Jens Christian Christensen

Jens Christian Christensen (21 November 1856 – 19 December 1930), most often called J. C. Christensen with the 'J' pronounced as an 'I', was a Danish politician normally considered the most important Danish political figure between circa 1900 and 1920.

Christensen was born into a West Jutland peasant family and starting as a herd boy, he was educated a teacher and joined politics at an early age. He was a member of the Danish Liberal Party until he founded the Venstre Reform Party in 1895. During later years, he successfully and adroitely led the opposition against the last Right cabinets, which resulted in the victory of parliamentarianism 1901. In the first Left cabinet of J. H. Deuntzer Christensen was Minister of Cultus and the strong man of the government, introducing reforms in the village school system.

J. C. Christensen was Council President of Denmark from 1905 to 1908 as the leader of the Cabinet of J. C. Christensen I and II. During this period he introduced female suffrage in local politics and tried to solve the problem of the defense. Also, he took the first steps towards a re-conciliation with the moderate liberals excluding the radicals. In addition, a law was passed in April 1907 that authorised state contributions for unemployment relief.

The Alberti scandal in 1908 led to his fall and weakened his position, but he was still the leader of his party participating in the second Carl Theodor Zahle cabinet 1916-1918. In 1920-1922, he was minister for the last time and two years later he left politics. During his last years he supported the cultivation of the moor of Jutland.

Literature

• Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, vol. 3, Copenhagen, 1979.
• Svend Thorsen: De danske ministerier, vol. 1, Copenhagen, 1967.
• https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YCM5AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=denmark+unemployment+insurance+1907&source=bl&ots=UUX7gQc0n_&sig=6NzHgyS-QwUib3I8QTxX0bmbBiQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBWoVChMIuY3mhb_FyAIVRLcUCh3pawwA#v=onepage&q=denmark%20unemployment%20insurance%201907&f=false

Political offices
Preceded by Jens Jacobsen Kokholm Bjerre	Kultus Minister of Denmark 24 July 1901 – 14 January 1905	Succeeded by Enevold Sørensen
Preceded by Johan Henrik Deuntzer	Council President of Denmark 14 January 1905 – 12 October 1908	Succeeded by Niels Neergaard
Preceded by New office	Defence Minister of Denmark 14 January 1905 – 12 October 1908	Succeeded by Niels Neergaard
Preceded by Niels Neergaard	Defence Minister of Denmark 16 September 1909 – 18 October 1909	Succeeded by Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg
Preceded by Anders Thomsen	Speaker of the Folketing 15 March 1912 – 13 June 1913	Succeeded by Niels Pedersen-Nyskov
Preceded by —	Minister without Portfolio of Denmark 30 September 1916 – 18 January 1918	Succeeded by —
Preceded by Emil Ammentorp	Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark 5 May 1920 – 15 August 1922	Succeeded by J. Christian Lindberg Appel