Minister for Iceland

Minister for Iceland (Danish: Minister for Island, pronounced [miˈnistɐ fɒ ˈisˌlænˀ]; Icelandic: Ráðherra Íslands) was a post in the Danish cabinet for Icelandic affairs.

Minister for Iceland
Ráðherra Íslands
Longest serving Johannes Nellemann 11 June 1875–13 June 1896
Before 1904: Ministry of Justice of Denmark
Member of	Cabinet of Denmark (before 1904) Cabinet of Denmark Cabinet of Iceland (after 1904)
Seat	Copenhagen (before 1904) Reykjavík (after 1904)
Appointer	Monarch of Denmark
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Denmark (before 1904) Constitution of Iceland (after 1904)
Precursor	Justice Minister of Denmark
Formation	5 January 1874 (1874-01-05) (Denmark) 1 February 1904 (1904-02-01) (Iceland)
First holder	Christian Sophus Klein (Denmark) Hannes Hafstein (Iceland)
Final holder	Peter Adler Alberti (Denmark) Jón Magnússon (Iceland)
Abolished	1 February 1904 (1904-02-01) (Denmark) 30 November 1918 (1918-11-30) (Iceland)
Succession	Prime Minister of Iceland

History

The post was established on 5 January 1874 as, according to the Constitution of Iceland, the executive power rested in the king of Denmark through the Danish cabinet. The Constitutional Act of Iceland of 3 October 1903 stated that the minister for Iceland had to be a resident of Reykjavík and be able to read and write Icelandic. The minister was responsible to the Icelandic parliament. The post of Minister for Iceland was part of the post of Justice Minister of Denmark until 1904 when Iceland obtained extended home rule.

After an agreement with the Social Liberal government in Copenhagen in January 1917, Jón Magnússon formed the first coalition government consisting of three ministers and with a majority in the Althing behind it. Parliamentarism was thus implemented in Iceland. Jón Magnússon got the title forsætisráðherra Íslands (Prime Minister of Iceland, but literally chairman or president of the ministers), while all three ministers were also formally members of the Danish cabinet each with the title Minister of Iceland.

In 1918, the Danish–Icelandic Act of Union recognised Iceland as an independent and sovereign state in a personal union with Denmark. The Kingdom of Iceland was established and the post of Minister for Iceland was closed down on 30 November 1918.

List of ministers

Constitution (1874–1904)

No.	Portrait	Minister for Iceland	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Klein, Christian SophusChristian Sophus Klein (1824–1900)	14 July 1874	11 June 1875	332 days	National Liberal	Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech
2		Nellemann, JohannesJohannes Nellemann (1831–1906)	11 June 1875	13 June 1896	21 years, 2 days	Højre	Estrup Reedtz-Thott
3		Rump, Nicolai ReimerNicolai Reimer Rump (1834–1900)	13 June 1896	28 August 1899	3 years, 76 days	Højre	Reedtz-Thott Hørring
4		Hørring, Hugo EgmontHugo Egmont Hørring (1842–1909)	28 August 1899	27 April 1900	242 days	Højre	Hørring
5		Goos, August Hermann Ferdinand CarlAugust Hermann Ferdinand Carl Goos (1835–1917)	27 April 1900	24 July 1901	1 year, 88 days	Højre	Sehested
6		Alberti, Peter AdlerPeter Adler Alberti (1851–1932)	24 July 1901	1 February 1904	2 years, 192 days	Venstre Reform	Deuntzer

Home rule (1904–1918)

Nº	Minister		Took office	Left office	Duration	Party	Cabinet
7		Hannes Hafstein (1861–1922)	1 February 1904	31 March 1909	5 years, 1 month, 30 days (1,885 days)	Home Rule Party	Deuntzer
							J.C. Christensen I
							J.C. Christensen II
							Neergaard I
8		Björn Jónsson (1846–1912)	31 March 1909	14 March 1911	1 year, 11 months, 14 days (713 days)	Independence Party	Neergaard I
							Holstein-Ledreborg
							Zahle I
							Klaus Berntsen
9		Kristján Jónsson (1852–1926)	14 March 1911	25 July 1912	1 year, 4 months, 11 days (499 days)	independent	Klaus Berntsen
(7)		Hannes Hafstein (1861–1922)	25 July 1912	21 July 1914	1 year, 11 months, 26 days (726 days)	Union Party	Klaus Berntsen
							Zahle II
10		Sigurður Eggerz (1875–1945)	21 July 1914	4 May 1915	9 months, 13 days (287 days)	Independence Party	Zahle II
11		Einar Arnórsson (1880–1955)	4 May 1915	4 January 1917	1 year, 8 months (611 days)	Independence Party langsum
12		Jón Magnússon (1859–1926) Sigurður Jónsson Björn Kristjansson (to 28 August 1917) Sigurður Eggerz (from 28 August 1917)	4 January 1917	30 November 1918	1 year, 10 months, 26 days (695 days)	Home Rule Party Progressive Party Independence Party

See also

• Prime Minister of Iceland

References

• Dam, Poul (1996). Hvem var minister (3. edition). Aros. ISBN 87-7003-553-9. (in Danish)
• Skou, Kaare R. (2005). Dansk politik A–Å. Aschehoug. ISBN 87-11-11652-8. (in Danish)
• Sundbøl, Per (1978). Dansk Islandspolitik 1913-1918. Odense Universitetsforlag. ISBN 87-7492-246-7. (in Danish)