Harald Petersen

Petersen worked as a journalist at Ringsted Folketidende for two years between 1916 and 1918.^[1] In 1918 he began to work for the Venstre as a parliament correspondence and from 1919 at its press office.^[1] In 1925, Petersen became the secretary of the left-wing parliamentary group and secretary of the left's national organization in 1929 becoming the first to hold this post.^[1] Between July 1940 and July 1941 he was the minister of justice in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning, but he had to resign when during a football match between the Danish and Austrian teams on Denmark's Constitution Day, 5 June, the Danish people attacked German soldiers with rocks and bottles.^[2]

Petersen was elected to Parliament from the Højrupkredsen in 1943 and remained in the office until 1950.^[1] In 1945 he became the deputy chairman of the party's parliamentary group and was a close adviser to Knud Kristensen.^[1] Petersen was appointed minister of defence to the cabinet led by Kristensen.^[3][4] Petersen served in the post until 12 December 1947.^[3][5] He was named the director of the Mortgage Bank [da] in 1948, but was reappointed minister of defence to the cabinet led by Erik Eriksen in 1950 and was in office until 1953.^[3][6] When the government resigned following the elections in September 1953 Petersen returned to the Mortgage Bank as director where he worked until 1964.^[1]

Petersen married twice. He married first Eleonora Vilhelmine Bugge on 24 September 1924.^[1] His wife died in 1948, and Petersen married Ulricha Raun Kristensen on 29 May 1948.^[1]

He died in Hellerup on 16 January 1970.^[1]