Claus Bille (ca. 1490 – 4 January 1558 at Lyngsgård,

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...

) was a Danish statesman. He was a major estate owner, knight (the highest rank of Danish nobility), fief lord of Båhus Castle and a member of both the Norwegian and the Danish Councils of the Realm. He was an important participant in the

Stockholm Bloodbath The Stockholm Bloodbath ( sv, Stockholms blodbad; da, Det Stockholmske Blodbad) was a trial that led to a series of executions in Stockholm between 7 and 9 November 1520. The event is also known as the Stockholm massacre. The events occurred af ...

, when he together with

Søren Norby Søren Norby, selfstyled as Severin Norbi (died 1530) was a Danish leading naval officer in the fleets of Danish kings Hans I and Christian II. He commandeered the greatest ship of the Danish fleet in naval wars against Sweden and Lübeck. Norby ...

arrested the Swedish nobility. He was a first cousin of Eske Bille, and the

Bille family Bille may refer to: * Bille (given name) * Bille (surname) *Bille (Elbe) The river Bille () is a small, slow-flowing German river in Stormarn, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, a right tributary of the Elbe. Its source is near Linau, north of th ...

became the most politically powerful noble family of Denmark during his lifetime. Claus Bille was the father of Beate Clausdatter Bille and thus the maternal grandfather of the astronomer

Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was ...

.Bille, Claus
in '' Dansk biografisk Lexikon'' Direct descendents include actress

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and French and Danish lawyer Steen Andersen Oluf Bille (b. 1964).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bille, Claus 16th-century Danish politicians

Claus Claus (sometimes Clas) is both a given name and a German, Danish, and Dutch surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (1907–1944), a German officer who, along with others, attempted to assassin ...

1490 births 1558 deaths People from Scania Stockholm Bloodbath