Tvis Mill and Monastery
The sparse foundation remains of a former large Cistercian monastery and an old watermill located on an islet between the divided course of the Tvis River.
Holstebro Municipality is in the process of establishing the Tvis Mølle Nature Laboratory on site with offerings for school children, local citizens and tourists. The nature laboratory will also be included as a visitor site in the geopark.
Buris Henriksen, who was of royal lineage, donated no less than 4 large land grants to Herridsvad Monastery in Skåne on March 24, 1163, in exchange for a monastery being built here on the property “Tvisel”. The event was witnessed by the Danish King Valdemar I, two bishops, three Cistercian abbots and several noblemen. The deed of gift describes the gift of the farm “Tvisel” as, “…….a farm called “Tvisel”, which has come to me as an ancestral inheritance … with all the property belonging to this farm and all its surroundings, which are fields, forests, commons, fishing water, mills, houses and cattle as well as livestock (households)….” Buris Henriksen gives this gift to “… our Lord Jesus Christ and his worthy mother, who is worthy of all honor…” in the hope of the salvation of his soul and eternal life in Heaven. In the Middle Ages, it was common for wealthy people to donate property and valuables to monasteries and churches in the expectation of receiving a place in heaven when they passed away.
Tuta Vallis
When the monks settled in Tvis, they gave the monastery a Latin name “Tuta Vallis”, which means “The Safe Valley”. Throughout the Middle Ages, this was the official name of the monastery. It was common practice in the Cistercian order for monasteries to be given Latin names with a deeper meaning. Tvis Monastery was located close to the place where the Tvis River flows into the Storå River. Both streams have cut deep into the heather-covered moraine hills, and the river valleys are edged by high cliffs. Just before the outlet into the Storå River and the Vandkraftsøen Lake, the Tvis River divides into two branches that encircle a small, flat island in the river valley. The monasteries of the Cistercian order were to be secluded and isolated from the outside world. The small island between high cliffs and surrounded by streams was so suitable for the purpose that it was here that Abbot Peder and his monks chose to settle.
The Cistercians as master builders
The Cistercians were masters of exploiting the landscape, and they were particularly skilled at using streams and lakes, which they regulated, dammed and directed to where the water was to be used. This undoubtedly also happened here, where the Tvis River regulation still has a watermill today. The excavations of Tvis Monastery show that the Cistercian principles of monastery construction were largely followed. The style was Romanesque in the first buildings, but the Gothic style of the 13th century is undoubtedly also evident from the finds. The monastery was closed down during the Reformation, but the church stood until 1698. The other buildings were also demolished over the years and many building materials were brought here to be rebuilt and used in other buildings in the area. The current watermill is a copy of the previous building from the 18th century. It is unknown how many times it has been rebuilt. Display exhibition in the mill about Tvis Monastery, Tvis Church and Tvis Mill.
Relations to the geopark
Holstebro Municipality has acquired the nearby fish farm and is in the process of transforming it into the Tvis Mølle Nature Laboratory. Tvis Mølle Nature Laboratory will now be a visitor and experience center just 3 km from the center of Holstebro, with a diverse nature as a setting for experiences, activities and learning within the four main themes - Nature, technology, culture and health. The geopark will also be communicated here.