List of German interior ministers

Federal Minister of the Interior

Bundesminister des Innern

Coat of arms

State flag

Incumbent
Alexander Dobrindt

since 6 May 2025

Federal Ministry of the Interior
Style| Frau Bundesminister
Member of| Cabinet
Reports to| Chancellor of Germany
Seat| Alt-Moabit 140, Berlin
Appointer| The president
on advice of the chancellor
Formation| 21 December 1879
First holder| Karl von Hofmann
Website| bmi.bund.de

The federal minister of the interior (German: Bundesminister des Innern) is the head of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and a member of the Cabinet of Germany.

The current federal minister of the interior is Alexander Dobrindt, since 6 May 2025.

## List of officeholders

[edit]

### Secretaries of state for the interior, 1879–1919

[edit]

Political party:   Zentrum

Name
(Birth–Death) | Portrait  | Party  | Term of office  | Chancellor

|
|
|
|

| Karl von Hofmann [de]
(1827–1910) |  | N/A  | 21 December 1879  | 31 August 1880  | Bismarck
| Karl Heinrich von Boetticher
(1833–1907) |  | N/A  | 1 September 1880  | 1 July 1897  | Bismarck
von Caprivi
Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
| Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner
(1845–1932) |  | N/A  | 1 July 1897  | 24 June 1907  | Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
von Bülow
| Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
(1856–1921) |  | N/A  | 24 June 1907  | 10 July 1909  | von Bülow
| Clemens von Delbrück
(1856–1921) |  | N/A  | 14 July 1909  | 22 May 1916  | von Bethmann Hollweg
| Karl Helfferich
(1872–1924) |  | N/A  | 22 May 1916  | 24 October 1917  | von Bethmann Hollweg
Michaelis
| Max Wallraf
(1859–1941) |  | N/A  | 25 October 1917  | 9 November 1918  | Michaelis
von Hertling
(I)
von Baden
(I)
| Karl Trimborn
(1854–1921) |  | Zentrum | 14 November 1918  | 13 February 1919  | Ebert
(Council of the People's Deputies)

### Ministers of the interior, 1919–1945

[edit]

Political party:   DDP   DNVP   DVP   NSDAP   SPD   Zentrum

No. | Portrait  | Minister of the Interior | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Preuß, HugoHugo Preuß
(1860–1925)| 13 February 1919| 20 June 1919| 127 days| DDP| Scheidemann

| David, EduardEduard David
(1863–1930)| 21 June 1919| 3 October 1919| 104 days| SPD| Bauer

| Koch-Weser, ErichErich Koch-Weser
(1875–1944)| 3 October 1919| 4 May 1921| 1 year, 213 days| DDP| Bauer
Müller I
Fehrenbach

| Gradnauer, GeorgGeorg Gradnauer
(1866–1946)| 10 May 1921| 22 October 1921| 165 days| SPD| Wirth I

| Köster, AdolfAdolf Köster
(1883–1930)| 26 October 1921| 14 November 1922| 1 year, 19 days| SPD| Wirth II

| Oeser, RudolfRudolf Oeser
(1858–1926)| 22 November 1922| 12 August 1923| 263 days| DDP| Cuno

| Sollmann, WilhelmWilhelm Sollmann
(1881–1951)| 14 August 1923| 3 November 1923| 81 days| SPD| Stresemann I

| Jarres, KarlKarl Jarres
(1874–1951)| 11 November 1923| 15 December 1924| 1 year, 34 days| DVP| Stresemann II
Marx I–II

| Schiele, MartinMartin Schiele
(1870–1939)| 15 January 1925| 23 October 1925| 281 days| DNVP| Luther I

| Gessler, OttoOtto Gessler
(1875–1955)
Acting| 23 October 1925| 5 December 1925| 43 days| DDP| Luther I
10|

| Külz, WilhelmWilhelm Külz
(1875–1948)| 20 January 1926| 17 December 1926| 331 days| DDP| Luther II
Marx III
11|

| von Keudell, WalterWalter von Keudell
(1884–1973)| January 1927| 12 June 1928| 1 year, 5 months| DNVP| Marx IV
12|

