Claus Toksvig Explained

Claus Toksvig
Birthname:	Claus Bertel Toksvig
Birth Date:	21 October 1929
Birth Place:	Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation:	Broadcaster, journalist, politician
Spouse:	Julie Anne Toksvig (née Brett)
Children:	3, including Sandi Toksvig
Relatives:	Signe Toksvig (aunt)
Years Active:	1951–1988

Claus Bertel Toksvig (21 October 1929 – 5 November 1988)^[1] was a Danish broadcaster, journalist and politician who, as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's first permanent foreign correspondent, is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest figures in Danish broadcasting history.

In later life he turned his attention to politics. In 1984, he was elected as a member of the European Parliament and served briefly as one of the European Parliament's fourteen Vice-Presidents.

Journalism and broadcasting

Commencing with five years spent working on the BBC World Service's Danish-language broadcasts, in London, Toksvig held numerous appointments in journalism and broadcasting.

He was part of the original team of reporters on TV Avisen, the first daily evening television news programme broadcast by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) in 1965;^{[2] [3]} and in 1967 he was posted to New York City as DR's first ever permanent foreign correspondent.^[4]

After fifteen years of continuous service as a foreign correspondent, in New York and London; he resigned his position with DR in a dispute over working conditions and their intention to rotate him out of his posting to London, where his family were settled and he had established a permanent home.

As a broadcaster, he is probably most popularly remembered as the man providing the live Danish commentary on the Apollo 11 mission and Neil Armstrong's first Moon walk.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

• 1951–1956: Production assistant with the BBC World Service's Danish-language broadcasts, in London.
• 1956–1958: Reporter for the Federal Broadcasting Corporation, in the then Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
• 1958–1967: Reporter and anchor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) news and current affairs programming, in Copenhagen.
• 1967–1974: Posted to New York City as DR's first ever permanent foreign correspondent. – a period during which he is remembered for covering such events as the Apollo 11 mission, the Watergate scandal, the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, as well as notable periods of the Vietnam War.
• 1974–1977: Eurovision Song Contest commentator for DR.
• 1974–1982: London correspondent for DR.
• 1982: Resigned his position with DR.

Politics

In 1984, Claus Toksvig stood as a Conservative People's Party candidate for the European Parliament and was elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) by one of the largest popular votes ever achieved by a Danish politician.^[9]

He served three successive terms as the Vice-Chairman of the European Democrats (ED) grouping within the parliament, was for a short time one of the fourteen Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, chaired the EU delegation for relations with Norway and served as a member on the European Parliament's standing committees on: Institutional Affairs; Political Affairs; and Energy, Research and Technology. In 1987 he stood for the chairmanship of the ED group, but was defeated by Christopher Prout.^[10]

Claus Toksvig died before the completion of his first term as an MEP.

Personal life

Claus Toksvig was born in Copenhagen in 1929 and was the second child of Harald Toksvig, a well-known editor and illustrator, and Karen Frederikke Clauson-Kaas.

In 1954, whilst working for the BBC World Service in London, Toksvig married Julie Anne Brett and together they had three children: Nick Toksvig (a bureau chief and senior news editor for Al Jazeera English), Sandi Toksvig (a comedian, author and broadcaster) and Jenifer Toksvig (an author, lyricist and playwright).

Toksvig died on 5 November 1988 and was buried at the Nørup cemetery, in the Vejle municipality of Jutland.

Bibliography

• Slutspil i Afrika (English: Endgame in Africa), Claus Toksvig, C. Erichsen 1961,
• TV-reporter (English: TV reporter), Claus Toksvig, C. Erichsen 1963,
• Den redigerede virkelighed – en reporters beretning om det amerikanske praesidentvalg 1972 (English: The edited reality – one reporter's account of the U.S. presidential election 1972), Claus Toksvig, Forum 1972,

Filmography

Claus Toksvig appeared as himself (and as the narrator) in both the English-language and Danish-language versions of the 1961 Danish-American co-production of Reptilicus; which, as the country's first and only giant monster film, has a large cult following in Denmark.

External links

• • Claus Toksvig at the Danish Film Institute (Det Danske Filminstitut)
• Claus Toksvig at the European Parliament
• Claus Toksvig at Gravsted (a Danish index of the final resting places of famous Danes), which includes a picture of his grave at Nørup Cemetery in Jutland. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
• Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) archive audio clip of Claus Toksvig providing the live Danish commentary on Neil Armstrong exiting the Apollo Lunar Module and setting foot on the Moon on 21 July 1969 (the recording lasts 8 minutes and 46 seconds – the celebrated "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", which Toksvig does not translate, is heard at 6 minutes 37 seconds). Retrieved 26 May 2010.
• Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) archive audio clip of Claus Toksvig providing the live Danish commentary to the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer, on 29 July 1981. Retrieved 26 May 2010.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gravsted: Claus Bertel Toksvig . Danish . 26 May 2010.
2. TV AVISEN 40 år 1965–2005 (English: 40 years of television news 1965–2005 . Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) . 2005 . Danish . 21 June 2010.
3. News: Stenstrup . Brita . Fest for 40 års TV-Aviser (English: Party for 40-year-old television news) . . Copenhagen . Danish . 14 October 2010 . 22 June 2010.
4. News: Bronte . Bromhøj . Sandi Toksvig – comedienne with a twist of faith . June 2009 . Scan Magazine, issue 9 . 10–11 . 22 June 2010.
5. News: Kerr . Alison . Sandi Toksvig interview: The history woman . The Scotsman . Edinburgh . 29 November 2008 . 22 June 2010.
6. News: Berndt . Thomas . Verdenshistoriens største lille skridt (English: The largest small step in the history of the world) . . Copenhagen . 20 July 2009 . Danish . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110607042116/http://politiken.dk/videnskab/article753550.ece . 7 June 2011 . dead .
7. Claus Toksvig's Danish commentary on Neil Armstrong exiting the Apollo Lunar Module and setting foot on the moon . archive television audio . Danish Broadcasting Corporation . Denmark . Danish . 1969 .
8. News: Lars Henrik . Aagaard . Fod på Månen i 35 år (English: Foot on the moon, 35 years later) . 21 July 2004 . Berlingske Tidende. Copenhagen . 22 June 2010 . Danish.
9. Web site: Claus Toksvig's MEP profile . 21 June 2010.
10. News: Lord Kingsland. 14 July 2009. The Daily Telegraph. 10 August 2009.