Niels Thomasius Neergaard

Born June 27, 1854, in Ugilt; died Sept. 2, 1936, in Copenhagen. Danish statesman, historian, and economist.

Neergaard was a deputy to the Folketing (parliament) from 1887 to 1890 and from 1892 to 1932 and was a leader of the Venstre Party. He served as prime minister from 1908 to 1909 and from 1920 to 1924, minister of finance from 1908 to 1913 (with interruptions) and from 1926 to 1929, and minister of defense from 1908 to 1909. Before World War I, Neergaard was responsible for several progressive social and constitutional reforms. During the 1920’s he pursued a financial and economic policy that served the interests of the big bourgeoisie, primarily the landowners, and introduced heavy taxes. Neergaard’s main historical work is on the history of Denmark from 1848 to 1866.