Klemen Andersen "Skipper" Clement ( – 9 September 1536) was a Danish merchant, captain,

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

who led a peasant rebellion against the Jutlandish gentry that was part of the

Count's Feud The Count's Feud (), sometimes referred to as the Count's War, was a Danish war of succession occurring from 1534 to 1536, which gave rise to the Reformation in Denmark. In the broader international context, it was a part of the European wars of ...

(''Grevens Fejde''), a civil war.

Background

Clement was born to a farmer family in Aaby Parish (''Aaby Sogn i Kjer Herred'') in the district of Vendsyssel in North Jutland. He became a merchant in

Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...

and later captain and vice admiral in the navy of King

Christian II of Denmark A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. In 1523, Christian II was sent into exile and his uncle,

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

had taken over the throne. In 1525, Clement mutinied and became a privateer.

Count's Feud

Clement later allied himself to Christopher of Oldenburg. At Count Christoffer's instruction, he instigated the peasants of Vendsyssel and North Jutland to rise up against the nobles. On 16 October 1534 the peasant army of Clement, re-enforced with professional soldiers from Count Christoffer, met the army of the Jutland nobility, that had been sent to crush the revolt. The Battle of Svenstrup (''Slaget ved Svenstrup'') resulted in the defeat of the nobility army. For a couple of months the revolting peasants controlled a major part of northern Jutland. They expelled the noblemen and burned down many of their manor houses. However, in the long run the peasant army was too poorly armed and too undisciplined. King

Christian III of Denmark Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

made a separate peace with Count Christoffer and his general

Johan Rantzau Johan Rantzau (12 November 1492 – 12 December 1565) was a German- Danish field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the hi ...

was freed to fight the peasant revolt. In December 1534, the army of Johan Rantzau defeated the peasant army which had retreated to Aalborg and strengthened the defenses of the city. After a hard battle, Rantzau's army overcame the defenses, sacked the city and killed as many as 2,000 people. Clement managed to escape, but was betrayed and captured by his enemies. He was kept in prison until the end of the civil war and was then executed by breaking on the wheel in

Viborg, Denmark Viborg () is a city in central Jutland, Denmark, the capital of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the Courts of Denmark, High Court for the Jutland peninsula. Viborg Municipality ...

Evaluation

Later historians and fiction writers have admired Clement as a revolutionary figure and a champion for the rights of the common man. Also as a local North Jutland hero, he is admired and a statue was erected there in 1931. The depth of his social or ideological engagement is unprovable, but as the last active and perhaps most influential peasant rebel in Danish history, he might be viewed a Danish parallel of

Wat Tyler Wat Tyler (1341 or – 15 June 1381) was a leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in Kingdom of England, England. He led a group of rebels from Canterbury to City of London, London to oppose the collection of a Tax per head, poll tax and to dem ...

in England, Thomas Müntzer in Germany and Yemelyan Pugachev in Russia.

References

Other sources

*''Dansk Biografisk leksikon'', vol.3, (Copenhagen: 1979) *''Politikens Danmarkshistorie'', vol 6, by Svend Cedergreen Bech, (Copenhagen: 1963)

External links

''Grevens Fejde'' (Count's Feud)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clement, Skipper 1480s births 1536 deaths 16th-century Danish businesspeople 16th-century merchants 16th-century executions by Denmark Businesspeople from Aalborg Danish rebels Executed Danish people History of Aalborg History of Lübeck People executed by breaking wheel People of the Count's Feud Danish privateers Christian II of Denmark Danish merchants