List of presidents of Germany

A number of presidential offices have existed in Germany since the collapse of the German Empire in 1918.

The Weimar Constitution of August 1919 created the office of President of Germany (German: Reichspräsident). Upon the death of Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934 the office was left vacant, with Adolf Hitler becoming head of state as Führer und Reichskanzler. In April–May 1945, Karl Dönitz briefly became President upon the suicide of Hitler (in accordance with last will and testament of Hitler).

The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of May 1949 created the office of President of the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundespräsident). From German reunification in 1990, the President has been the head of state for all of Germany.

The East German constitution of October 1949 created the office of President of the German Democratic Republic (German: Präsident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, DDR). Upon the death of Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the office of Präsident der DDR was abolished and replaced by a collective head of state, the Staatsrat ("State Council"). The Staatsrat was abolished by the Volkskammer ("People's Chamber") on 5 April 1990. From then until the GDR joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, the president of the Volkskammer also served as the GDR head of state.

Weimar Republic (1919–1933)

† denotes people who died in office.

Portrait	Reichspräsident	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election
	Ebert, FriedrichFriedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919	28 February 1925 †	6 years, 17 days		SPD	1919
	Luther, HansHans Luther (1879–1962) Acting	28 February 1925	12 March 1925	12 days		Nonpartisan	–
	Simons, WalterWalter Simons (1861–1937) Acting	12 March 1925	12 May 1925	61 days		Nonpartisan	–
	Hindenburg, PaulGeneralfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 †	9 years, 82 days		Nonpartisan	1925 1932

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

  Denotes Acting head of state

President			Term of Office			Position	Political party
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color; color:white;"|1		Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919	28 February 1925 (Died in Office)	6 years, 17 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	SPD
style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;"|		Hans Luther (1879–1962)	28 February 1925	12 March 1925	12 days	Chancellor Reichskanzler	Independent
style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;"|		Walter Simons (1861–1937)	12 March 1925	12 May 1925	61 days	President of the Supreme Court Präsident des Reichsgerichts	Independent
style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;"|2		General Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 (Died in Office)	9 years, 82 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	Independent
style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color;" |		Adolf Hitler (1889–1945)	2 August 1934	30 April 1945 (Died in Office)	10 years, 271 days	Führer and Chancellor Führer und Reichskanzler	NSDAP
style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color;" |3		Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (1891–1980)	30 April 1945	23 May 1945	23 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	NSDAP

President of the Federal Republic of Germany (since 1949)

Under the current Constitution, the second republican constitution of Germany, the President is the ceremonial head of state. The President is elected indirectly for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Bundesrat serves as acting head of state.

  Denotes President of the Bundesrat as acting head of state

№	Portrait	Name	Term	Tenure		Election Percentage	Affiliation
align=center rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" |1		Theodor Heuss (1884–1963)	align=center style="background: Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	13 September 1949	12 September 1954	1949: 51.7%	FDP
align=center style="background: Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" |2			13 September 1954	12 September 1959	1954: 85.6%
align=center rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |2		Heinrich Lübke (1894–1972)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	13 September 1959	12 September 1964	1959: 50.7%	CDU
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |2			13 September 1964	30 June 1969 (resigned)	1964: 68.1%
align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |3		Gustav Heinemann (1899–1976)	align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1969	30 June 1974	1969: 49.4%	SPD
align=center style="background: Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" |4		Walter Scheel (1919–2016)	align=center style="background: Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1974	30 June 1979	1974: 51.2%	FDP
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |5		Karl Carstens (1914–1992)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1979	30 June 1984	1979: 51%	CDU
align=center rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |6		Richard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1984	30 June 1989	1984: 80%	CDU
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |2			1 July 1989	30 June 1994	1989: 84.9%
With East Germany joining the Federal Republic in 1990, Weizsäcker became President of a reunified Germany.
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |7		Roman Herzog (1934–2017)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1994	30 June 1999	1994: 52.6%	CDU
align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |8		Johannes Rau (1931–2006)	align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |1	1 July 1999	30 June 2004	1999: 51.6%	SPD
align=center rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |9		Horst Köhler (1943–)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	1 July 2004	30 June 2009	2004: 50.1%	CDU
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |2			1 July 2009	31 May 2010 (resigned)	2009: 50.08%
align=center rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |—		Jens Böhrnsen (1949–)	align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |—	31 May 2010	1 July 2010	—	SPD
As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until the 2010 presidential election
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |10		Christian Wulff (1959–)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (Germany)/meta/color;" |1	2 July 2010	17 February 2012 (resigned)	2010: 50.2%	CDU
align=center rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Christian Social Union in Bavaria/meta/color;" |—		Horst Seehofer (1949–)	align=center style="background: Template:Christian Social Union in Bavaria/meta/color;" |—	17 February 2012	18 March 2012	—	CSU
As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until the 2012 presidential election
align=center style="background: Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" |11		Joachim Gauck (1940–)	align=center style="background: Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" |1	18 March 2012	18 March 2017	2012: 80.43%	Independent
align=center rowspan=1 style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |12		Frank-Walter Steinmeier (1956–)	align=center style="background: Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |1	19 March 2017		2017: 73.89 %	SPD

Heads of state of East Germany (1949-1990)

In the German Democratic Republic, which comprised East Germany from 1949 to 1990, varying positions performed the functions of head of state.

  Denotes acting head of state

№	Portrait	Name	Tenure		Position	Affiliation
align=center style="background:Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |1		Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	11 October1949	7 September 1960 (Died in office)	President of the Republic Präsident der Republik	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Liberal Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |—		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	7 September 1960	12 September 1960	As President of the People's Chamber he acted as President after the death of Wilhelm Pieck.	LDPD
align=center style="background: Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |2		Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	12 September 1960	1 August 1973 (Died in office)	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |—		Friedrich Ebert, Jr. (1894–1979)	1 August 1973	3 October 1973	As Deputy Chairman of the State Council he acted as President after the death of Walter Ulbricht.	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |3		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |4		Erich Honecker (1912–1994)	29 October 1976	18 October 1989	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/color;" |5		Egon Krenz (1937–)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
align=center style="background: Template:Liberal Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;" |6		Manfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	6 December 1989	5 April 1990	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	LDPD
align=center style="background: Template:Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)/meta/color;" |7		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (1946–)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	President of the People's Chamber	CDU

See also

• List of German monarchs
• President of Germany
• President of Germany (1919–1945)
• Leadership of East Germany
• List of chancellors of Germany