Erik Valkendorf was born in Funen (Denmark) probably in the 1460s into a noble family immigrated from Germany.
1 The authoritative biography of Valkendorf is L. Hamre, Erik Valkendorf. Trekk av hans liv og virke (Bergen, 1943). After studies in Greifswald he became employed in the royal chancellery in the 1490s, and from 1499 he is entitled chancellor to Duke Christian (1481–1559), son of the Danish king Hans. In 1506 he accompanied Christian to Norway, where Christian had been invested with royal power as vicegerent. Valkendorf became a member of the Privy Council in Norway, and in 1510 he was appointed archbishop of Nidaros. He kept his position as a member of the inner circle around Christian, who in 1513 followed his father as ruler not only of Denmark but of the Union of Kalmar between Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Union was not, however, accepted by the Swedes, and hence they did not recognise Christian as their king.
In the late 1510s Valkendorf became involved in conflicts with the king’s representatives in Bergen and Oslo over fish trade and ecclesiastical freedom from taxes. He left Norway in 1521 to present his case to Christian II. They met in Amsterdam, but no reconciliation was obtained. Instead, Valkendorf continued to Rome in order to gain support from the pope. However, he had to wait there until the new Pope Hadrian VI would come to Rome, and in November 1522 Valkendorf died in Rome.