggering 120,000 seals and 116 whales.
Classic North Frisian architectural style
The building is a textbook example of North Frisian architecture, designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the Wadden Sea. The farmstead has the typical T-shape, where the north-south facing barn wing provides shelter from the westerly wind for the east-west facing residential wing.
There are many fine details on such an old farm; try exploring them and find, for example:
- The characteristic extension above the entrance door is called an ‘argengaf’ and is not merely decorative – it is an old escape route. If the thatched roof caught fire, the structure would channel the burning thatch out to the sides, allowing the residents to escape safely.
- The initials above the attractive entrance door, C.J.P and B.P, stand for Chresten Jørgen Pedersen and his wife Bodel Pedersen, who built Tønnisgaard in the form we know today
- The large oak tree, which acts as the farm’s natural lightning conductor – a so-called lightning tree. The tree truly proved its worth in the summer of 2015, when a violent bolt of lightning struck it directly. Although the bark was torn and the electrical system in the house short-circuited, the tree saved the old thatched roof from catching fire.
- Look for the different dates on the gables and see which parts were built first
A house with many lives
In 1953, Christian L. Ratenburg moved out of Tønnisgaard, and he was the last person to use the property as a private residence. Since then, the farm has been used by the Ministry of Agriculture, the savings bank and the tourist association. And in June 1992, Naturecenter Tønnisgaard opened, and since then the site has served as a museum and nature centre.
In other words, the magnificent two-winged thatched farm has been beautifully restored and is an experience in itself.
