FRIIS, JOHAN Danish statesman, was born in and was educated at Odense and at Copenhagen, completing his studies abroad. He was one of the first of the magnates to adhere to the Reformation and its promoter King Frederick I. (1523-1533). Friis, who made a fortune out of the church lands, succeeded Claus Gjoodsen as imperial chancellor in 1532, and held that dignity till his death. He promoted the election of Christian III. (1533-1559), but in the course of the "Count's War" he was taken prisoner by Count Christopher, the Catholic candidate for the throne, and forced to do him homage. He made his escape to Germany, and then rejoined Christian III. He was one of the plenipotentiaries who concluded peace with Lubeck at the congress of Hamburg, and subsequently took part in the national reconstruction necessitated by the Reformation, acting as mediator between the Danish and the German parties who were contesting for supremacy during the earlier years of Christian III. Friis was a patron of learning. He encouraged Hans Svaning to complete Saxo's history of Denmark, and Anders Vedel to trans late Saxo into Danish. Under King Frederick II. Friis was well-nigh omnipotent. He was largely responsible for the Scandinavian Seven Years' War (1562-70), which did so much to exacerbate the relations between Denmark and Sweden. Friis died on Dec. 5, 157o, a few days before the peace of Stettin.