Kanslergade

Facts

Birthplace of the welfare state

By Jacob Bjerring-Hansen, Direktør for Bornholms Museum (12 stories)

Kanslergade would never have been mentioned in the history books if it hadn't been for number 10. The building has now been torn down. But No. 10 was once the home of Social Democratic Prime Minister Stauning during the years when Danish society and democracy were seriously put to the test. On the night of 30 January 1933, the conclusive negotiations for the greatest compromise in the history of Denmark took place at this address. The Kanslergade compromise brought reforms that introduced the first version of old age pension and industrial accident insurance. The price for this included a one-year ban on strikes, and devaluation of the Danish currency. The initiatives were to take Denmark out of the depression.

Partly a public place

Selected entry

One for the road

Story written by Jacob Bjerring-Hansen

Time / Periode 1933

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Decades after the Kanslergade compromise, Stauning's long-term companion, Augusta Erichsen, brought an insignificant decanter to the then Minister of Education, Knud Børge Andersen. Augusta explained that the Kanslergade compromise came close to disaster. The negotiations between the Social Democratic government and the Liberal Party almost ran aground several times. Finally, during the early hours of the morning, the participants were ready to leave. Wishing to offer them one for the road, Stauning asked Augusta to fetch a decanter of whisky from the cellar. Some hours and several glasses of whisky later, the compromise was finalised. The cornerstone of the welfare state and the principle of broad cooperative democracy had been put in place. The decanter is now on display at the Workers Museum.