Now a part of the museums in Drammen, Norway, Austad Estate used to be the home of the rich and powerful. Some say though its eternal resident is the ghost of The Lady in Black, who may or may not have been killed by her husband. 

A woman walks slowly up the tree lined avenue leading up to the stately Austad Estate. Her back is straight and is dressed entirely in black, her long and old fashion skort trailing behind her. Many hikers have encountered her, moving silently between the trunks. But when they come too close, she dissolves into the air like smoke and is gone.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Norway

Locals believe she is the ghost of Ingeborg Marie Glud, once the proud lady of Austad Estate. Today she is known only as The Lady in Black. Her presence is often accompanied by flickering lights in the dining room where her life ended in sudden violence that is still a mystery with no clear answers.

The Haunted Manor House: Austad manor house on Strømsø in Drammen is thought to be haunted by the lady in black.

The Powerful Glud Household

The story begins on the second New Year’s Day in 1706. Paul Glud, county governor of the Drammen region, sat down to a late breakfast with his wife Ingeborg Marie in the grand dining room of Austad Estate. The current building is built on top of the foundations they lived in. 

There was only a maid in another room and the couple was present. Glud was a wealthy and influential man who owned several properties, but none matched the elegance of the white manor rising above the surrounding land.

During the meal, a disturbance was heard outside the window. Curious, Paul Glud rose to investigate. Two elks had wandered onto the property. Proud and huge beings, but can be dangerous when charging towards you. 

According to Glud’s later testimony, he hurried to retrieve his rifle, which hung loaded on the wall. It was always kept ready, he claimed, in case of burglars and for hunting. 

Glud stood holding the loaded weapon when Ingeborg Marie approached him. Suddenly the gun discharged on its own. The shot struck her. She fell to the floor and died instantly.

Paul Glud was arrested and charged with killing his wife. The case sent shockwaves through the region and he was the first and last man of his stature accused of murder in the country. But despite the dramatic circumstances, the court found insufficient evidence to convict him. He was acquitted.

During the trial, speculation spread rapidly. When Glud remarried shortly afterward, wedding the wealthy Maren Pedersdatter Moss, the gossip intensified. She was twenty years younger than him and daughter of the wealthy lumber baron, Peder Moss. Had he fallen in love with another woman and had to get rid of his current wife?

Although he was acquitted, he lost his position as the King of Denmark heard about it and he had to go from house to house and beg for money, including his soon to be father in law. It is said that no one wanted to give him anything. The verdict did not silence the rumors.

Only two people knew the truth of what happened that day. One insisted it was an accident. The other was buried with her silence.

The Mystery of Austad Mansion: Austad gård is a manor house in Drammen and has been part of Drammens Museum since 1964. Austad gård and garden are a protected cultural monument. // Photo: Gunnar Aasegg/Wikimedia

A Restless Spirit of Austad Estate

If the walls of Austad Estate could speak, would they reveal what truly occurred in 1706? Perhaps that is why Ingeborg Marie has never left. Because although their home burnt down in 1807 and was later rebuilt, some say that she is still there. 

Visitors report hearing doors unlock themselves. Some claim to have seen her pass straight through closed doorways. The original manor burned down in 1807 and was replaced by the present building, but the ghost did not disappear with the flames.

The Black Lady still walks the grounds. She still moves through the dining room. She still flickers the lights as if demanding attention.

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References:

DEN STOLTE AMTMANNSFRUA på Austad gård i Drammen – Issuu

Sagn, spøkelseshistorier og dystre skjebner

Nyttårsmordet på Austad gård

Austad gård – Wikipedia

Austad Gård – Drammens Museum