[The Danish health service in southern Schleswig -- the first difficult years]

The Danish Health Service in Sydslesvig was started in September 1945 south of the Danish border for the Danish minority because of the need for well organised medical care. It was two brothers from Copenhagen, both doctors, Emil and Martin Vermehren, who took the initiative to start this work. It quite quickly became obvious, that the administration was too extensive for the two doctors so that in 1947 the Danish Medical Director Johs. Frandsen requested Medical Officer of Health Lorenz Lauritzen in Haderslev to reorganize and reconstruct the Health Service.