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List of chancellors of Germany

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Portrait of Otto von Bismarck, sitting at desk
Portrait of Adolf Hitler, standing
Portrait of Konrad Adenauer by Katherine Young
Portrait of Helmut Kohl on a CDU election poster

The chancellor of Germany[1] is the political leader of Germany and the head of the federal government. The office holder is responsible for selecting all other members of the government and chairing cabinet meetings.[2]

The office was created in the North German Confederation in 1867,[3] when Otto von Bismarck became the first chancellor. With the unification of Germany and establishment of the German Empire in 1871, the Confederation evolved into a German nation-state and its leader became known as the chancellor of Germany.[4]

Originally, the chancellor was only responsible to the emperor. This changed with the constitutional reform in 1918, when the Parliament was given the right to dismiss the Chancellor. Under the 1919 Weimar Constitution the chancellors were appointed by the directly elected President, but were responsible to Parliament.[5] The constitution was set aside during the 1933–1945 Nazi dictatorship. During Allied occupation, no independent German government and no chancellor existed; and the office was not reconstituted in East Germany. The 1949 Basic Law made the chancellor the most important office in West Germany, while diminishing the role of the president.[1]


Holy Roman Empire, Reichsvizekanzler (1527–1806)

In 1559, Emperor Ferdinand I established the agency of an imperial chancellery (Reichshofkanzlei) at the Vienna Hofburg Palace, headed by a vice-chancellor under the nominal authority of the Mainz archbishop. Upon the 1620 Battle of White Mountain, Emperor Ferdinand II created the office of an Austrian court chancellor in charge of the internal and foreign affairs of the Habsburg Monarchy. From 1753 onwards, the office of an Austrian state chancellor was held by Prince Kaunitz. The imperial chancellery lost its importance, and from the days of Maria Theresa and Joseph II, merely existed on paper. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince Metternich served as state chancellor of the Austrian Empire (1821–1848), likewise Prince Hardenberg acted as Prussian chancellor (1810–1822).

North German Confederation, Bundeskanzler (1867–1871)

The North German Confederation came into existence after the falling apart of the German Confederation, itself caused by Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The chancellor was appointed by the Prussian king.[3]

Political party

  None

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party
Took office Left office Duration
Portrait Count
Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898) 		1 July
1867 		21 March
1871 		3 years, 263 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan

German Empire, Reichskanzler (1871–1918)

The German Empire was born out of the North German Federation as result of the Franco-Prussian War. The newly created Emperor named the Chancellor to serve at his pleasure.[4]

Political parties

  Zentrum   None

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Cabinet
Took office Left office Duration
Portrait Prince
Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898) 		21 March
1871 		20 March
1890 		18 years, 364 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Bismarck
Portrait Count
Leo von Caprivi
(1831–1899) 		20 March
1890 		26 October
1894 		4 years, 220 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Caprivi
Portrait Prince
Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
(1819–1901) 		29 October
1894 		17 October
1900 		5 years, 353 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Portrait Prince
Bernhard von Bülow
(1849–1929) 		17 October
1900 		14 July
1909 		8 years, 270 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Bülow
Portrait Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
(1856–1921) 		14 July
1909 		13 July
1917 		7 years, 364 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Bethmann-Hollweg
Portrait Georg Michaelis
(1857–1936) 		14 July
1917 		1 November
1917 		110 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Michaelis
Portrait Count
Georg von Hertling
(1843–1919) 		1 November
1917 		30 September
1918 		333 days style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Hertling
Portrait Prince
Max von Baden
(1867–1929) 		3 October
1918 		9 November
1918 		37 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Baden

Revolutionary period, Reichskanzler (1918–1919)

On 9 November 1918, Chancellor Max von Baden handed over his office to Friedrich Ebert. Ebert continued to serve as head of government during the three months between the end of the German Empire in November 1918 and the first gathering of the National Assembly in February 1919 as Chairman of the Council of the People's Deputies, until 29 December 1918 together with USPD Leader Hugo Haase.[6]

