Surgeon general (Denmark)

The Surgeon General (Danish: Generallæge, lit. 'General doctor') is the highest-ranking medical officer of the Danish Defence. Until 2023, the role of administrative leadership of the Armed Forces Medical Command was also Surgeon General.

Surgeon General
Generallæge (Danish)
Incumbent Susanne Bach Lausten since 28 April 2023
Armed Forces Medical Command
Type	Surgeon general
Formation	21 April 1806; 219 years ago (21 April 1806)
First holder	Nicolaus Tønder [da]

History

Until the beginning of the 19th century, the chief surgeon of the army was a temporary position established only in times of conflict. However, there was an increased wish to have a permanent position to plan, supervise and be available to the higher command authorities. As such the Stabskirurg (transl. Staff surgeon) was established on 21 April 1806, with the rank of major.^[1]

In 1838, the title was changed to the Stabslæge (transl. Staff doctor), which was elevated to colonel in 1848.^[2] The position was however demoted back to major by 1852.^[3] The rank was re-elevated to colonel on 3 January 1861.^[4]

Following the Army law of 1867, the army and navy staff doctors were collected into a unified corps.^[5] The unified corps was spilt again in 1880, as it was decided that the naval medical corps be disbanded.^[6]

On 13 April 1894, the rank was elevated to major general.^[7]

On 1 November 1951, the Army Medical Corps (Hærens Lægekorps) and the Naval Medical Corps (Marinens Lægekorps) were collected into the joint Defence Medical Corps (Forsvarets Lægekorps), which also included the newly formed air force. Following the adoption of the brigade general rank in 1983, the position was made a brigade general.

By 1991, the name was changed to Defence Health Service (Forsvarets Sundhedstjeneste). This merged with the (Forsvarets Sanitetsskole) in 2002.^[8]

In 2018, the name was changed to Medical Command (Forsvarets Sanitetskommando).

With increased responsibility of the Forsvarets Sanitetskommando, the leadership role was split in two, in April 2023. One administrator and one healthcare advisor.^[9]

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Army staff surgeon (Stabskirurg ved Landetaten)
1		Nicolaus Tønder [da] (1764–1832)	21 April 1806	5 January 1832 †	25 years, 259 days	[10][11]
2		Johann Christian Wilhelm Wendt (1778–1838)	5 February 1832	4 March 1838 †	6 years, 27 days	[10]
Army staff physician (Stabslæge for Hæren)
3		Johan Conrad Müller (1789–1869)	10 March 1838	28 September 1863	25 years, 208 days	[12]
4		Michael Djørup (1803–1876)	28 September 1863	1867	3–4 years	[13]
Staff Physician and Chief of the Joint Army and Navy Medical Corps (Stabslæge og Chef for det for Hæren og Flaaden fælles Lægekorps)
4		Michael Djørup (1803–1876)	1867	13 August 1873	5–6 years	[13]
5		Nota Salomon (1823–1885)	31 August 1873	1 November 1880	7 years, 62 days	[14][6]
Army staff physician (Stabslæge for Hæren)
5		Oberst Nota Salomon (1823–1885)	1 November 1880	20 March 1885 †	4 years, 139 days	[14][15]
6		Generalmajor Johan Christian Møller (1835–1902)	20 March 1885	25 April 1902 †	17 years, 36 days	[15][16]
7		Generalmajor Hieronymus Laub (1838–1910)	25 April 1902	1908	5–6 years	[17][16]
8		Generalmajor Johan Frederik Hempel (1848–1911)	1908	8 March 1911 †	2–3 years	[18]
9		Generalmajor Frederik Ferdinand Biering (1849–1918)	8 March 1911	1916	4–5 years	[16]
10		Generalmajor Johan Ammentorp (1860–1931)	1916	1930	13–14 years	[19]
11		Generalmajor Johan Peter Skot-Hansen (1870–1935)	1930	29 October 1935 †	4–5 years	[20]
12		Generalmajor Emanuel Andreas Gottfred Saugmann (1878–1962)	October 1935	c. 1948	12–13 years
13		Generalmajor Carl Rudolph Hakon Fasting-Hansen (1893–1981)	c. 1949	1963	13–14 years
14		Generalmajor Mogens Winge (?–?)	December 1963	December 1972	9 years	[21][22]
15		Generalmajor Svend Trier (1923–2020)	1973	1988	14–15 years	[23][24]
16		Brigadegeneral Knud Jessen (1938–2014)	1988	1 April 1998	9–10 years	[25]
17		Brigadegeneral Hans-Michael Jelsdorf (1946–)	1 April 1998	2006	7–8 years
18		Brigadegeneral Erik Michael Darre (born 1953)	2006	2013	6–7 years
19		Brigadegeneral Søren Worm-Petersen (–)	2013	28 April 2017	3–4 years	[26]
20		Brigadegeneral Sten Hulgaard (–)	28 April 2017	28 April 2023	6 years, 0 days	[26]
21		Brigadegeneral Susanne Bach Lausten (born 1961)	28 April 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 129 days	[9]