Jens Andersen Beldenak
Jens Andersen Beldenak, called the Bald, was a Danish bishop. He was born in the village of Brøndum, the Limfjord, and died 20 January 1537. Historians generally considered him a controversial figure due to his being a contrarian in addition to a quarrelsome character. Aside from his position in the church, he was an important figure in the court of King Christian II due to his legal expertise. Particularly, Beldenak was credited for transforming Sweden from electoral to a hereditary kingdom. Background Jens Andersen Beldenak was the son of a poor shoemaker. He was only taught in a convent school but he later studied in Cologne and Rome, where he also worked in the papal office. When he returned to Denmark, he was employed at the King John's office and soon distinguished himself for his sharp intellect, his eloquence and his legal knowledge and in 1501 became bishop of the Diocese of Funen, where he soon fell into a long-standing conflict with the nobility. Beldenak was the only bishop in Denmark who did not belong to the nobility. King Christian II hired him often on diplomatic missions and in 1503 he was the envoy to the peace meeting in Lübeck,