Ditlev Gothard Monrad
| Ditlev Gothard Monrad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Council President of Denmark | |
| In office 31 December 1863 – 11 July 1864 | |
| Monarch | Christian IX |
| Preceded by | Carl Christian Hall |
| Succeeded by | Christian Albrecht Bluhme |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 November 1811 Copenhagen |
| Died | 28 March 1887 (aged 75) Nykøbing Falster |
| Political party | National Liberal Party |
Ditlev Gothard Monrad (24 November 1811 – 28 March 1887) was a Danish politician and bishop of Lolland-Falster.
Monrad was one of the pioneers of the making of a constitutional Denmark after 1848. As Council President 1863-1864 he was the Danish state leader during the early part of Second War of Schleswig against the German Confederation, led by Otto von Bismarck, which resulted in the Peace of Vienna.
After this war, a depressed and disillusioned Monrad emigrated to New Zealand. After sending his sons to Nelson and other districts of New Zealand to scout for land, he chose to settle in Palmerston North in the North Island of New Zealand. He bought 482 acres (1.95 km2) of land at Karere Block. He lived first in a small hut, then later he erected a timber house and started clearing bushland. He and his family farmed cows and sheep. Monrad helped the New Zealand Company to find suitable settlers from Scandinavia and he helped many Danish immigrants to find land to settle on, most notably in the area of Dannevirke.
His work was disturbed by Māori rioters, who were Hauhaus under chief Titokowaru. Monrad buried his belongings and went with the family to Wellington and then went back to Denmark in 1869. His sons Viggo and Johannes later returned to Karere to become farmers.
Before leaving New Zealand he presented a precious collection of sketches and etchings by old European masters, e.g. Rembrandt, Rubens, Dürer and van Dyck, to the New Zealand Government. They are now part of the collection at the national museum of New Zealand - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and are occasionally on display there.
Monrad Intermediate is a Palmerston North intermediate school named after Ditlev Gothard Monrad.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New office |
Kultus Minister of Denmark 22 March 1848 – 15 November 1848 |
Succeeded by Johan Nicolai Madvig |
| Preceded by Carl Christian Hall |
Kultus Minister of Denmark 6 May 1859 – 2 December 1859 |
Succeeded by Vilhem August Borgen |
| Preceded by Vilhem August Borgen |
Kultus Minister of Denmark 24 February 1860 - 31 December 1863 |
Succeeded by Christian Thorning Engelstoft |
| Preceded by Johan Christian von Jessen |
Interior Minister of Denmark 24 February 1860 – 15 September 1861 |
Succeeded by Peter Martin Orla Lehmann |
| Preceded by Carl Christian Hall |
Council President of Denmark 31 December 1863 – 11 July 1864 |
Succeeded by Christian Albrecht Bluhme |
| Preceded by Carl Emil Fenger |
Finance Minister of Denmark 31 December 1863 – 11 July 1864 |
Succeeded by Christian Nathan David |
| Preceded by Carl Christian Hall |
Foreign Minister of Denmark 31 December 1863 – 8 January 1864 |
Succeeded by George Quaade |
| Preceded by Carl Christian Hall |
Minister for Holstein and Lauenburg 31 December 1863 – 11 July 1864 |
Succeeded by Christian Albrecht Bluhme |
Literature
- Johan Schioldann-Nielsen, The life of D.G. Monrad (1811-1887) : manic-depressive disorder and political leadership, Odense University Press, 1988. ISBN 87-7492-668-3.
- G.C. Petersen, D.G. Monrad : Scholar, statesman, priest and New Zealand pioneer and his New Zealand descendants, Kerslake, Billens & Humphrey. 1965.
External links
- 50 Ministers of Education - From the Danish Ministry of Education.
- The Monrad Collection at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- A biography
- Biography in 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
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