On 31 December 1863, on the eve of the Slesvig-Holstein war with Germany, Monrad became Prime Minister in a new cabinet. The defeat of Denmark and loss of the duchies brought such intense, if unjust, criticism on Monrad's conduct of the war and peace negotiations that on 30 November 1865 he left Denmark with his family to seek peace in New Zealand.

The First Schleswig War was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.

Denmark fought Prussia and Austria. Like the First Schleswig War, it was fought for control of the duchies because of succession disputes concerning the duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg when the Danish king died without an heir acceptable to the German Confederation.

Monrad's collection includes engravings, etchings, and woodcuts, beginning with two engravings from the 1470s by Italian artist Andrea Mantegna. The collection's sixteenth-century German engravings form a significant group, and include works by Albrecht Altdorfer, Albrecht Durer, and the brothers Hans and Sebald Beham. Seventeenth-century Dutch etching is a particularly strong aspect of the collection, with examples of work by Cornelis Bega, Ferdinand Bol, Albert Cuyp, Adriaen van Ostade, Paulus Potter, and Herman van Swanevelt, among many others. Central to this group are the 41 etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn, who is widely recognised as the greatest etcher in the history of the medium.
It is thanks to the retired Danish Consul General, Knud Fink-Jensen, that Te Papa has included Monrad's Collection online.

The book "The Past and Present of New Zealand With Its Prospects for the Future" by the Rev. Richard Taylor, M.A., F.G.S., and Henry Ireson Jones, March 1868, contains a section on Monrad's arrval and stay in the small Wanganui community. It includes an excellent synopsis of Monrad's life before emigrating.

The name was chosen by the first owner of the property, Ditlev Gothardt Monrad. The house is built entirely of New Zealand native timbers, a mixture of totara, rimu and matai. Specimens of these trees can be seen growing around the property, which is registered as a Category II Historic Place with the NZ Historic Places Trust.

Gjengangeren indeholdende Bidrag til den nyeste Tids historie

The following reference material may be useful to researchers:

• D.G. Monrad by G.C. Petersen
• D.G. Monrad, Breve, udgivet af Svend Hauge, G.E.C. Gad, 1969.
• Danish Emmigration to N.Z. H Bender & B Larsen 1990.
• An Exhibition of Works from the Bishop D.G. Monrad Collection.
  Manawatu Museum, November 2 to November 23 1975
  
• D.G. Monrad - en kunstsamler i 1800-tallet. Vejle Kunstmuseum 31.10.1992 - 3.1.1993.
• Nivågårds Malerisamling 23.1. - 18.4.1993.