Bodil Koch

Bodil Koch (October 25, 1903 – January 7, 1972) was the wife of a prominent professor, a Social Democrat, and a minister. She was married to professor Hal Koch, an advocate of democracy as a continuing deliberation instead of the majority's rights over the minorities. She represented the Social Democrats in the Danish Parliament, Folketinget from 1947 – 1968.

In 1947, she was elected to the Folketing and three years later she became the first female Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs in the world and the third female minister in Denmark. She only held the office for six weeks, as Prime Minister Hans Hedtoft resigned 30 October 1950 over a dispute on the continued rationing of butter.

When the Social Democrats returned to the power in 1953, she again was appointed Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs. She held office until 1966, when she was appointed new Minister of Culture. She held office until Hilmar Baunsgaard in 1968 replaced Jens Otto Krag as prime minister.

Bodil Koch graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a master's degree in theology in 1929, the same year she married Hal Koch. Their fundamental beliefs combined the Evangelical-Lutheran view of Christianity with Socratic humanism. Both had a strong interest in traveling and science and working for the common good. They were the icons of a whole generation after World War II searching for a new set of values. They had five children, and during the 1930s Bodil Koch was a stay-at-home mother and the wife of Hal Koch. They challenged the traditional idea of the nuclear family, and eventually she saw the ideal family as two working adults and a number of children who all participated in cooking and debating.

Bodil Koch's engagement in political affairs took off during World War II with op-eds and articles in Danish newspapers and she gave speeches all over the country. In 1944, she and 8 other prominent women founded the grass root organization Folkevirke (The People's Work or National Commitment). The goal of Folkevirke was to mobilize and educate women about democracy on a local, regional, and national level. Women all over the country, from Copenhagen to rural areas in Jutland were participated in study groups and gave speeches about the problems of the Danish society.

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