Minister for Iceland (, ; ) was a post in the Danish cabinet for Icelandic affairs.
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) Portrait Name(born-died) Term of office Political party Government Took office Left office Time in office 1 Christian Sophus Klein 1 August 1874 11 June 1875 National Liberal Party Fonnesbech 2 Johannes Nellemann 11 June 1875 13 June 1896 Højre EstrupReedtz-Thott 3 Nicolai Reimer Rump 13 June 1896 28 August 1899 Højre Reedtz-ThottHørring 4 Hugo Egmont Hørring 28 August 1899 27 April 1900 Højre Hørring 5 Peter Adler Alberti 24 July 1901 1 February 1904 Venstre Reform Party Deuntzer
Home Rule (1904–1918) Portrait Name(born-died) Term of office Political party Government Took office Left office Time in office 6 Hannes Hafstein 1 February 1904 31 March 1909 Home Rule Party DeuntzerChristensen I–IINeergaard I 7 Björn Jónsson 31 March 1909 14 March 1911 Independence Party Neergaard IHolstein-LedreborgZahle IBerntsen 8 Kristján Jónsson 14 March 1911 25 July 1912 Independent Berntsen 6 Hannes Hafstein 25 July 1912 21 July 1914 Union Party BerntsenZahle II 9 Sigurður Eggerz 21 July 1914 4 May 1915 Independence Party Zahle II 10 Einar Arnórsson 4 May 1915 4 January 1917 Independence Party – Langsum Zahle II 11 Jón Magnússon 4 January 1917 30 November 1918 Home Rule Party Zahle II Progressive Party 28 August 1917 Independence Party Sigurður Eggerz 28 August 1917 30 November 1918 Independence Party
See also Prime Minister of Iceland
References
Dam, Poul (1996). Hvem var minister (3. edition). Aros. . Skou, Kaare R. (2005). Dansk politik A–Å. Aschehoug. . Sundbøl, Per (1978). Dansk Islandspolitik 1913-1918. Odense Universitetsforlag. .