Johan Friis

Johan Friis (born Feb. 20, 1494, Lundbygaard, Swed.—died Dec. 5, 1570, Køge, Den.) was a Danish statesman who, as chancellor under Christian III, king of Denmark and Norway, helped to establish the Lutheran Church as the state church in Denmark and to reform the state and local administrations. Friis served as secretary at the court of King Frederick I and became successor-designate to the chancellor. When a civil war (the Count’s War; 1533–36) broke out...