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Erik Munk

1550 – 1594

Danish military officer who was ennobled and received several fiefs in Norway

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About Erik Munk

Lived 1550 – 1594 (aged 43–44). Erik Munk was a Danish military personnel.

Erik Nielsen Munk ( 1532 or 1550- January 1, 1594) was a Danish military officer who was ennobled and received several fiefs in Norway for his military achievements. He was the father of the navigator and explorer Jens Munk and Niels Eriksen Munk (1577-1617).

Biography Erik Munk's year and place of birth remain unknown but his father was Niels Munk, apparently a member of an old noble family from Halland whose title had been lost through marriages. Little is known about his early life but he participated in the First French War of Religion in 1562 and was later posted at Vardøhus Fortress in Norway. In the Northern Seven Years' War, he led the expeditions to rescue Trondheim and Akershus. After the war, in reward, he was given several fiefs in Norway, and on 11 August 1580 he received a latter of ennoblement.

Munk's brutal rule over his estates led to several trials against him and in 1586 he was deposed and imprisoned at Dragsholm Castle, near Kalundborg, west of Copenhagen. After in vain writing several letters of defense to the king, he died by suicide in 1594 by hanging.

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Important facts

Born
1550
Birth century
Died
1594, Dragsholm Castle
Occupation
Nationality

People in Erik Munk's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Erik Munk's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Erik Munk?

Danish military officer who was ennobled and received several fiefs in Norway

When was Erik Munk born?

Erik Munk was born in 1550.

When did Erik Munk die?

Erik Munk died in 1594 in Dragsholm Castle.

What was Erik Munk's occupation?

Erik Munk was a military personnel.

What nationality was Erik Munk?

Erik Munk was Danish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Erik Munk

· Wikidata: Q5388738

· DBpedia: Erik Munk

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Erik Munk. https://biography.guide/erik-munk/

MLA: "Erik Munk." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/erik-munk/.

Chicago: "Erik Munk." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/erik-munk/.

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