Anker Jørgensen
| Anker Jørgensen | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Prime Minister of Denmark | |
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In office 5 October 1972 – 19 December 1973 |
|
| Monarch | Margrethe II |
| Preceded by | Jens Otto Krag |
| Succeeded by | Poul Hartling |
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In office 13 February 1975 – 10 September 1982 |
|
| Monarch | Margrethe II |
| Preceded by | Poul Hartling |
| Succeeded by | Poul Schlüter |
| President of the Nordic Council | |
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In office 1986–1986 |
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| Preceded by | Páll Pétursson |
| Succeeded by | Elsi Hetemäki-Olander |
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In office 1991–1991 |
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| Preceded by | Páll Pétursson |
| Succeeded by | Ilkka Suominen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anker Henrik Jørgensen 13 July 1922 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 20 March 2016 (aged 93) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Political party | Social Democrats |
| Spouse(s) | Ingrid Pedersen (m.1948-1997; her death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Anker Henrik Jørgensen (13 July 1922 – 20 March 2016) was a Danish politician who served at various times as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Denmark. Between 1972 and 1982 he led five cabinets as Prime Minister. Jørgensen was President of the Nordic Council in 1986 and 1991.
He led or represented the Social Democratic Party for well over 30 years. His legacy is ambivalent. Politically, he is considered by many right wing followers to have been largely unsuccessful, having failed to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s. Nonetheless he is generally respected and even loved throughout Denmark for his personal integrity and down-to-earth personality, often exemplified in his refusal of moving into the official Prime Minister residence Marienborg, preferring to stay with his wife in their small apartment in a working class area of Copenhagen.
He has been described as not having the image of a strong or visionary leader, but through his down-to-earth and earnest demeanor he managed to maintain a wide support for the Danish welfare state. In 1992, he was chosen to travel to Iraq to negotiate the release of a group of Danish hostages with Saddam Hussein.
Anker Henrik Jørgensen was born on 13 July 1922 to Johannes Albert Jørgensen and Maria Jørgensen, who both died of tuberculous while he was a child. He was brought up by close members of his family. He studied at the Royal Orphanage School, but left after the 7th grade to work at a warehouse. Through his job as a warehouse worker he became active in the Special Workers' Union, and in the Social Democratic party.
He served his conscription period in 1943, at the Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron in Næstved. He was part of the fighting when the barracks was attacked by the Germans during Operation Safari. After being repatriated, Anker Jørgensen then joined the resistance in Copenhagen.
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