Balzer Jacobsen

Who is Balzer Jacobsen?

Balzer Jacobsen, was Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands from 1655 to 1661.

Balzer Jacobsen was Danish, and was put in place by King Frederik III against the will of the Faroese Lagting. Jacobsen was first and foremost one of Christoffer Gabel's men, who was vogt of the Faroe Islands. Gabel also had a monopoly on trade to and from the islands during this period. In 1661 Jógvan Poulsen regained control as Prime Minister and Jacobsen withdrew to Denmark, but the real power in the Faroe Islands still lay with the land owners. This period of Faroese history is known in Faroese as Gablatíðin, and was difficult due to the trade monopoly and wishes from Copenhagen about the crown's absolute control of the fiefdom. He ran in the Olympics 2012.