Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Danish Female Leaders in the City Government of Copenhagen - København

The Borgerepræsentation (City Council)
As the only city Copenhagen has a system with one Head Mayor and Mayors in charge of different Departements. Until 1998 the City Council, Borgerrepræsentationen, had its own Chairperson. From then on, the Head Mayor (Overborgmesteren) is Chairperson with two Deputy Chairs.

1913-21 and 1922-25 Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Alvilda Harbou Hoff
1925-29 Rådmand (Councillor/Deputy Mayor) of the 4th Department (Housing, Roads, Health)
Medical Doctor and Member of the City Council for the Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre) 1909-29, and lived (1862-1951).

1929-33 2. Vice-chairman of the City Council Karen Braae
Member of BR 1925-35 for the Social Liberals, 1935-52 Chairperson of Statens Husholdningsråd, (The National Advisory Council of Housekeeping), which was mainly in charge of consumer affairs. She lived (1882-1962).

1950-54 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Nina Andersen

1976-81 Chairperson of the City Council Gerda Louw Larsen
Active in the Social Democratic Party and member of the City Council 1970-92. Daughter of Julius Petersen and Ragnhild Louw and married to Kurt Lehd Larsen. (b. 1929-).

1982-86 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Agnete Laustsen
Minister of Health 1987-88 and 1988-90 Minister of Housing

1986-90 1. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Kirsten Petersen
Member of the Borgerrepræsentation for the Radikale Venstre (Social Liberals).

1986-89 4. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Birgit Berg

1989-94 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Bodil Jensen
1994-97 Chairperson of the City Council
She was Member of the Borgerrepræsentation (City Council) 1978-97 and (b. 1933-).

1994-98 1. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Jytte Iuel

1994-98 3. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Pastor Tove Fergo
From 2001 Minister of Church Affairs.

1998-2005 1. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Hellen Hedeman
2003  Acting Chairperson of the City Council (January-March)
2004 Acting Chief Mayor (25.10-27.10)
Member of the Socialist People's Party, she was acting during the absence of leave of the Overborgmester, who is also Chairman of the City Council according to the changes in the working of the City Council in 1998. Privously the Council had a seperate chairperson. In 2004 the Overborgmester resigned and she was acting until a replacement had been selected by the Social Democrats.

1998-2005 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Bente Frost
She was Mayor of City Planning and Transport  1994-98.

2006-09 1. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Mona Heiberg
Former Group Chairperson of the Social Democrat Group in the City Council and Chairperson of the Union of Hospitals of Copenhagen since 2005. Married to former MP Lars Kramer Mikkelsen. (b. 1948-).

2014- 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council Rikke Lauritzen
Member of the Council for the Unity List, Enhedslisten.

Mayors of Departments in Copenhagen (Borgermestre i København)
The Lord Mayor and Mayors of Departments or Aldermen administer various parts of the local administration.

1922-24 Councillor in the 4th Department Avilda Harbou Hoff
Vice-Chairperson of the Borgerrepræsentation 1913-21. She was in charge of Roads, Housing and Health and her Danish title was Boligrådmand.  (Rådmand i 4. Afdeling). She was member of the City Council 1909-25 for the Radikale Venstre (Social Liberals), a medical doctor and lived (1862-1951). 

1938-44 Councillor of Social Affairs Thea Tønder
In Danish her title was Rådmand i Magistratens 2. Afdeling (Sundhedsrådmand). Member of the City Council 1937-38 for the Social Democrats. She lived (1880-1944)

1942-62 Councillor of Social Affairs Edel Saunte
1962 Councillor of Trafic and Tramways
1962-74 Mayor of Hospitals
In Danish her titles were Rådmand i Magistratens 3. Afdeling (Socialrådmand), Rådmand i Magistratens 5. Afdeling (Sporvognsrådmand) and Borgmester i Magistratens 2. Afdeling (Hospitalsborgmester). Member of the City Council for the Social Democrats. She lived (1904-91).

1944-46 Councillor of Hospitals Helga Larsen
Hospitalsrådmand. Also Member of the Parliament and Member of the City Council 1913-44 for the Social Democrats. She lived (1884-1947).

