Minister for Iceland

Minister for Iceland (Danish: Minister for Island, Icelandic: Ráðherra Íslands) was a post in the Danish cabinet for Icelandic affairs.

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 post as Minister for Iceland was a part of the post as Justice Minister of Denmark until 1904 as 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, and the minister was made responsible to the Icelandic parliament and Iceland obtained extended home rule.

After agreement with the Social Liberal government in Copenhagen Jón Magnússon in January 1917 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, Denmark recognised Iceland as an independent and sovereign state in a personal union with Denmark—the Kingdom of Iceland—and the post was closed down on 30 November 1918.

List of ministers

Constitution (1874–1904)

Nº	Minister		Took office	Left office	Duration	Party	Cabinet
1		Christian Sophus Klein (1824–1900)	14 July 1874	11 June 1875	10 months, 28 days (332 days)	National Liberal Party	Fonnesbech
2		Johannes Magnus Valdemar Nellemann (1831–1906)	11 June 1875	13 June 1896	21 years, 2 days (7,673 days)	Højre	Estrup
							Reedtz-Thott
3		Nicolai Reimer Rump (1834–1900)	13 June 1896	28 August 1899	3 years, 2 months, 15 days (1,171 days)	Højre	Reedtz-Thott
							Hørring
4		Hugo Egmont Hørring (1842–1909)	28 August 1899	27 April 1900	7 months, 30 days (242 days)	Højre	Hørring
5		August Hermann Ferdinand Carl Goos (1835–1917)	27 April 1900	24 July 1901	1 year, 2 months, 27 days (453 days)	Højre	Sehested
6		Peter Adler Alberti (1851–1932)	24 July 1901	1 February 1904	2 years, 6 months, 8 days (922 days)	Left Reform Party	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. (Danish)
• Skou, Kaare R. (2005). Dansk politik A–Å. Aschehoug. ISBN 87-11-11652-8. (Danish)
• Sundbøl, Per (1978). Dansk Islandspolitik 1913-1918. Odense Universitetsforlag. ISBN 87-7492-246-7. (Danish)