Klaus Störtebeker

Klaus Störtebeker (also known as Klaas Störtebecker, Johann Störtebecker or Nikolaus Storzenbecher) (1360 – supposed 20 October 1401) was a German pirate. Reputed to be the leader of a group of privateers known as the Victual Brothers (German: Vitalienbrüder), his group was hired to assist in a war between Sweden and Denmark and continued to capture merchant vessels mainly in the Baltic Sea and North Sea. Sharing their spoils equally, they named themselves "Likedeelers" (lit. 'equal sharers').