[Struensee--physician and missjudged social reformer]

Johann Friedrich Struensee was born in 1737 in the German town of Halle where he graduated as doctor of Medicine at the age of 19. In 1757 he was appointed to be town physician in the big Danish town Altona, close to Hamburg. There he had a large medical practice among the poor, but he also succeeded in curing some important persons, which influenced his further career. During his eleven years in Altona he made many friends among the liberal circles and evolved an extensive writing of medical and social publications, where he called for reforms of housing, of hygiene, of fresh air and a sounder living. He organised a delivery clinic for single mothers and took care of the orphans. His opinions met with furious opposition from older doctors, whom he attacked for their greed and ignorance. In 1768 he was appointed to be the danish king Christian VII's physician during the kings visit to England. King Christian was mentally disturbed with fits of violence and confusion, but Struensee succeeded in gaining his confidence and after return to Denmark he was soon to be the absolute ruler of the country during three years. He started an intensive reform period with total freedom of the press, abolished peasant slavery and the death penalty, got rid of nepotism in the civil service, where only real competence should decide. He put an end to the great waste of money for luxury and superfluous staff in the court and in military units in order to improve the heavily indebted Danish economy. His reforms affronted many important persons and he never succeeded in gaining the confidence of the ordinary people, whose benefit he struggled for. By a sudden revolt Struensee's adversaries arrested him and forced the week and frightened king to sign the doctor's death sentence which was carried out April 28 1772 in spite of his noble document of defence.