Iceland was colonised by Norse migrants in 874.
In 1262 it became dependent of Norway, in this way also becoming partof the Danish-
Norwegian Union of 1380.
In 1536 Denmark toke over the government of Norway and its dependencies but it was
only in 1814, by the Treaty of Kiel, that Iceland formally became subject to the
Danish crown. (1)
(1) Danish direct administration was however already imposed in 1662 and in
1800, when the Icelandic parliament (the Alţingi) was abolished, the island
lost the last remnants of its selfgovernment.
In 1874 the Alţingi was restored, as a first step towards full autonomy.
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DANISH OFFICIALS AND MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF ICELANDIC AFFAIRS
(Those before 1871 that are not listed will be added when Denmark is extended to
1848)
[Until the reforms of 1848 Iceland was under the authority of the Danish Chancery
(legal, administrative and cultural affairs) and of the Rentekammer (for financial
affairs)]
1848 - 1855 The Ministers of the Interior in charge
Heads of the Icelandic Department(2)Departementchefer for Island
1848 - 1852 Brynjolf Pjetursson
1852 - 1855 Oddgeir Stephensen 1812 - 1885
1855 - 1874 The Ministers of Justice in charge
Head of the Icelandic department
Departementchef for Island
1855 - 1874 Oddgeir Stephensen s.a.
(2) The Icelandic Department was also in charge of the Faroer and of Greenland
(this until 1858)
In 1858 Stephensen also became head of the II Department of the Ministry
of Justice (Army and Navy Recruitment, Public Institutions, Fiefs, etc).
Actual management of Islandic affairs then passed to the subordinated
Heads of the Bureau for Icelandic Affairs
Kontorchefer for Islandske Sager
1859 - 1863 Reinhard Christian With 1824 - 1893
1863 - 1874 Christian Emanuel Frits Reinhardt 1829 - 1896
As to Stephensen, he possibly was replaced ca 1877 by a C. Stephensen,
although the "C" can be a printing fault in the source and he actually
continued in office until his death in 1885.
Ministers for Iceland
Ministre for Island
1874 - 1904 The Ministers of Justice
Heads of the Icelandic department
Departementchefer for Island
(also in charge of the Faroer since 1885)
1874 - 1885 Oddgeir Stephensen s.a.
1885 - 1889 Johannes Hilmer Stephensen
1889 - 1904 Anders Dybdal
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DANISH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors
Stiftamtmađur - Landshöfđingi (since 1874)
Stiftamtmadur - Landshřfding (since 1874)
1847 - 1849 Mathias Hans Rosenřrn 1814 - 1902
1850 - 1860 Jřrgen Ditlev, Greve Trampe 1807 - 1868
1860 - 1865 Thórđur Jónassen* 1800 - 1880
1865 - 1883 Sřren Hilmar Steindor Finsen 1824 - 1886
1883 - 1886 Bergur Ólafsson Thorberg 1829 - 1886
1886 - 1904 Magnús Magnússon Stephensen 1839 - 1917
In 1904 the offices of Minister for Iceland and of Governor were abolished.
Their duties were taken over by a Minister of Iceland residing in Iceland.
In 1917 the first Icelandic government was appointed.
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MINISTERS
Ministers of Iceland
Ráđherrar Íslands
Ministre for Island
1904 - 1909 Hannes Th. Hafstein 1861 - 1922
1909 - 1911 Björn Jónsson 1846 - 1912
1911 - 1912 Kristján Jónsson 1852 - 1926
1912 - 1914 Hannes Th. Hafstein (2x)
1914 - 1915 Sigurđur Eggerz 1875 - 1945
1915 - 1917 Einar Arnórsson 1880 - 1965
Prime Minister - Minister of Justice
Forsćtisráđherra - Dómsráđherra
1917 - 1918 Jón Magnusson 1859 - 1926
Ministers of Finance
Fjármálaráđherrar
1917 Björn Kristjánson 1858 - 1939
1917 - 1918 Sigurđur Eggerz s.a.
KINGDOM OF ICELAND
In 1918 Iceland became an independent Kingdom, united with Denmark by a personal
union only.
In 1940 after the German occupation of Denmark, the island was occupied by allied
forces. (3)
(3) Commanders of the Allied Occupation Forces
1940 - 1942 MajGen. Henry Osborne Curtis (UK) 1888 - 1964
1942 - 1943 MajGen. Charles Hartwell Bonesteel (US) 1885 - 1964
1943 - 1944 MajGen. William Shaffer Key (US) 1889 - 1959
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HEAD OF STATE
King
Konung
1918 - 1944 The King of Denmark
Regents during the German occupation of Denmark
1940 - 1941 The Council of Ministers :
-Hermann Jónasson 1896 - 1976
-Jakob Möller 1880 - 1955
-Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson 1894 - 1980
1941 - 1944 Sveinn Björnsson 1881 - 1952
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DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES DURING THE UNION PERIOD
Danish Ministers in Iceland
1919 - 1924 J. E. Böggild
1924 - 1946 Frank le Sage de Fontenay 1880 - 1959
Icelandic Ministers in Denmark
1919 - 1924 Sveinn Björnsson s.a.
1924 - 1926 none
1926 - 1940 Sveinn Björnsson (2x)
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MINISTERS
Prime Ministers
Forsćtisráđherrar
1918 - 1922 Jón Magnússon s.a.
1922 - 1924 Sigurđur Eggerz s.a.
