GRIFFENFELDT, PEDER, COUNT (Feder Schumacher) Danish statesman, was born at Copenhagen on Aug. 24, 1635, of a wealthy trading family. He was a precocious child, and received an excellent education. In 1654 Schumacher was sent abroad to complete his studies. From Germany he pro ceeded to the Netherlands, staying at Leiden, Utrecht and Am sterdam, and passing in 1657 to Queen's college, Oxford, where he lived three years. In the autumn of 166o Schumacher visited Paris, shortly after Mazarin's death, when the young Louis XIV. first seized the reins of power. Schumacher seems to have been profoundly impressed by the administrative superiority of a strong centralized monarchy; and, in politics, as in manners, France ever afterwards was his model. The last year of his travels was spent in Spain, where he obtained a thorough knowledge of the Castilian language and literature. On his return to Copen hagen, in 1662, Schumacher found the monarchy established on the ruins of the aristocracy. He secured the protection of Kris toffer Gabel, the king's confidant, and in 1663 was appointed the royal librarian. A romantic friendship with the king's bastard, Count Ulric Frederick Gyldenlove, consolidated his position. In 1665 Schumacher obtained his first political post as the king's secretary, and the same year composed the memorable Kongelov (see DENMARK, History).
On the death of Frederick III. (Feb. 9, 16 7 o) Schumacher was the most trusted of all the royal counsellors. He alone was aware of the existence of the new throne of walrus ivory embellished with three silver life-size lions, and of the new regalia, both of which treasures he had, by the king's command, concealed in a vault beneath the royal castle. Frederick III. had also confided to him a sealed packet containing the Kongelov, which was to be delivered to his successor alone. Schumacher had been recom mended to his son by Frederick III. on his deathbed. When, on Feb. 9, 167o, Schumacher delivered the Kongelov to Christian V., the king bade all those about him withdraw, and after being closeted a good hour with Schumacher, appointed him his "Ober geheimesekreter." His promotion was rapid. In July, 167o, he was ennobled under the name of Griffenfeldt ; in November, 1673, he was created a count, a knight of the Elephant and, finally, imperial chancellor. In the course of the next few months he gathered into his hands every branch of the government.
On May 25, 1671, the dignities of count and baron were intro duced into Denmark "to give lustre to the court"; a few months later the order of the Danebrog was instituted as a fresh means of winning adherents by marks of favour. Griffenfeldt was the originator of these new institutions. To him monarchy was the ideal form of government. But he had also a political object. Griffenfeldt saw that, in future, the first at court would be the first everywhere. He promoted trade and industry by the revival of the Kammer Kollegium, or board of trade, and the abolition of some of the most harmful monopolies. Both the higher and the provincial administrations were reformed and centralized ; and the positions and duties of the magistrates, who now also received fixed salaries, were exactly defined. In the last three years of his administration, Griffenfeldt gave himself entirely to the conduct of the foreign policy of Denmark. He aimed at restoring Den mark to the rank of a great power by carefully nursing her re sources, and in the meantime securing and enricEng her by alli ances, which would bring in large subsidies while imposing a mini mum of obligations. This policy demanded : first, peace, especially peace with Denmark's most dangerous neighbour, Sweden; and, secondly, a sound financial basis, which he expected the wealth of France to supply. Next, Denmark was to beware of making enemies of France and Sweden at the same time. An alliance, on fairly equal terms, between the three powers, would, in these circumstances, be the consummation of Griffenfeldt's "system"; an alliance with France to the exclusion of Sweden would be the next best policy; but an alliance between France and Sweden, without the admission of Denmark, was to be avoided at all haz ards. But, despite Griffenfeldt's open protests and subterraneous counter-mining, war was actually declared against Sweden in 1675, and his subsequent policy seemed so obscure and hazardous that his enemies found an opportunity to destroy him.
On March I1. 1676, Griffenfeldt was arrested in the king's name and conducted to the citadel, a prisoner of state. On May 3 he was tried by an extraordinary tribunal of 1 o dignitaries, and conducted his own defence on a variety of charges. For 46 days before his trial he had been closely confined in a dungeon without lights, books or writing materials. Every legal assistance was illegally denied him. Nevertheless he proved more than a match for his accusers. But he was condemned to degradation and decapitation. The primary offence of the ex-chancellor was the taking of bribes, which no twisting of the law could convert into a capital offence, while the charge of treason had not been sub stantiated. Griffenfeldt was pardoned on the scaffold, his sentence being commuted to life-long imprisonment. Denmark's greatest statesman lingered out his life for 22 years in a lonely state-prison, first in the fortress of Copenhagen, and finally at Munkholm on Trondhjem fjord. He died at Trondhjem on March 12, 1699.
See Danmark's Riges Histoire, vol. v. (1897-19os) ; Jorgenson, Peter Schumacher-Griffenfeldt ; O. Vaupell, Rigskansler Grey Griffenfeldt (188o-82) ; Bain, Scandinavia, cap. x. (Cambridge, I goy) ; K. Fabricius, Griffenfeldt (Ig1o), and Kongeloven (192o).
(R. N. B.; X.)