Nis Albrecht Johannsen

Nis Albrecht Johannsen the Elder (11 March 1855 – 7 February 1935) was a North Frisian poet. He is considered the most important poet of the North Frisian language.

Biography Johannsen was the son of the tailor Momme Johannsen (1790–1866) and his wife Sösche, née Carstensen, (1819–1895). After attending elementary school in Klockries and the secondary school in Trollebüll, he studied at the teacher training college in Tondern from 1876 to 1879. He then worked as a teacher in Westerschnatebüll and Klixbüll, and from 1885 onward in Deezbüll, where he also served as sexton.

In 1904, Johannsen retired for health reasons and moved to Flensburg. There, he wrote numerous poems, stories, and other works in the North Frisian language, using the Bökingharde dialect, as well as cultural and historical articles in High German. Johannsen regarded the preservation of the Frisian language as his most important mission.