sabroe first took an elected office in 1900, as a member of the aarhus town council, a position he held until 1909. he also served in the folketinget, from 1901 to 1913. as a politician, sabroe took the part of the common man, and was perhaps the best known and most controversial left-wing legislator of his time. he often traveled around denmark, drawing attention to the conditions in which children lived and worked.