The Landsting was a house of the Rigsdag

Rigsdag

Rigsdagen was the name of the Parliament of Denmark from 1849 to 1953.Rigsdagen was Denmark's first parliament, and it was incorporated in the Constitution of 1849. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of two houses, the Folketing and the Landsting. The distinction between the two houses was...

 in Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished. The house had powers equal to the Folketing

Folketing

The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....

, which made the two houses of parliament hard to distinguish.

Originally membership and the electorate was restricted, and the members were largely conservatives

Conservatism

Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...

. Membership of the house was then restricted to certain sectors of society

Society

A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...

: only males with a certain net worth could hold a seat. In 1915, these restrictions were removed, and a few new members were appointed by the existing members.

History

Under the Constitution of 1849

Constitution of Denmark

The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...

, the requirements for the right to vote was the same for the two houses, however the requirements for electability was stricter for the Landsting; candidates were limited to those of age 40 and above and they were required to have a substantial income. The house originally had 51 members, all elected indirectly. The voters elected a group of electors for each constituency, and the electors elected the members of the house. The members were elected for a term of eight years; however, half of the seats were up for election every four years.

With the Constitution of 1866, the electoral system was reformed. The number of seats was increased to 66 of which twelve were appointed by the king for a period of twelve years, and one by the Faroese

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

 Løgting

Løgting

Løgting is the unicameral parliament of the Faroe Islands, a self-ruling dependency of Denmark.The name literally means "Law Thing" - that is, a law assembly - and derives from Old Norse lǫgþing, which was a name given to ancient assemblies. A ting or Þing has existed on the Faroe Islands for over...

. The remaining 53 were elected indirectly. In Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, half the electors were elected by the voters paying the largest amount of tax, the other half by all the voters. In the rest of the country, one elector was elected by the voters in each parish in the country and half as many electors were elected in the market town

Market town

Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

 by the same system as in Copenhagen. Then for each elector elected in the country parishes and the market towns, one elector was found among those that paid the greatest amount of tax in the country parishes. As the main direct tax of the time was based on real estate and its value as farmland, this system greatly favored manor owners. The result was a conservative majority lasting 35 years, until the 1902 election

Danish Landsting election, 1902

The Danish Landsting election of 1902 was held on 19 September 1902, with the exception that the Faroese candidate was elected on 6 August.Of the twelve constituencies the seats representing constituencies number 3 , number 5 , number 6 , number 8 The Danish Landsting election...

.

The next reform of the electoral system came with the Constitution of 1915, and the first election under this system was the 1918 election

Danish Landsting election, 1918

The Danish Landsting election of 1918 was held on 11 May 1918, with the exceptions that the seats elected by the resigning parliament were elected on 20 March 1918, the Faroese member was elected on 13 May, and the electors that elected the candidates standing in the constituencies were elected on...

. Women were given the right to vote, the number of seats was increased to 72, the number of constituencies was reduced to seven, and the system of appointed members was replaced by 18 members elected by the resigning Landsting for a period of eight years.

Although a 1939 referendum

Danish constitutional referendum, 1939

A constitutional referendum was held in Denmark on 23 May 1939. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution. Although it was approved by 91.9% of those who voted, a turnout of only 48.9% meant that the percentage of eligible voters approving it was only 44.46%, below the 45%...

 that would have replaced the Landsting with another chamber—the Rigsting—and simplified the legislative process, failed due to a low voter turnout, the bicameral system and thereby the Landsting was abolished in a 1953 referendum

Danish constitutional and electoral age referendum, 1953

A constitutional and electoral age referendum as held in Denmark on 28 May 1953. Both proposals were approved by voters, leading to both a new constitution taking effect on 5 June, and the electoral age being lowered from 25 to 23 years, also starting on 5 June...

.

Etymology and earlier use

Ting (old Norse: þing

Thing (assembly)

A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...

) means assembly

Deliberative assembly

A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...

. It first came into being during Viking

Viking

The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...

 times and was formed by the freemen

Citizenship

Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...

 of the community. In those times it numbered a hundred men. Tings were necessary in the clan society of Northern Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

. Inter-clan wars were resolved or prevented through the governance of the ting. It also served as the place for religious

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 rites and trade

Trade

Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...

 negotiations.

