Aksel Møller (1906–1958) was a leading Danish politician known for his contributions to the conservative thought in Denmark after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He served as the minister of interior from 1950 to 1953 and as the parliament speaker of the Conservative People's Party from 1955 to 1958. He was also a member of the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

between 1939 and 1958.

Early life and education

Møller was born in Asminderød,

Fredensborg Fredensborg () is a railway town located in Fredensborg Municipality, North Zealand, some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is most known for Fredensborg Palace, one of the official residences of the Danish royal family. As of 1 Janua ...

, in January 1906. He hailed from a conservative family. Poul Møller was his brother. Aksel Møller started his political career in the late 1920s when he joined the Conservative Students and Young Conservatives (KU) groups. He edited the KU publications and also, a journal entitled ''Vor Tid''. Møller received a master's degree in political science in 1933.

Career and activities

Møller became a member of the Frederiksberg city council in 1937 and was one of the figures which made Frederiksberg a conservative area. He was first elected to the Parliament for the Conservative People's Party in April 1939 and served there until his death in 1958. He was also a member of the Church Committee which had been established in 1920. Møller founded an organization named the Danish Youth Association during the

occupation of Denmark At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself Neutral countries in World War II, neutral, but that neutrality did not prevent Nazi Germany from Military occupation, occupying the country soon after the outbreak of ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. The association was a supporter of the occupying forces until 1943, and he was briefly arrested by the Nazis the same year. Møller was elected as the mayor of Frederiksberg in 1948 and remained in office until 1950. He was the minister of interior and housing in the cabinet led by

Erik Eriksen Erik Eriksen (20 November 1902 – 7 October 1972) was a Danish politician, who served as the prime minister of Denmark from 1950 to 1953 and as the president of the Nordic Council in 1956. Eriksen was leader of the Danish Liberal party '' Ve ...

between 30 October 1950 and 30 September 1953. Møller was again elected as the mayor of Frederiksberg in 1954, and his tenure ended in 1958. He also became the chairman of the Conservative People's Party's parliamentary group in 1955 which he held until 1958.

Views

Møller was among the ideologists of the Conservative People's Party. His approach was known as

national conservatism National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conserv ...

in the 1930s which opposed both socialism and liberalism. He argued that conservatism was not an ideology in that the latter was a theoretical construct. For him it was middle-classes which could improve and protect the social development. He emphasized the significance of the familial piousness. In the mid-1950s he began to oppose the idea of the

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...

Personal life and death

Møller married Gred Elise Westergren in Malmö on 16 May 1931. He died in Frederiksberg on 20 March 1958 and was buried in

Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård is a cemetery in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark. It was established in 1734 behind Frederiksberg Church. Burials * C.F. Gerner Andersen * Kai Normann Andersen * Peter Andersen (ironmaster), Peter Andersen * Ch ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moller, Aksel 1906 births 1958 deaths Ministers of the interior of Denmark Conservative People's Party (Denmark) politicians 20th-century mayors of places in Denmark Members of the Folketing People from Fredensborg Municipality