| Severing, CarlCarl Severing
(1875–1952)| 28 June 1928| 27 March 1930| 1 year, 272 days| SPD| Müller II
13|

| Wirth, JosephJoseph Wirth
(1879–1956)| 30 March 1930| 7 October 1931| 1 year, 191 days| Centre| Brüning I
14|

| Groener, WilhelmWilhelm Groener
(1867–1939)| 9 October 1931| 30 May 1932| 234 days| Independent| Brüning II
15|

| von Gayl, WilhelmWilhelm von Gayl
(1879–1945)| 1 June 1932| 17 November 1932| 169 days| DNVP| Papen
16|

| Bracht, FranzFranz Bracht
(1877–1933)| 3 December 1932| 28 January 1933| 56 days| Independent| Schleicher
17|

| Frick, WilhelmWilhelm Frick
(1877–1946)| 30 January 1933| 20 August 1943| 10 years, 202 days| NSDAP| Hitler
18|

| Himmler, HeinrichHeinrich Himmler
(1900–1945)| 24 August 1943
[1][2][3]| 29 April 1945| 1 year, 248 days| NSDAP| Hitler
19|

| Giesler, PaulPaul Giesler
(1895–1945)| 30 April 1945| 3 May 1945| 3 days| NSDAP| Goebbels
20|

| Stuckart, WilhelmWilhelm Stuckart
(1902–1953)| 3 May 1945[4]| 23 May 1945| 20 days| NSDAP| Schwerin von Krosigk

### Ministers of the interior of the GDR, 1949–1990

[edit]

Political party:   SED   DSU

No. | Portrait  | Minister of the Interior | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Chairman

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Steinhoff, KarlKarl Steinhoff
(1892–1981)| 11 October 1949| 6 May 1953| 3 years, 6 months| SED| Grotewohl

| Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)| 6 May 1953| 1 July 1955| 2 years, 1 month| SED| Grotewohl

| Maron, KarlKarl Maron
(1903–1975)| 1 July 1955| 14 November 1963| 8 years, 4 months| SED| Grotewohl

| Dickel, FriedrichFriedrich Dickel
(1913–1993)| 14 November 1963| 18 November 1989| 26 years| SED| Grotewohl
Stoph
Sindermann
Stoph

| Ahrendt, LotharLothar Ahrendt
(born 1936)| 18 November 1989| 12 April 1990| 4 months| SED| Modrow

| Diestel, Peter-MichaelPeter-Michael Diestel
(born 1952)| 12 April 1990| 2 October 1990| 5 months| DSU| de Maizière

### Ministers of the interior (Bundesminister des Innern), since 1949

[edit]

Political party:   CDU   CSU   FDP   SPD

No. | Portrait  | Minister of the Interior | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Heinemann, GustavGustav Heinemann
(1899–1976)| 20 September 1949| 11 October 1950| 1 year, 21 days| CDU| Adenauer I

| Lehr, RobertRobert Lehr
(1883–1956)| 11 October 1950| 20 October 1953| 3 years, 9 days| CDU| Adenauer I

| Schröder, GerhardGerhard Schröder
(1910–1989)| 20 October 1953| 13 November 1961| 8 years, 24 days| CDU| Adenauer II–III

| Höcherl, HermannHermann Höcherl
(1912–1989)| 14 November 1961| 25 October 1965| 3 years, 345 days| CSU| Adenauer IV–V
Erhard I

| Lücke, PaulPaul Lücke
(1914–1976)| 26 October 1965| 2 April 1968| 2 years, 159 days| CDU| Erhard II
Kiesinger

| Benda, ErnstErnst Benda
(1925–2009)| 2 April 1968| 21 October 1969| 1 year, 202 days| CDU| Kiesinger

| Genscher, Hans-DietrichHans-Dietrich Genscher
(1927–2016)| 22 October 1969| 16 May 1974| 4 years, 216 days| FDP| Brandt I–II

| Maihofer, WernerWerner Maihofer
(1918–2009)| 16 May 1974| 8 June 1978| 4 years, 23 days| FDP| Schmidt I–II

| Baum, GerhartGerhart Baum
(1932–2025)| 8 June 1978| 17 September 1982| 4 years, 101 days| FDP| Schmidt II–III
10|