List of speakers

Name	From	To	Party
Peter Daniel Bruun Peter Daniel Bruun Peter Daniel Bruun was a Danish politician and supreme court lawyer and the first speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...	30 January 1850	July 1862	National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Denmark) The National Liberal Party , was a Danish political party or political movement from the 1830s until about 1880.Often considered "the first Danish political party" the National Liberals were gradually founded as the opposition against the Danish absolute monarchy...
Mads Pagh Bruun Mads Pagh Bruun Mads Pagh Bruun was a Danish politician and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...	4 October 1862	23 June 1866	National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Denmark) The National Liberal Party , was a Danish political party or political movement from the 1830s until about 1880.Often considered "the first Danish political party" the National Liberals were gradually founded as the opposition against the Danish absolute monarchy...
Andreas Frederik Krieger Andreas Frederik Krieger Andreas Frederik Krieger was a Danish politician, government minister, professor of law and supreme court judge...	9 July 1866	11 November 1866	National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Denmark) The National Liberal Party , was a Danish political party or political movement from the 1830s until about 1880.Often considered "the first Danish political party" the National Liberals were gradually founded as the opposition against the Danish absolute monarchy...
Mads Pagh Bruun Mads Pagh Bruun Mads Pagh Bruun was a Danish politician and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...	12 November 1866	4 October 1869	National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Denmark) The National Liberal Party , was a Danish political party or political movement from the 1830s until about 1880.Often considered "the first Danish political party" the National Liberals were gradually founded as the opposition against the Danish absolute monarchy...
Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe was a Danish politician representing first the National Liberal Party and later the conservative Højre, lawyer and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...	5 October 1869	30 September 1894	Højre Højre Højre was the name of two Danish political parties of Conservative persuasion.The first Højre party existed from 1848 to 1866....
Henning Matzen Henning Matzen Henning Matzen was a Danish politician, jurist and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...	1 October 1894	5 October 1902	Højre Højre Højre was the name of two Danish political parties of Conservative persuasion.The first Højre party existed from 1848 to 1866....
Hans Nicolai Hansen Hans Nicolai Hansen Hans Nicolai Hansen was a Danish politician, lawyer and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament....	6 October 1902	6 October 1907	Frikonservative
Hans Christian Steffensen Hans Christian Steffensen Hans Christian Steffensen was a Danish politician, jurist and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament....	7 October 1907	3 October 1909	Frikonservative
Christian Sonne Christian Sonne Ole Christian Saxtorph Sonne was a Danish government minister and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament....	4 October 1909	2 October 1910	Frikonservative
Carl Goos	3 October 1910	20 July 1914	Højre Højre Højre was the name of two Danish political parties of Conservative persuasion.The first Højre party existed from 1848 to 1866....
Anders Thomsen	21 July 1914	12 July 1920	Venstre Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
Frits Bülow	19 August 1920	2 October 1922	Venstre Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
Ole Hansen Ole Hansen Ole Hansen was a Danish politician, farmer and Minister for Agriculture in the Cabinet of Deuntzer and the Cabinet of J.C. Christensen I as a member of the Venstre Reform Party.He was the first farmer to become a Danish minister....	3 October 1922	26 June 1928	Venstre Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
Jørgen Jensen-Klejs	3 October 1928	6 October 1928	Venstre Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
Carl Theodor Zahle Carl Theodor Zahle Carl Theodor Zahle , Danish lawyer and politician; prime minister of Denmark 1909-1910, 1913-1920. In 1895 he was elected member of the lower chamber of the Danish parliament, Folketinget, for Venstrereformpartiet...	7 October 1936	2 October 1939	Det Radikale Venstre Det Radikale Venstre The Danish Social Liberal Party is a social liberal political party in Denmark. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Origin:...
C. F. Sørensen	3 October 1939	30 September 1940	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
Charles Petersen Charles Petersen Charles Theodor Petersen was a Danish boxer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.He was born in Copenhagen and died in Roskilde....	1 October 1940	31 December 1947	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
Karl Kristian Steincke	7 January 1948	15 March 1950	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
Ingeborg Hansen	1950	1951	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
Karl Kristian Steincke	1951	1952	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
Ingeborg Hansen	1952	1953	Social Democratic Party Social Democrats (Denmark) The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
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