Skipper Clement

Klemen Andersen "Skipper Clement" (Around 1484 – 9 September 1536) was a Danish merchant, captain, privateer. He was also the leader of the peasant rebellion that was part of the civil war known as the Count's Feud (Grevens Fejde).

Background

Clement was born to a farmer family in Aaby parish (Aaby Sogn in Kjer Herred) in the district of Vendsyssel in North Jutland. He became a merchant in Aalborg and later captain and vice admiral in the navy of King Christian II of Denmark.

Count's Feud

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. King Christian III of Denmark made a separate peace with Count Christoffer and his general Johan Rantzau 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 defences of the city. After a hard battle, Rantzau's army overcame the defences and killed as many as 2,000 people.

Evaluation

As the last active, and maybe most famous and important peasant rebel in Danish history he might be viewed as a Danish parallel of Wat Tyler in England, Thomas Muntzer in Germany and Yemelyan Pugachev in Russia.