Minister of Public Works (Denmark)

Minister of Public Works
Minister for offentlige arbejder
State coat of arms of the Kingdom of Denmark
Longest serving Kai Lindberg 1 September 1955–28 November 1966
Ministry of Transport
Type	Minister
Member of	Cabinet State Council
Reports to	the Prime minister
Seat	Slotsholmen
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Formation	15 January 1894;131 years ago (1894-01-15)
First holder	Hans Peter Ingerslev
Final holder	Arne Melchior
Abolished	14 August 1986;39 years ago (1986-08-14)
Superseded by	Minister of Transport
Succession	depending on the order in the State Council
Deputy	Permanent Secretary

The Minister of Public Works (Danish : Minister for offentlige arbejder) was the Danish minister responsible for the Ministry of Public Works. The position was created in 1894, following a split from the Minister of the Interior. In 1987, the position was abolished and the roles were transferred to the Minister of Transport. ^[1]

No.	Portrait	Name (born-died)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Minister for Public Works (Minister for offentlige arbejder)
1		Hans Peter Ingerslev (1831–1896)	15 January 1894	20 April 1896  #	2 years, 96 days		Højre	Estrup Reedtz-Thott	[2]
2		Hugo Egmont Hørring (1842–1909)	20 April 1896	23 May 1897	1 year, 33 days		Højre	Reedtz-Thott	[3]
3		Christian Juul-Rysensteen  [ da ] (1838–1907)	24 April 1900	24 July 1901	1 year, 88 days		Højre	Sehested	[4]
4		Viggo Hørup (1841–1902)	24 July 1901	15 February 1902  #	206 days		Venstre Reform Party	Deuntzer	[5]
5		Christopher Hage  [ da ] (1848–1930)	15 February 1902	14 January 1905	2 years, 334 days		Venstre Reform Party	Deuntzer	[5]
6		Svend Høgsbro  [ da ] (1855–1910)	14 January 1905	24 July 1908	3 years, 192 days		Venstre	Christensen I	[6]
7		Jens Jensen-Sønderup  [ da ] (1862–1949)	24 July 1908	16 August 1909	1 year, 23 days		Venstre	Christensen II Neergaard I	[7] [8]
8		Thomas C. Larsen  [ da ] (1854–1944)	16 August 1909	28 October 1909	73 days		Venstre	Holstein-Ledreborg	[9]
9		Jens Jørgen Jensen-Onsted  [ da ] (1860–1933)	28 October 1909	2 February 1910	97 days		Danish Social Liberal Party	Zahle I	[10]
10		Wilhelm Weimann  [ da ] (1868–1942)	2 February 1910	5 July 1910	153 days		Venstre	Zahle I	[10]
(8)		Thomas C. Larsen  [ da ] (1854–1944)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	2 years, 351 days		Venstre	Berntsen	[11]
11		Jens Hassing-Jørgensen  [ da ] (1872–1952)	21 June 1913	29 March 1920	6 years, 282 days		Danish Social Liberal Party	Zahle II	[12]
12		Niels Christensen Monberg  [ da ] (1856–1930)	29 March 1920	5 April 1920	7 days		Independent	Liebe	[13]
13		Kristen Riis-Hansen  [ da ] (1876–1937)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	30 days		Independent	Friis	[14]
14		Marius Abel Nielsen Slebsager  [ da ] (1874–1962)	5 May 1920	23 April 1924	3 years, 354 days		Venstre	Neergaard II–III	[15] [16]
15		Johannes Friis-Skotte (1874–1946)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	2 years, 235 days		Social Democrats	Stauning I	[17]
16		Johannes Stensballe  [ da ] (1874–1956)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	2 years, 137 days		Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal	[18]
(15)		Johannes Friis-Skotte (1874–1946)	30 April 1929	4 November 1935	6 years, 188 days		Social Democrats	Stauning II	[19]
17		Niels Peter Fisker  [ da ] (1886–1939)	4 November 1935	15 September 1939	3 years, 315 days		Social Democrats	Stauning III	[20]
18		Axel I. Sørensen  [ da ] (1882–1947)	15 September 1939	8 July 1940	297 days		Social Democrats	Stauning IV–V	[21]
19		Gunnar Larsen (1902–1973)	8 July 1940	29 August 1943	3 years, 46 days		Independent	Stauning VI Buhl I Scavenius	[22] [23] [24]
No Danish government (29 August 1943 [a] – 5 May 1945). Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.
20		Carl Petersen (1894–1984)	5 May 1945	7 November 1945	186 days		Social Democrats	Buhl II	[25]
21		Niels Elgaard  [ da ] (1879–1963)	7 November 1945	13 November 1947	2 years, 6 days		Venstre	Kristensen	[26]
(20)		Carl Petersen (1894–1984)	13 November 1947	17 September 1950	2 years, 308 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft I	[27]
22		Frede Nielsen  [ da ] (1891–1954)	17 September 1950	30 October 1950	43 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft II	[28]
23		Victor Larsen  [ da ] (1890–1952)	30 October 1950	25 April 1952	1 year, 178 days		Conservative People's Party	Eriksen	[29]
24		Jørgen Jørgensen  [ da ] (1891–1963)	25 April 1952	30 September 1953	1 year, 158 days		Conservative People's Party	Eriksen	[29]
(20)		Carl Petersen (1894–1984)	30 September 1953	1 September 1955	1 year, 336 days		Social Democrats	Hedtoft III Hansen I	[30] [31]
25		Kai Lindberg (1899–1985)	1 September 1955	28 November 1966	11 years, 88 days		Social Democrats	Hansen I–II Kampmann I–II Krag I–II	[31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36]
26		Svend Horn  [ da ] (1906–1992)	28 November 1966	2 February 1968	1 year, 66 days		Social Democrats	Krag II	[36]
27		Ove Guldberg (1918–2008)	2 February 1968	11 October 1971	3 years, 251 days		Venstre	Baunsgaard	[37]
28		Jens Kampmann  [ da ] (born 1937)	11 October 1971	19 December 1973	2 years, 69 days		Social Democrats	Krag III Jørgensen I	[38] [39]
29		Kresten Damsgaard  [ da ] (1903–1992)	19 December 1973	13 February 1975	1 year, 56 days		Venstre	Hartling	[40]
30		Niels Matthiasen  [ da ] (1924–1980)	13 February 1975	26 February 1977	2 years, 13 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen II	[41]
31		Kjeld Olesen (1932–2024)	26 February 1977	30 August 1978	1 year, 185 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen II	[41]
32		Ivar Hansen (1938–2003)	30 August 1978	26 October 1979	1 year, 57 days		Venstre	Jørgensen III	[42]
33		Jens Risgaard Knudsen  [ da ] (1925–1997)	26 October 1979	15 October 1981	1 year, 354 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen IV	[43]
34		Knud Heinesen (1932–2025)	15 October 1981	30 December 1981	76 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen V	[44]
35		Jens Kristian Hansen  [ da ] (1926–2023)	30 December 1981	10 September 1982	254 days		Social Democrats	Jørgensen V	[44]
36		Arne Melchior (1924–2016)	10 September 1982	14 August 1986	3 years, 338 days		Centre Democrats	Schlüter I	[45]

