Axel Axgil
- October 29, 2011
- 96 years
About Axel Axgil
Axel Axgil, 96, Danish gay rights activist.
Explore other notable deaths in 2011 or deaths in October 2011.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Axel Axgil?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Axel Axgil (3 April 1915 – 29 October 2011) and Eigil Axgil (24 April 1922 – 22 September 1995) were Danish gay activists and a longtime couple. They were the first gay couple in the world to enter into a registered partnership following Denmark's legalisation of same-sex partnership registration in 1989, a landmark legislation which they brought about. They adopted the surname, Axgil, a combination of their given names, as an expression of their commitment.
Biography
Axel, born Axel Lundahl-Madsen, and Eigil, born Eigil Eskildsen, inspired by the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, together with friends, founded F-48 or Forbundet af 1948 (The Association of 1948), Denmark's first gay rights organization. By 1951, membership had grown to 1,339 with branches in Sweden and Norway. In 1985, F-48 became the Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians (Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, Forbundet af 1948 or LBL). The couple launched a magazine, Vennen (The Friend).
In 1989, Denmark became the first nation to recognize registered partnerships for same-sex couples, nearly equal to opposite-sex marriage. On 1 October 1989, the Axgils and 10 other Danish couples were married by Tom Ahlberg, deputy mayor of Copenhagen, in the city hall. The Axgils had been a couple for 40 years. In 2013, Axel Axgil was named by Equality Forum as one of 31 icons of the LGBT History Month. LGBT Denmark's annual awards show, Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL, is named after them.
In 2012, it was revealed that in the midst of Germany's occupation of Denmark during World War II, Eigil had enlisted in the Waffen-SS in 1943 and served with them until the end of the war. Eigil Axgil was subsequently prosecuted for his Waffen-SS membership after the war but managed to keep it mostly to himself until Axel Axgil, rather reluctantly, confirmed it in his biography which was released in 2012. The revelation thus sparked turmoil and controversy because of the Axgils' contribution to the Danish LGBT community, and calls were made for LGBT Denmark to strike their surname from the "Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL".
Deaths
Eigil Axgil died on 22 September 1995 at the age of 73. Axel Axgil died on 29 October 2011 at the age of 96.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Articles & News
- "Eigil Axgil, Danish Gay Leader, 71"nytimes.com
- "Axel Axgil: Gay activist who pioneered civil partnerships"independent.co.uk
Reported coverage of Axel Axgil; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Axel Axgil on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_and_Eigil_Axgil
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Axel Axgil's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the birth name of Axel Axgil?
- A.Axel Lundahl-Madsencorrect
- B.Axel Nielsen
- C.Axel Eskildsen
- D.Axel Ahlberg
Axel Axgil was born with the name Axel Lundahl-Madsen.
Source: Biography section
2.In what year was Axel Axgil born?
- A.1912
- B.1948
- C.1922
- D.1915correct
Axel Axgil was born on 3 April 1915.
Source: Introduction
3.What was the name of the organization founded by Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil in 1948?
- A.The Friend Association
- B.Equality Forum
- C.Danish Rainbow Awards
- D.Forbundet af 1948correct
Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil founded F-48 or Forbundet af 1948.
Source: Biography section
4.What was the name of the magazine launched by the couple?
- A.Forbundet
- B.Rainbow
- C.Vennencorrect
- D.Axgil
The couple launched a magazine titled Vennen, which means The Friend.
Source: Biography section
5.How did Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil choose their shared surname?
- A.It was the name of their hometown
- B.It was assigned by the Danish government
- C.It was their original family name
- D.It was a combination of their given namescorrect
They adopted the surname Axgil as a combination of their given names to express their commitment.
Source: Introduction
6.On what date did Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil enter into a registered partnership?
- A.22 September 1995
- B.3 April 1915
- C.1 October 1989correct
- D.29 October 2011
The Axgils were married in a registered partnership ceremony on 1 October 1989.
Source: Biography section
7.Who officiated the registered partnership ceremony of Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil?
- A.Rex Wockner
- B.Kaj Erik Nielsen
- C.Tom Ahlbergcorrect
- D.Eigil Eskildsen
The couple was married by Tom Ahlberg, the deputy mayor of Copenhagen.
Source: Biography section
8.How many other couples were married alongside the Axgils on 1 October 1989?
- A.31
- B.48
- C.5
- D.10correct
Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil were married along with 10 other Danish couples.
Source: Biography section
9.In what year did Eigil Axgil pass away?
- A.1989
- B.2011
- C.1995correct
- D.2012
Eigil Axgil died on 22 September 1995 at the age of 73.
Source: Deaths section
10.At what age did Axel Axgil die?
- A.92
- B.73
- C.99
- D.96correct
Axel Axgil died on 29 October 2011 at the age of 96.
Source: Deaths section
11.What military group did Eigil Axgil join in 1943?
- A.Waffen-SScorrect
- B.Swedish National Guard
- C.UN Peacekeeping Force
- D.Danish Army
During Germany's occupation of Denmark, Eigil Axgil enlisted in the Waffen-SS in 1943.
Source: Biography section
12.In what year was the information regarding Eigil Axgil's wartime military service revealed to the public?
- A.1995
- B.2012correct
- C.2011
- D.1985
It was revealed in 2012 in Axel Axgil's biography that Eigil Axgil had served in the Waffen-SS.
Source: Biography section
13.What organization named Axel Axgil as one of 31 icons of LGBT History Month in 2013?
- A.F-48
- B.LBL
- C.Equality Forumcorrect
- D.Danish Rainbow Awards
In 2013, Axel Axgil was named by Equality Forum as one of 31 icons of LGBT History Month.
Source: Biography section
14.What is the name of the annual awards show hosted by LGBT Denmark that honors the Axgils?
- A.The Equality Icon Gala
- B.Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGILcorrect
- C.The 1948 Memorial Prize
- D.The Vennen Awards
LGBT Denmark's annual awards show is named the Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL.
Source: Biography section
15.By 1951, how many members had the F-48 organization grown to include?
- A.131
- B.1,339correct
- C.48
- D.2,011
By 1951, the membership of F-48 had grown to 1,339 members with branches in Sweden and Norway.
Source: Biography section
16.What historical document inspired the founding of F-48?
- A.The 1989 Partnership Legislation
- B.The Danish Constitution
- C.The Kinsey Report
- D.The UN Declaration of Human Rightscorrect
Axel Axgil and Eigil Axgil were inspired by the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights to found F-48.
Source: Biography section
People who died on October 29
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Axel Axgil →Advertisement