| Schmude, JürgenJürgen Schmude
(1936–2025)| 17 September 1982| 1 October 1982| 14 days| SPD| Schmidt III
11|

| Zimmermann, FriedrichFriedrich Zimmermann
(1925–2012)| 4 October 1982| 21 April 1989| 6 years, 199 days| CSU| Kohl I–II–III
12|

| Schäuble, WolfgangWolfgang Schäuble
(1942–2023)| 21 April 1989| 26 November 1991| 2 years, 219 days| CDU| Kohl III–IV
13|

| Seiters, RudolfRudolf Seiters
(born 1937)| 26 November 1991| 7 July 1993| 1 year, 223 days| CDU| Kohl IV
14|

| Kanther, ManfredManfred Kanther
(born 1939)| 7 July 1993| 27 October 1998| 5 years, 112 days| CDU| Kohl IV–V
15|

| Schily, OttoOtto Schily
(born 1932)| 27 October 1998| 22 November 2005| 7 years, 26 days| SPD| Schröder I–II
(12)|

| Schäuble, WolfgangWolfgang Schäuble
(1942–2023)| 22 November 2005| 28 October 2009| 3 years, 340 days| CDU| Merkel I
16|

| Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière
(born 1954)| 28 October 2009| 3 March 2011| 1 year, 126 days| CDU| Merkel II
17|

| Friedrich, Hans-PeterHans-Peter Friedrich
(born 1957)| 3 March 2011| 17 December 2013| 2 years, 289 days| CSU| Merkel II
(16)|

| Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière
(born 1954)| 17 December 2013| 14 March 2018| 4 years, 87 days| CDU| Merkel III
18|

| Seehofer, HorstHorst Seehofer
(born 1949)| 14 March 2018| 8 December 2021| 3 years, 269 days| CSU| Merkel IV
19|

| Faeser, NancyNancy Faeser
(born 1970)| 8 December 2021| 6 May 2025| 3 years, 149 days| SPD| Scholz
20|

| Dobrindt, AlexanderAlexander Dobrindt
(born 1970)| 6 May 2025| Incumbent| 85 days| CSU| Merz

## References

[edit]

1. ^ US War Department, Office of Strategic Services (2001). "The Career of Heinrich Himmler" (PDF). CIA.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
2. ^ "HIMMLER TO CURB UNREST IN REICH". The New York Times. 25 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
3. ^ "HIMMLER'S PROMOTION". The New York Times. 26 August 1943. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
4. ^ https://www.ghwk.de/de/presse/newsletter/ii/2025-das-reichsministerium-des-innern

## External links

[edit]

* bmi.bund.de

* v
* t
* e

Interior ministers of Germany

German Empire (1871–1918) |

* Karl Hofmann
* Karl Heinrich von Boetticher
* Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner
* Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
* Clemens von Delbrück
* Karl Helfferich
* Max Wallraf
* Karl Trimborn

Weimar Republic (1918–33) |

* Friedrich Ebert
* Hugo Preuß
* Eduard David
* Erich Koch-Weser
* Georg Gradnauer
* Adolf Köster
* Rudolf Oeser
* Wilhelm Sollmann
* Karl Jarres
* Martin Schiele
* Otto Geßler
* Wilhelm Külz
* Walter von Keudell
* Carl Severing
* Joseph Wirth
* Wilhelm Groener
* Wilhelm von Gayl
* Franz Bracht

Nazi Germany (1933–45) |

* Wilhelm Frick
* Heinrich Himmler
* Paul Giesler
* Wilhelm Stuckart

German Democratic Republic1 (1949–90) |

* Karl Steinhoff
* Willi Stoph
* Karl Maron
* Friedrich Dickel
* Lothar Ahrendt
* Peter-Michael Diestel

Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present) |

* Gustav Heinemann
* Robert Lehr
* Gerhard Schröder
* Hermann Höcherl
* Paul Lücke
* Ernst Benda
* Hans-Dietrich Genscher
* Werner Maihofer
* Gerhart Baum
* Jürgen Schmude
* Friedrich Zimmermann
* Wolfgang Schäuble
* Rudolf Seiters
* