Jürgen Wullenwever

Having joined the governing council of the city and become leader of the democratic party, he was appointed burgomaster early in 1533 and threw himself into the movement for restoring Lübeck to her former position of influence.

[1] Preparations were made to attack the Dutch towns, the principal trading rivals of Lübeck, when the death of Frederick I, king of Denmark, in April 1533 changed the position of affairs.

The Lübeckers objected to the bestowal of the Danish crown upon any prince favorable to the Empire or the Roman Catholic religion, and Wullenwever went to Copenhagen to discuss the matter.

At first the Lübeckers gained several successes, but Christian of Holstein appeared before Lübeck; the efforts of Wullenwever to secure allies failed; and the citizens were compelled to make peace.

[1] Wullenwever, who was long regarded as a popular hero in Lübeck, inspired tragedies by Heinrich Kruse and Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow, and a novel by Ludwig Köhler.