Vice-Chancellor of Germany

Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
Coat of arms of the German Government
Incumbent Philipp Rösler took office: 13 May 2011
Inaugural holder	Franz Blücher
Formation	23. May 1949

The Vice-Chancellor of Germany (German: Vizekanzler) is, according to protocol, the second highest position in the Cabinet of Germany

In case of the Chancellor's absence, the vice-chancellor acts in his or her place, for instance by heading cabinet meetings. The vice-chancellor will not automatically become chancellor for the rest of the term if the chancellor dies or becomes unable to fulfill his or her duties in any other way. It is the President who asks a minister to fulfill the chancellor's duties until the Parliament elects a new chancellor. Usually, the president asks the vice-chancellor.

In modern times, vice-chancellor is not an independent office, but a position held by one of the cabinet ministers. Since 1966, it has often been held by the minister of foreign affairs.

According to the Basic Law, it is the chancellor who chooses one of the ministers to be vice-chancellor. Since coalition governments are common in German politics, the vice-chancellor in most cases represents the junior coalition partner and is often the chairman of that party.

History

The office was initially established by the 1878 Stellvertretungsgesetz, which provided for the Chancellor appointing a deputy, officially known as Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers (Deputy General to the Chancellor). In addition to the general deputy, who would be responsible for all the affairs of the Chancellor, the Chancellor could appoint deputies with limited responsibilities. The Stellvertretungsgesetz was revised on 28 October 1918, when the possibility of appointing deputies with limited responsibilities was removed and the Vice Chancellor was given the right to appear before Parliament.

The prefix "Vize-" is derived from the Latin "vicis" meaning "in place of". "Kanzler" is the traditional title of the head of government in Germany. Although the office has always been widely known as Vizekanzler, this has never been the official term. The official term since 1949 is Stellvertreter des Bundeskanzlers (Deputy to the Chancellor), however this term is seldom used outside very formal contexts.

List of Vice-Chancellors

German Empire

Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers (Deputy General to the Chancellor)

• Otto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, 1 June 1878 - 20 June 1881.
• Karl Heinrich von Boetticher, 20 June 1881 - 1 July 1897, also Secretary of the Interior.
• Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner, 1 July 1897 - 24 June 1907, also Secretary of the Interior.
• Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, 24 June 1907 - 14 July 1909, also Secretary of the Interior.
• Clemens von Delbrück, 14 July 1909 - 22 May 1916, also Secretary of the Interior.
• Karl Helfferich, 22 May 1916 - 9 November 1917, also Secretary of the Interior (until 23 October 1917).
• Friedrich von Payer (FVP), 9 November 1917 - 10 November 1918.

Weimar Republic

Vice-Chancellors

• Eugen Schiffer (DDP), 13 February - 19 April 1919 (as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
• Bernhard Dernburg (DDP), 30 April - 20 June 1919 (as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
• Matthias Erzberger (Centre Party), 21 June - 3 October 1919 (until 14 August 1919 as Deputy Minister-President); also Minister of Finances.
• Eugen Schiffer (DDP), 3 October 1919 - 27 March 1920; also Minister of Justice.
• Erich Koch-Weser (DDP), 27 March 1920 - 21 June 1920; also Minster of the Interior.
• Rudolf Heinze (DVP), 25 June 1920 - 4 May 1921; also Minister of Justice.
• Gustav Bauer (SPD), 10 May 1921 - 14 November 1922; also Minister of the Treasury.

vacant 1922-1923

• Robert Schmidt (SPD), 13 August 1923 - 3 November 1923; also Minister for Reconstruction.
• Karl Jarres (DVP), 30 November 1923 - 15 December 1924; also Minister of the Interior.

vacant 1925-1927

• Oskar Hergt (DNVP), 28 January 1927 - 12 June 1928; also Minister of Justice.

vacant 1928-1930

• Hermann R. Dietrich (DDP, later DStP), 30 March 1930 - 30 May 1932; also Minister of Finances from 26 June 1930.

vacant 1932-1933

• Franz von Papen (non-partisan), 30 January 1933 - 7 August 1934; no government department.

After Papen's resignation, the office of vice-chancellor remained vacant until the demise of Nazi Germany.

Federal Republic of Germany

Portrait		Name (Born-Died)	Term of Office		Party	Portfolio	Chancellor (Cabinet)
		Franz Blücher (1896–1959)	20 September 1949	29 October 1957	FDP/FVP	Marshall Plan	Adenauer (I • II)
		Ludwig Erhard (1897–1977)	29 October 1957	16 October 1963	CDU	Economics	Adenauer (III • IV • V)
		Erich Mende (1916–1998)	17 October 1963	28 October 1966	FDP	Intra-German Relations	Erhard (I • II)
		Hans-Christoph Seebohm (1903–1967)	8 November 1966	30 November 1966	CDU	Transport	Erhard (II)
		Willy Brandt (1913–1992)	1 December 1966	20 October 1969	SPD	Foreign Minister	Kiesinger (I)
		Walter Scheel (b. 1919)	21 October 1969	16 May 1974	FDP	Foreign Minister	Brandt (I • II)
		Hans-Dietrich Genscher (b. 1927)	17 May 1974	17 September 1982	FDP	Foreign Minister	Schmidt (I • II • III)
		Egon Franke (1913–1995)	17 September 1982	1 October 1982	SPD	Intra-German Relations	Schmidt (III)
		Hans-Dietrich Genscher (b. 1927)	1 October 1982	17 May 1992	FDP	Foreign Minister	Kohl (I • II • III • IV)
		Jürgen Möllemann (1945–2003)	18 May 1992	21 January 1993	FDP	Economics	Kohl (IV)
		Klaus Kinkel (b. 1936)	21 January 1993	26 October 1998	FDP	Foreign Minister	Kohl (IV • V)
		Joschka Fischer (b. 1948)	27 October 1998	22 November 2005	Green	Foreign Minister	Schröder (I • II)
		Franz Müntefering (b. 1940)	22 November 2005	21 November 2007	SPD	Labour and Social Affairs	Merkel (I)
		Frank-Walter Steinmeier (b. 1956)	21 November 2007	27 October 2009	SPD	Foreign Minister
		Guido Westerwelle (b. 1961)	28 October 2009	16 May 2011	FDP	Foreign Minister	Merkel (II)
		Philipp Rösler (b. 1973)	16 May 2011	Incumbent	FDP	Economics