SKRAM, PEDER (c. 1500-1581), Danish senator and naval hero, born between 1491 and 1503, at his father's estate at Urup near Horsens in Jutland. He first saw service in the Swedish war of Christian II. at the battle of Brannkyrka, 1518, and at the battle of Uppsala two years later he saved the life of the Danish standard-bearer. For his services he was rewarded with an estate in Norway. During "Grevens Fejde," or "the Count's War," Skram was sent by the Danish government to assist Gus tavus Vasa, then in alliance with Christian III. against the parti sans of Christian II., to organize the untried Swedish fleet ; and Skram seems, for the point is still obscure, to have shared the chief command with the Swedish Admiral Mans Some. Skram greatly hampered the movements of the Hanseatic fleets who fought on the side of Christian II., captured a whole Lubeck squadron off Svendborg, and prevented the revictualling of Copen hagen by LiTheck. But the incurable suspicion of Gustavus I. minimized the successes of the allied fleets throughout 1535. Skram's services were richly rewarded by Christian III. As a senator he contributed to the victory of the Danish party over the German in the councils of Christian III. In 1555, feeling too infirm to go to sea, he resigned his post of admiral; but when the Scandinavian Seven Years' War broke out seven years later, the new king, Frederick II., offered Skram the chief command.
He put to sea in August 1562, and compelled the Swedish admiral, after a successful engagement off the coast of Gotland, to take refuge behind the Skerries. He was superseded at the end of the year by Herluf Trolle. Skram was twice (1565-1568) un successfully besieged by the Swedes in his castle of Laholm, which he and his wife defended with great intrepidity. Skram died at Urup on July II, 1581.
Skram's audacity won for him the nickname of "Denmark's dare-devil," and he contributed perhaps more than any other Dane of his day to destroy the Hanseatic dominion of the Baltic. His humanity was equally remarkable; he often imperilled his life by preventing his crews from plundering.
See Axel Larsen, Dansk-Norske Heltehistorier (Copenhagen, 1893). SKRZYNECKI, JAN ZYGMUNT 1787-1860, Polish general, organised the Polish army at the revolution of 183o. After his defeat by Diebitsch at Ostrolenka he had to resign his command. He took refuge at Cracow, where he died.