Political party

  SPD

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Cabinet
Took office Left office Duration
Portrait Friedrich Ebert
(1871–1925)
(Reichskanzler and
Vorsitz des Rates der Volksbeauftragten) 		9 November
1918 		13 February
1919 		96 days style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany Council of the People's Deputies

Weimar Republic, Reichskanzler (1919–1933)

The Weimar Constitution of 1919 set the framework for the Weimar Republic. The Chancellors were often dependent on support from the President.[1][5]

Political parties

  SPD   Zentrum   DVP   DDP   DNVP   None

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Cabinet Reichstag
Took office Left office Duration
Portrait Philipp Scheidemann
(1865–1939)
(Reichsministerpräsident)[a] 		13 February
1919 		20 June
1919 		127 days style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany Scheidemann Nat.Ass.
(1919)
Portrait Gustav Bauer
(1870–1944)
(Reichsministerpräsident;
from 14 August 1919
Reichskanzler)[a] 		21 June
1919 		26 March
1920 		279 days style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany Bauer
Portrait Hermann Müller
(1876–1931) 		27 March
1920 		21 June
1920 		86 days style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany Müller I
Portrait Constantin Fehrenbach
(1852–1926) 		25 June
1920 		4 May
1921 		313 days style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Fehrenbach 1
(1920)
Portrait Joseph Wirth
(1879–1956) 		10 May
1921 		14 November
1922 		1 year, 188 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Wirth I
Wirth II
Portrait Wilhelm Cuno
(1876–1933) 		22 November
1922 		12 August
1923 		263 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Cuno
Portrait Gustav Stresemann
(1878–1929) 		13 August
1923 		30 November
1923 		109 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:German People's Party/meta/color;" width=1% | German People's Party Stresemann I
Stresemann II
Portrait Wilhelm Marx
(1863–1946) 		30 November
1923 		15 January
1925 		1 year, 46 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Marx I
Marx II 2
(May.1924)
Portrait Hans Luther
(1879–1962) 		15 January
1925 		12 May
1926 		1 year, 117 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Luther I 3
(Dec.1924)
Luther II
Portrait Wilhelm Marx
(1863–1946) 		17 May
1926 		12 June
1928 		2 years, 26 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Marx III
Marx IV
Portrait Hermann Müller
(1876–1931)[b] 		28 June
1928 		27 March
1930 		1 year, 272 days style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany Müller II 4
(1928)
Portrait Heinrich Brüning
(1885–1970)[c] 		30 March
1930 		30 May
1932 		2 years, 61 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Centre Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Centre Party Brüning I 5
(1930)
Brüning II
Portrait Franz von Papen
(1879–1969)[c] 		1 June
1932 		17 November
1932 		169 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Papen 6
(Jul.1932)
Portrait Kurt von Schleicher
(1882–1934)[c] 		3 December
1932 		28 January
1933 		56 days style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" width=1% | Non-partisan Schleicher 7
(Nov.1932)
  1. ^ a b The title of Chancellor was not formally used until the Weimar Constitution took effect. Instead Scheidemann and Bauer were appointed as Reichsministerpräsident (Minister-President or Prime Minister).
  2. ^ Müller was the last parliamentary chancellor until Konrad Adenauer in 1949
  3. ^ a b c Non-parliamentary chancellor, appointed by Reichpraesident Paul von Hindenburg after no majority parliamentary coalition could be formed

Nazi Germany, Reichskanzler (1933–1945)

Adolf Hitler's Machtergreifung (seizure of power) marked the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Nazi Germany. Hitler reigned as dictator and consolidated all power to himself.

Political parties

  NSDAP

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Cabinet Reichstag[a]
Took office Left office Duration
Adolf Hitler
(1889–1945)[b][c]
(Führer und Reichskanzler from 2 August 1934) 		30 January
1933 		30 April
1945 		12 years, 90 days rowspan=4 style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color;" width=1% | National Socialist
German Workers' Party 		Hitler 8 (Mar. 1933)
9 (Nov. 1933)
10 (Mar. 1936)
11 (Apr. 1938)
Portrait Joseph Goebbels
(1897–1945)[c][d] 		30 April
1945 		1 May
1945 		1 day style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color;" width=1% | National Socialist
German Workers' Party 		(Cabinet nominated in Hitler's testament but never convened) —
Portrait Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
(1887–1977)
(Leading Minister at Flensburg)[e][f] 		2 May
1945 		23 May
1945 		21 days style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color;" width=1% | National Socialist
German Workers' Party 		Schwerin von Krosigk —
  1. ^ No elections held during World War II. Last convened on 26 April 1942.
  2. ^ Non-parliamentary chancellor, appointed by Reichpraesident Paul von Hindenburg after no majority parliamentary coalition could be formed
  3. ^ a b Committed suicide in office.
  4. ^ Appointed by Adolf Hitler in his Political Testament
  5. ^ Appointed by Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz after the suicide of Goebbels
  6. ^ Arrested; government dissolved.[7]

Federal Republic of Germany, Bundeskanzler (from 1949)

See also: Chancellor of Germany

In 1949, two separate German states were established: the Federal Republic of Germany (known as West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (known as East Germany). The list below gives the Chancellors of West Germany; the government of East Germany was headed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.[8] In 1990, East Germany was dissolved as it merged with West Germany; Germany was reunified. It retained the name of the Federal Republic of Germany.[9]

Political parties

  CDU   SPD   FDP

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Cabinet Bundestag
Took office Left office Duration
Portrait Konrad Adenauer
(1876–1967) 		15 September
1949 		20 October
1953 		14 years, 30 days rowspan=5 style="background:Template:CDU/CSU/meta/color;" width=1% | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) 		Adenauer I
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP 		1 (1949)
20 October
1953 		29 October
1957 		Adenauer II
CDU/CSU–FDP/FVP–DP–GB/BHE 		2 (1953)
29 October
1957 		14 November
1961 		Adenauer III
CDU/CSU–DP 		3 (1957)
14 November
1961 		13 December
1962 		Adenauer IV
CDU/CSU–FDP 		4 (1961)
14 December
1962 		15 October
1963 		Adenauer V
CDU/CSU–FDP
Portrait Ludwig Erhard
(1897–1977) 		16 October
1963 		26 October
1965 		3 years, 45 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:CDU/CSU/meta/color;" width=1% | No party membership;[10]
affiliated with the
Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) 		Erhard I
CDU/CSU–FDP
26 October
1965 		30 November
1966 		Erhard II
CDU/CSU–FDP 		5 (1965)
Portrait Kurt Georg Kiesinger
(1904–1988) 		1 December
1966 		21 October
1969 		2 years, 324 days rowspan=1 style="background:Template:CDU/CSU/meta/color;" width=1% | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) 		Kiesinger
CDU/CSU–SPD
Portrait Willy Brandt
(1913–1992) 		22 October
1969 		15 December
1972 		4 years, 197 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) 		Brandt I
SPD–FDP 		6 (1969)
15 December
1972 		7 May
1974 		Brandt II
SPD–FDP 		7 (1972)
Portrait Walter Scheel
(1919–2016)
Acting Chancellor[a] 		7 May
1974 		16 May
1974 		9 days rowspan=1 style="background:Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" width=1% | Free Democratic Party
(FDP) 		(acting)
Portrait Helmut Schmidt
(1918–2015) 		16 May
1974 		14 December
1976 		8 years, 138 days rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) 		Schmidt I
SPD–FDP
16 December
1976 		4 November
1980 		Schmidt II
SPD–FDP 		8 (1976)
6 November
1980 		1 October
1982 		Schmidt III
SPD–FDP 		9 (1980)
Portrait Helmut Kohl
(1930–2017) 		1 October
1982 		29 March
1983 		16 years, 26 days rowspan=5 style="background:Template:CDU/CSU/meta/color;" width=1% | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) 		Kohl I
CDU/CSU–FDP
30 March
1983 		11 March
1987 		Kohl II
CDU/CSU–FDP 		10 (1983)
12 March
1987 		18 January
1991 		Kohl III
CDU/CSU–FDP 		11 (1987)
18 January
1991 		17 November
1994 		Kohl IV
CDU/CSU–FDP 		12 (1990)
17 November
1994 		27 October
1998 		Kohl V
CDU/CSU–FDP 		13 (1994)
Portrait Gerhard Schröder
(1944–) 		27 October
1998 		22 October
2002 		7 years, 26 days rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" width=1% | Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) 		Schröder I
SPD–Green 		14 (1998)
22 October
2002 		22 November
2005 		Schröder II
SPD–Green 		15 (2002)
Portrait Angela Merkel
(1954–) 		22 November
2005 		28 October
2009 		18 years, 347 days rowspan=4 style="background:Template:CDU/CSU/meta/color;" width=1% | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) 		Merkel I
CDU/CSU–SPD 		16 (2005)
28 October
2009 		17 December
2013 		Merkel II
CDU/CSU–FDP 		17 (2009)
17 December
2013 		14 March
2018 		Merkel III
CDU/CSU–SPD 		18 (2013)
14 March
2018 		Incumbent Merkel IV
CDU/CSU–SPD 		19 (2017)
  1. ^ As Vice Chancellor under Brandt, Scheel served as acting Chancellor following Brandt's resignation.[11]

