Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs (Denmark)

Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs
Kirkeminister
State Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Denmark
Incumbent Morten Dahlin since 23 November 2023
Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs
Member of	the Folketing
Appointer	Prime Minister
Term length	4 years
Precursor	Kultus Minister
Formation	28 April 1916;109 years ago (1916-04-28)
First holder	Thorvald. V. Povlsen

Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark (Danish : kirkeminister, lit. Minister for the Church) is a Danish political minister office. The main responsibility of the minister is the Church of Denmark. The minister is politically appointed without any requirements being a member of the state church. ^[1]

The office was created in 1916 when the post Kultus Minister was split up into the posts of Education Minister and Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs. The new Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs also took over the responsibility for culture from the Kultus Minister. In 1961 responsibility for culture was transferred to the Minister for Cultural Affairs.

Since 23 November 2023, Morten Dahlin from Venstre, holds the post in the Second Frederiksen Cabinet.

List of ministers

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Povlsen, Thorvald Thorvald Povlsen  [ da ] (1868–1942)	28 April 1916	30 March 1920	3 years, 337 days		Social Liberals	Zahle II Cabinet
2		Hass, Heinrich H. Edvard Hass  [ da ] (1866–1946)	30 March 1920	5 April 1920	6 days		Independent	Liebe Cabinet
3		Ammentorp, Emil Emil Ammentorp  [ da ] (1862–1947)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	30 days		Independent	Friis Cabinet
4		Christensen, Jens Christian Jens Christian Christensen (1856–1930)	5 May 1920	15 August 1922	2 years, 102 days		Venstre	Neergaard II Cabinet
5		Appel, Jacob Jacob Appel  [ da ] (1866–1931)	15 August 1922	23 April 1924	1 year, 252 days		Venstre	Neergaard II Cabinet–III
6		Dahl, Niels Niels Peter Lorentsen Dahl  [ da ] (1869–1936)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	2 years, 235 days		Social Democrats	Stauning I Cabinet
7		Bruun, Fritz Fritz Bruun-Rasmussen  [ da ] (1870–1964)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	2 years, 137 days		Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal Cabinet
(6)		Dahl, Niels Niels Peter Lorentsen Dahl  [ da ] (1869–1936)	30 April 1929	4 November 1935	6 years, 188 days		Social Democrats	Stauning II Cabinet
8		Hansen, Johannes Johannes Hansen  [ da ] (1881–1953)	4 November 1935	8 July 1940	4 years, 247 days		Social Democrats	Stauning III Cabinet–IV–V
9		Fibiger, Vilhelm Vilhelm Fibiger  [ da ] (1886–1978)	8 July 1940	9 November 1942	2 years, 124 days		Conservatives	Stauning VI Cabinet Buhl I Cabinet
10		Holbøll, Valdemar Valdemar Holbøll  [ da ] (1871–1954)	9 November 1942	29 August 1943 [a]	293 days		Independent	Scavenius Cabinet
No Danish government in between 29 August 1943 (1943-08-29) and 5 May 1945 (1945-05-05). Office is assumed by the permanent secretary. [a]
11		Sørensen, Arne Arne Sørensen (1906–1978)	5 May 1945	7 November 1945	186 days		Danish Unity	Buhl II Cabinet
–		Hartling, Mads Mads Rasmussen Hartling  [ da ] (1885–1960) Acting	7 November 1945	12 November 1945	5 days		Venstre	Kristensen Cabinet
12		Hermansen, Carl Carl Martin Hermansen  [ da ] (1897–1976)	12 November 1945	13 November 1947	2 years, 1 day		Venstre	Kristensen Cabinet
13		Nielsen, Frede Frede Nielsen  [ da ] (1891–1954)	13 November 1947	16 September 1950	2 years, 307 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft I Cabinet
14		Koch, Bodil Bodil Koch (1903–1972)	16 September 1950	30 October 1950	44 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft I Cabinet
15		Sønderup, Jens Jens Sønderup (1897–1976)	30 October 1950	13 September 1951	318 days		Venstre	Eriksen Cabinet
(12)		Hermansen, Carl Carl Martin Hermansen  [ da ] (1897–1976)	13 September 1951	30 September 1953	2 years, 17 days		Venstre	Eriksen Cabinet
(14)		Koch, Bodil Bodil Koch (1903–1972)	30 September 1953	28 November 1966	13 years, 59 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft II Hansen I–II Kampmann I–II Krag I
16		Møller, Orla Orla Møller (1916–1979)	28 November 1966	2 February 1968	1 year, 66 days		Social Democrats	Krag II Cabinet
17		Pedersen, Arne Arne Fog Pedersen  [ da ] (1911–1984)	2 February 1968	11 October 1971	3 years, 251 days		Venstre	Baunsgaard Cabinet
18		Bennedsen, Dorte Dorte Bennedsen (1938–2016)	11 October 1971	19 December 1973	2 years, 69 days		Social Democrats	Krag III Cabinet Jørgensen I Cabinet
19		Damsgaard, Kresten Kresten Damsgaard  [ da ] (1903–1992)	19 December 1973	13 February 1975	1 year, 56 days		Venstre	Hartling Cabinet
20		Hansen, Jørgen Jørgen Peder Hansen (1923–1994)	13 February 1975	30 August 1978	3 years, 198 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen II Cabinet
21		Jensen, Egon Egon Jensen (1922–1985)	30 August 1978	26 October 1979	1 year, 57 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen III Cabinet
(20)		Hansen, Jørgen Jørgen Peder Hansen (1923–1994)	26 October 1979	20 January 1981	1 year, 86 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen IV Cabinet
22		Larsen, Tove Tove Lindbo Larsen (1928–2018)	20 January 1981	10 September 1982	1 year, 233 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen IV Cabinet–V
23		Koch, Elsebeth Elsebeth Kock-Petersen (born 1949)	10 September 1982	23 July 1984	1 year, 317 days		Venstre	Schlüter I Cabinet
24		Madsen, Mette Mette Madsen (1924–2015)	23 July 1984	3 June 1988	3 years, 316 days		Venstre	Schlüter I Cabinet–II
25		Rechendorff, Torben Torben Rechendorff (1937–2022)	3 June 1988	25 January 1993	4 years, 236 days		Conservatives	Schlüter III Cabinet–IV
26		Andersen, Arne Arne O. Andersen  [ da ] (born 1939)	25 January 1993	27 September 1994	1 year, 245 days		Centre Democrats	P. P. Rasmussen I
27		Weiss, Birte Birte Weiss (born 1941)	27 September 1994	30 December 1996	2 years, 94 days		Social Democrats	P. P. Rasmussen II
28		Jensen, Ole Ole Vig Jensen  [ da ] (1936–2016)	30 December 1996	23 March 1998	1 year, 83 days		Social Liberals	P. P. Rasmussen III
29		Vestager, Margrethe Margrethe Vestager (born 1968)	23 March 1998	21 December 2000	2 years, 273 days		Social Liberals	P. P. Rasmussen IV
30		Lebech, Johannes Johannes Lebech (born 1967)	21 December 2000	27 November 2001	341 days		Social Liberals	P. P. Rasmussen IV
31		Tove Fergo (1946–2015)	27 November 2001	18 February 2005	3 years, 83 days		Venstre	A. F. Rasmussen I
32		Bertel Haarder (born 1944)	18 February 2005	23 November 2007	2 years, 278 days		Venstre	A. F. Rasmussen II
33		Birthe Rønn Hornbech (born 1943)	23 November 2007	8 March 2011	3 years, 105 days		Venstre	A. F. Rasmussen III L. L. Rasmussen I
34		Per Stig Møller (born 1942)	23 February 2010	3 October 2011	1 year, 222 days		Conservatives	Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
35		Manu Sareen (born 1967)	3 October 2011	6 December 2012	1 year, 64 days		Social Liberals	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
36		Marianne Jelved (born 1943)	6 December 2012	28 June 2015	2 years, 204 days		Social Liberals	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet–II
(32)		Bertel Haarder (born 1944)	28 June 2015	28 November 2016	1 year, 153 days		Venstre	L. L. Rasmussen II
37		Mette Bock (born 1957)	28 November 2016	27 June 2019	2 years, 211 days		Liberal Alliance	L. L. Rasmussen III
38		Mogensen, Joy Joy Mogensen (born 1980)	27 June 2019	16 August 2021	2 years, 50 days		Social Democrats	Frederiksen I Cabinet
39		Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen (born 1983)	16 August 2021	15 December 2022	1 year, 121 days		Social Democrats	Frederiksen I Cabinet
40		Louise Schack Elholm (born 1977)	15 December 2022	23 November 2023	343 days		Venstre	Frederiksen II Cabinet
41		Morten Dahlin (born 1989)	23 November 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 343 days		Venstre	Frederiksen II Cabinet

Notes

1. On 29 August 1943, the Danish government resigned, refusing to grant further concessions to Nazi Germany. All government operations were assumed by the permanent secretaries of the individual departments, and this arrangement lasted until the Liberation of Denmark on 5 May 1945. Since King Christian X never accepted the resignation of the government, it existed de jure until a new cabinet was formed on 5 May 1945.

References

1. "Kan alle blive minister?" (in Danish). Folketinget. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2022. Det er altså ingen betingelse, at f.eks. justitsministeren skal være jurist, eller at kirkeministeren skal være medlem af folkekirken.

• List of Church Ministers - From the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs.
• Danske Regeringsledere - Danish cabinets from 1848 to today.
• Danish Governments - From Folketinget.

External links

• The Danish Church Minister - From the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs.