Poul Hansen

Hans Christian Poul Hansen (27 February 1913 – 13 August 1966), simply known as Poul Hansen, was a Danish politician, who served as Defence Minister of Denmark from 1956 to 1962 and Danish Minister of Finance from 1962 to 1965. He represented the Social Democrats in the Folketinget parliament for 21 years.

Born in Copenhagen, from 1937 to 1942, Hansen served as chairman of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark, and he later worked as a journalist for a Social Democratic newspaper. In 1945, he was elected to the Danish Folketinget parliament. In the subsequent governments of Viggo Kampmann and Jens Otto Krag, Hansen retained this position. On 15 November 1962, Hansen moved from his position as Defence Minister to replace the recently deceased Hans R. Knudsen as Minister of Finance. As Jens Otto Krag did not have a Danish Minister of Economic Affairs ready for his newly elected government on 26 September 1964, Hansen served as interim Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs both for two weeks, until Henry Grünbaum was named permanent Minister of Economic Affairs on 8 October 1964.

Ministerial positions Hansen was named minister in several cabinets from 1956 to 1965: Minister of Defence in the First cabinet of H. C. Hansen from May 25, 1956, to May 28, 1957 Minister of Defence in the Second cabinet of H. C. Hansen from May 28, 1957, to February 21, 1960 Minister of Defence in the First cabinet of Viggo Kampmann from February 21, 1960, to November 18, 1960 Minister of Defence in the Second cabinet of Viggo Kampmann from November 18, 1960, to September 3, 1962 Minister of Defence in the First cabinet of Jens Otto Krag from September 3, 1962, to November 15, 1962 Minister of Finance in the First cabinet of Jens Otto Krag from November 15, 1962, to September 26, 1964 Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs in the Second cabinet of Jens Otto Krag from September 26, 1964, to October 8, 1964 Minister of Finance in the Second cabinet of Jens Otto Krag from October 8, 1964, to August 25, 1965