1924 - 1926 Jón Magnússon (2x)
1926 - 1927 Jón Ţorláksson 1877 - 1935
1927 - 1932 Tryggvi Ţórhallsson 1889 - 1935
1932 - 1934 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson 1894 - 1972
1934 - 1942 Hermann Jónasson s.a.
1942 Ólafur Thors 1892 - 1964
1942 - 1944 Björn Ţórđarson 1879 - 1963
Ministers of Foreign Affairs (4)
Utanríkisráđherrar
1940 - 1942 Stefan Jóhann Stefansson s.a.
1942 - 1943 Ólafur Thors s.a.
1942 - 1944 Vilhjarmur Thor 1899 - 1972
(4) According to the Danish-Icelandic Union Treaty of 1918 Denmark was
entrusted with the handling of Icelandic foreign affairs.
An Icelandic delegate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in charge of
the defence of Icelandic interests.
In Iceland itself the prime ministers performed some of the tasks usually
associated with the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It was only after the German occupation of Denmark that a separate ministry
was established.
Delegate
1919 - 1944 Jón Krabbe
Ministers of Home AffairsMinisters of Social AffairsFélagsmálaráđherrar
1939 - 1942 Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson s.a.
1942 Jakob Möller s.a.
1942 - 1943 Jóhann Sćmundsson
1943 - 1944 Björn Ţórđarson s.a.
Ministers of Justice
Dómsráđherrar
1918 - 1922 Jón Magnússon s.a.
1922 - 1924 Sigurđur Eggerz s.a.
1924 - 1926 Jón Magnússon (2x)
1926 - 1927 Magnús Guđmundsson 1879 - 1937
1927 - 1931 Jónas Jónsson 1885 - 1968
1931 Tryggvi Ţórhallsson s.a.
1931 - 1932 Jónas Jónsson (2x)
1932 Magnús Guđmundsson (2x)
1932 Ólafur Thors s.a.
1932 - 1934 Magnús Guđmundsson (3x)
1934 - 1942 Hermann Jónasson s.a.
1942 Jakob Möller s.a.
1942 - 1944 Einar Arnórsson 1896 - 1976
Ministers of Finance
Fjármálaráđherrar
1918 - 1920 Sigurđur Eggerz s.a.
1920 - 1922 Magnús Guđmundsson s.a.
1922 - 1923 Magnús Jónsson 1884 - 1958
1923 - 1924 Klemens Jónsson 1862 - 1930
1924 - 1927 Jón Ţorláksson s.a.
1927 - 1928 Magnús Kristjánsson 1862 - 1928
1928 - 1929 Tryggvi Ţórhallsson s.a.
1929 - 1931 Einar Arnórsson s.a.
1931 Tryggvi Ţórhallsson (2x)
1931 - 1934 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson s.a.
1934 - 1939 Eysteinn Jónsson 1906 - 1993
1939 - 1943 Jakob Möller s.a.
1943 Björn Ólafsson 1895 - 1974
1943 - 1944 Pétur Magnússon 1888 - 1948
REPUBLIC ICELAND
In 1944, after a referendum, the Union Act of 1918 was abrogated and Iceland became
an independent Republic, still under allied occupation. (5)
(5) Commanders of the Allied Occupation Forces
1944 MajGen. William Shaffer Key (US) s.a.
1944 - 194. Gen. Early E. W. Duncan (US)
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HEAD OF STATE
President
Foresti
1944 - 1952 Sveinn Björnsson s.a.
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MINISTERS
Prime Ministers
Forsćtisráđherrar
1944 Björn Ţórđarson s.a.
1944 - 1947 Ólafur Thors (2x)
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Utanríkisráđherrar
1944 Vilhjarmur Thor s.a.
1944 - 1947 Ólafur Thors (2x)
Ministers of Home AffairsMinisters of Social AffairsFélagsmálaráđherrar
1944 Björn Ţórđarson s.a.
1944 - 1947 Finnur Jónsson 1894 - 1951
Ministers of Justice
Dómsráđherrar
1944 Einar Arnórsson s.a.
1944 Björn Ţórđarson s.a.
1944 - 1947 Finnur Jónsson s.a.
Minister of Finance
Fjármálaráđherrar
1944 - 1947 Pétur Magnússon s.a.
In 1541 the Evangelical Lutheran religion replaced Roman Catholicism as the leading
cult in Iceland. It was confirmed Iceland's national religion by the constitutions
proclaimed since 1874.
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HEADS OF THE COMMUNITY
State Officials in charge of the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Church
until 1848 : The Danish Chancery
1848 - 1874 The Heads of the Icelandic Department
at the Ministry of the Interior (until
1855) and at the Ministry of Justice
(since 1855) s.a.
1874 - 1904 The Ministers for Iceland s.a.
1904 - 1917 The Ministers of Iceland s.a.
Ministers of Church AffairsKirkjumálaráđherrar
1917 - 1932 The Ministers of Justice s.a.
1932 - 1934 Ţorsteinn Briem 1885 - 1949
1934 - 1942 The Ministers of Justice s.a.
1942 Magnús Jónsson 1880 - 1955
1942 - 1944 Björn Ţórđarson, also Minister of Justice
in 1944
1944 - 1947 Emil Jónsson 1902 - 1986
Bishops of Iceland
1846 - 1866 Helgi Guđmundsson Thordersen 1794 - 1867
1866 - 1889 Pétur Pétursson 1808 - 1891
1889 - 1908 Hallgrímur Sveinsson 1841 - 1909
1908 - 1916 Ţórhallur Bjarnason
1917 - 1939 Jón Helgason 1866 - 1942
1939 - 1953 Sigurgeir Sigurđsson
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