Kirsten Lauritzen

Kirsten Lauritzen née Hartvig-Møller (1902–1980) was a Danish philanthropist who is remembered in particular for her efforts to help needy children. They included Finns in the late 1930s, German children after the war (which caused some controversy), Hungarian refugees in 1956 and finally Vietnamese children in 1975. She provided facilities for the elderly, including folk high school courses on the island of Mallorca. Throughout her life, Lauritzen was a strong supporter of the scout movement.

Biography Born on 15 June 1902 in the Copenhagen district of Frederiksberg, Kirsten Hartvig-Møller was the daughter of the high-school headmaster Hans Hartvig-Møller (1873–1953) and his wife Karen Sophie née Steenstrup (1872–1956). In 1927, she married the shipowner with whom she had six children: Grete (1930), Ole (1933), Lise (1936), Marianne (1939), Karen (1942) and Jan (1943). The marriage was dissolved in 1963.

In 1972, Lauritzen was honoured with the Royal Medal of Recompense (gold).