Jens Otto Krag

Krag was born on 15 September 1914 in Randers, Jutland, into the impoverished family of a tobacconist. Krag attended the local gymnasium, and as a teenager, he joined the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark, the youth wing of Social Democratic Party. In 1933, Krag began studying economics at the University of Copenhagen. During this period, he emerged as an active journalist and teacher in the labour movement, and became acquainted with the leadership of the Social Democrats and the trade unions. Following the Nazi invasion of Denmark, Krag received his degree in 1940. During the Nazi occupation, Krag worked as a civil servant in a Danish government agency and became a leading economic advisor to the labour movement, as well as a protégé of prominent social democrat and future prime minister Hans Hedtoft. == Political career ==

In 1944, Krag began his political career as the secretary of a program committee set up by the Social Democratic Party, as it prepared itself for politics in the post-war period. He received the position, and was in America until 1953 when he was re-elected to parliament and became a minister without portfolio. He was minister of the new department of foreign economic affairs from 1953 until 1958 and Foreign Minister from 1958 until 1962. Prime minister In September 1962 he succeeded Viggo Kampmann as prime minister and leader of the Danish Social Democratic Party. He was prime minister until February 1968 when the Social Democrats lost power. He became prime minister again in 1971 when his party returned to power. Less than a year into his first term as prime minister, the opposition held a referendum which rejected a set of land laws already passed by Krag's government. During his second term as prime minister, Krag campaigned particularly for European cooperation and unity. while A law passed in June 1972 introduced a new scheme for daily cash benefits in cases of sickness and maternity. In 1964, a supplementary pension scheme was established, together with universal child allowances in 1967. == Personal life ==

Krag had a difficult personal life. He married two times, with two marriages ending in divorce, largely due to his own infidelity. In 1950, he married his first wife, Swedish actress Birgit Tengroth. They officially divorced in 1952 after two years marriage; the couple had no children. Seven years later, he was married his second wife, Danish actress Helle Virkner (1925–2009) from 1959 until their divorce in 1973. The couple had two children, Jens Christian (son) (born 1960) and Astrid Helene "Søsser" (daughter) (1962–2014), as well as another child outside of wedlock (Peter Hansted). During his time in politics, Krag struggled with alcoholism, an addiction that became more pronounced after his retirement. Krag was an atheist. == Death and legacy ==

Krag died of congestive heart failure at his home in Skiveren, Ålbæk, Denmark, at the age of 63. In Denmark, Krag is widely recognized as one of the greatest Danish politicians of all time. He had always dreamed of holding the position of governor of the National Bank of Denmark. Only when he had definitively quit politics in 1972 did he realise that he would not be able to achieve this goal. In the Danish TV series Krøniken (2004–2006), he was portrayed by the actor Lars Mikkelsen. ==References==