Abild-Tved Route EN - Farms through generations

Vesterhedevej is named after the fields between Little Emmerske and the Hedehusene. The country lane formed the boundary between Tønder country parish and Tønder city. The farm on Vesterhedevej no. 1 is more than 300 years old. Here the Paulsen family lived for approx. 270 years. On the farm a typical ‘corpse door’ is seen facing east. This is a construction custom from the time where you normally died at home. The body was therefore also showcased for the funeral in the ‘fine living room’. The ‘corpse door’ usually went from the fine living room and straight out into the open and was solely used for ‘removing bodies’. The door towards east on Vesterhedevej 1 was last used for corpses in 1944 when Katrine Paulsen died. In his time as farmer her son Peter managed to be both parish council and social committee chairman as well as member of the milk board until his death in 1970. Vesterhedevej 2 has been demolished and a new farm has been built in the beautiful old style. Vesterhedevej 3 still stands as the original farm. The farmhouse is so low that it is said ‘the rooster looked through the kitchen windows’. The Emmerske house of prayer from 1730 (no. 4 on historical map) served as church for Tønder country parish up until 2012. The well knowned priest and hymn writer Hans Adolph Brorson held prayer sessions in Emmerske every Sunday and secured many new followers of pietism. Today the buildings also hold a boarding school. PHOTO: House of Prayer, 1943. Arkiv.dk