1960-62 Councillor of Social Affairs Oda M. Andersen
Rådmand i Magistratens 3. Afdeling (Socialrådmand). Member of the City Council 1943-66 for the Conservative People's Party and also sometime member of the Parliament. She lived (1901-96).

1970-78 Mayor of Tramways, Energy, Transport and Artisans Lilly Lolk Helveg Petersen
Borgmester for Magistratens 5. Afdeling (Sporvejsborgmester - Borgmester for Sporvogne, Energi, Transport og Håndværk) Her husband was Minister of Education and her son, Niels Helveg Petersen, has held a number of Ministerial Posts. She lived (1911-2005).

1970-78 Councillor of Schools Elna Kirstine Jørgensen
Rådmand i Magistratens 1. Afdeling (Skolerådmand). Social Democrat.

1982-98 Mayor of Energy, Environment and Food Safety Charlotte Ammundsen
Borgmester for Magistratens 5. afdeling (Miljøborgmester). Member of Socialist People's Party, and lived (1947-2003).

1986-89 Mayor of City Planning and Transport Gunna Starck
Borgmester for Magistratens 4. Afdeling (Byplans- og trafikborgmester)

1989-98 Mayor of Social Affairs Winnie Larsen-Jensen
1998-2002 Mayor for Family and Labour Market 
Socialborgmester and Familie- og Arbejdsmarkedsborgmester. Member of the Social Democrats. (b. 1954-).

1994-98 Mayor of City Planning and Transport Bente Frost
1998-2006 2. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council
Byplans- og trafikborgmester. Member of Venstre, the Liberal Party.

2002-06 Mayor of Health and Care Inger Marie Bruun-Vierø
Sundheds- og omsorgsborgmester. Member of the City Council for the Social Liberals, Radikale Venstre 1990-2005. (b. 1942-).

2002-06 Mayor of Environment and Supply Winnie Berndtson
2003 Acting Lord Mayor (January-March)
Miljø- og forsyningsborgmester. She was acting during the absence of leave of the Overborgmester. 2004 she was candidate for the post of Chief Mayor's candidate in the Social Democrat-primary, but finished fourth, and a few days later she also lost the vote in the Social Democrat Council Group on who was to hold the office of Chief Mayor until the elections in November 2005, later she was again candidate for a Mayorship in the Party's internal elections but as she lost, and when she did not get a post in the Committee she wanted, she left the party and joined the right-wing group of parties. (b. 1964-).

2004 Acting Lord Mayor Hellen Hedeman (25.10-27.10)
Member of the Socialist People's Party, she has been 1. Vice-Chairperson of the City Council 1998 and was Acting Council Chair January-March 2003 during the absence of leave of the Overborgmester, who is also Chairman of the City Council according to the changes in the working of the City Council in 1998. Privously the Council had a seperate chairperson. In 2004 the Overborgmester resigned and she was acting until a replacement had been elected by the Social Democrats.

2006-09 Lord Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard
Overborgmester. Former Social Democrat MP, Minister and EU-Commissioner (b. 1941-)

2008-14 Mayor of Culture and Leasure Pia Allerslev
2014- Mayor of Children and Youth
Kultur-og Fritidsborgmester and Børne- og ungdomsborgmester. Group Chairperson of Venstre in the City Council 2001-07. (b. 1972-).

2010-13 Mayor of Children and Youth Anne Vang
Børne- og Ungdomsborgmester. Political Spokesperson of the Social Democrats 2005-09 and resigned just before the elections to take up a job in the private sector. (b. 1983-).

2010- Mayor of Health and Care Nina Thomsen
Sundheds- og omsorgsborgmester. Chairperson of the City Council Group of Socialist People's Party 2005-09 and local Leader of the Party from 2011. (b. 1976-)

2011- Mayor of Employment and Integration Anna Allerslev
Beskæftigelses- og Integrationsborgmester. Social Liberal member of the City Council from 2010. (b. 1985-).

2011-14 Mayor of Technical and Environment Administration Ayfer Baykal
Teknik- og Miljøborgmester. Social People's Party member of the City Council from 2011. (b. 1976-)

Last updates 05.01.14