Timeline

1867–1945

Lutz Graf Schwerin von KrosigkJoseph GoebbelsAdolf HitlerKurt von SchleicherFranz von PapenHeinrich BrüningHans LutherWilhelm MarxGustav StresemannWilhelm CunoJoseph WirthConstantin FehrenbachHermann MüllerGustav BauerPhilipp ScheidemannFriedrich EbertMaximilian of BadenGeorg von HertlingGeorg MichaelisTheobald von Bethmann-HollwegBernhard von BülowChlodwig zu Hohenlohe-SchillingsfürstLeo von CapriviOtto von Bismarck

Since 1949

Angela MerkelGerhard SchröderHelmut KohlHelmut SchmidtWalter ScheelWilly BrandtKurt Georg KiesingerLudwig ErhardKonrad Adenauer

See also

This article is part of a series on the
Politics of
Germany
Constitution (Basic Law)
Head of State
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
  • Federal courts
Subdivisions
Elections
  • Presidential elections
  • Parliamentary election
  • European elections
State and local politics
  • State Politics
Foreign relations

  • Foreign relations by country
  • International Relations
Political ideologies
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chancellors of Germany.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Neuland Grundgesetz | Abkehr von Weimarer Verfassung – Reaktion auf Nazi-Deutschland" [Virgin Soil "Basic Law" | Departure from Weimar Constitution - Reaction to Nazi Germany] (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Tasks of the Federal Chancellor". bundeskanzlerin.de. The Press and Information Office of the Federal Government. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Verfassung des Norddeutschen Bundes  [North German Constitution] (in German). 26 June 1867 – via Wikisource.
  4. ^ a b Constitution of the German Empire  [Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs]. 16 April 1871 – via Wikisource.
  5. ^ a b "The Seeds of Evil: The Rise of Hitler — The Constitution of the Weimar Republic". schoolshistory.org.uk. 2004. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Biografie Friedrich Ebert 1871-1925" [Biography of Friedrich Ebert]. www.dhm.de/lemo (in German). LeMO/Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  7. ^ Hillmann, Jörg; Zimmermann, John (2014) [2002]. "Die »Reichsregierung« in Flensburg" [The "Government" in Flensburg]. Kriegsende 1945 in Deutschland (in German). Munich: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. pp. 35–65. ISBN 978-3-486-83332-4.
  8. ^ "Entstehung der DDR: Verfassung und Führungsrolle der SED" [Formation of the GDR: Constitution and the SED's Leadership Role]. www.hdg.de/lemo (in German). LeMO/Haus der Geschichte. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  9. ^ Vertrag zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik über die Herstellung der Einheit Deutschlands (Einigungsvertrag) [Unification Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic] (Treaty) (in German). 31 August 1990. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  10. ^ Jörges, Hans Ulrich; Wüllenweber, Walter (25 April 2007). "CDU-Altkanzler: Ludwig Erhard war nie CDU-Mitglied" (in German). Der Stern. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  11. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (24 August 2016). "Walter Scheel, Leading Figure in West German Thaw With the East, Dies at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2018.

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