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. Hertz, Michael (1 February 2009). "Ministeriet for Offentlige Arbejder". Lex – Danmarks Nationalleksikon (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
2. "Regeringen Estrup". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
3. "Regeringen Reedtz-Thott". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
4. "Regeringen Sehested". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
5. "Regeringen Deuntzer". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
6. "Regeringen Christensen I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
7. "Regeringen Christensen II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
8. "Regeringen Neergaard I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
9. "Regeringen Holstein-Ledreborg". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
10. "Regeringen Zahle I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
11. "Regeringen Berntsen". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
12. "Regeringen Zahle II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
13. "Regeringen Liebe". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
14. "Regeringen Friis". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
15. "Regeringen Neergaard II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
16. "Regeringen Neergaard III". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
17. "Regeringen Stauning I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
18. "Regeringen Madsen-Mygdal". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
19. "Regeringen Stauning II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
20. "Regeringen Stauning III". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
21. "Regeringen Stauning IV". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
22. "Regeringen Stauning VI". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
23. "Regeringen Buhl I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
24. "Regeringen Scavenius". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
25. "Regeringen Buhl II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
26. "Regeringen Kristensen". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
27. "Regeringen Hedtoft I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
28. "Regeringen Hedtoft II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
29. "Regeringen Erik Eriksen". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
30. "Regeringen Hedtoft III". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
31. "Regeringen H.C. Hansen I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
32. "Regeringen H.C. Hansen II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
33. "Regeringen Viggo Kampmann I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
34. "Regeringen Viggo Kampmann I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
35. "Regeringen Jens Otto Krag I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
36. "Regeringen Jens Otto Krag II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
37. "Regeringen Hilmar Baunsgaard". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
38. "Regeringen Jens Otto Krag III". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
39. "Regeringen Anker Jørgensen I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
40. "Regeringen Poul Hartling". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
41. "Regeringen Anker Jørgensen II". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
42. "Regeringen Anker Jørgensen III". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
43. "Regeringen Anker Jørgensen IV". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
44. "Regeringen Anker Jørgensen V". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
45. "Regeringen Poul Schlüter I" (in Danish). Statsministeriet. Retrieved 30 August 2025.