Victoria Boline Frederikke Jensen (1847–1930) was a Danish
deaconess
The ministry of a deaconess is a ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a liturgical role. The word comes from the Greek ...
and nursing supervisor. From 1914, she headed the Danish Deaconess Institute, succeeding
Sophie Zahrtmann
Mette Sophie Zahrtmann (1841–1925) was a Danish deaconess and nurse. Zahrtmann became Sister Superior of the Danish Deaconess Institute in Copenhagen after the death of its founder Louise Conring in 1891. She is remembered for expanding the deaco ...
. She was also the driving force behind the establishment of a hospital in India by the Foreign Christian Missionary Society, known in Denmark as ''Ydre Mission''.
Biography
Born on 16 January 1847 in Copenhagen, Jensen was the daughter of Peter Jensen, a porcelain merchant, and his wife Kristine Marie Hansen. She grew up with her four siblings in the
Nørrebro
Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current N ...
district of Copenhagen. While still young, she was influenced by Rudolph Frimodt (1828–1879) who headed Copenhagen's Inner Mission. After working for a few years as a housekeeper in
Holbæk
Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Frederiksberg Hospital where she remained for 38 years. In 1877, she was installed as a deaconess. She lived at the Deaconess Institute for the rest of her life.
Jensen, who oversaw important changes at Frederiksberg Hospital, was instrumental in organizing systematic nurses' training there. As the establishment grew from a small hospital with just 50 patients to accommodate as many as 700, she introduced separate departments for medicine, surgery and mental illness. Thanks to her training initiatives, she received honorary membership of the Danish Nurses' Organization. In 1912,
Charlotte Munck
Charlotte Munck (born 2 December 1969) is a Danish actress.
She is notable for starring in the Danish police television drama '' Anna Pihl'' as the title character, which was aired on TV2.
She was born in Aarhus and raised in Ørsted Djursla ...
, who headed the organization, wrote of Jensen's "wise and skillful management" at Frediksberg Hospital.
When Sophie Zahrtmann retired as head of the Deaconess Institute in 1914, Jensen was invited to take her place. Owing to her age (now 67) and an arthritic condition, she agreed to take up the post but only for a period of five years. With the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the institute's budgetary problems, it proved a difficult time. She did nevertheless design a training program for young nurses at the institute, fully in accordance with the requirements of the nurses' organization.
Jensen also participated in other organizations, especially the Ydre Mission, where she was the driving force behind the establishment of a hospital in India around the turn of the century. From 1904, she was also an active member of the newly established ''Kristelig Forening for Sygeplejersker'' (Christian Association for Nurses). On her retirement in 1919, Jensen was awarded the Danish Medal of Merit.
Victoria Jensen died on 28 May 1930 in
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...
and is buried in
Solbjerg Park Cemetery
Solbjerg Park Cemetery () Is a 19-hectare cemetery in Frederiksberg in the western outskirts of inner Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1865, it is one of three cemeteries in Frederiksberg Municipality
Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality ( D ...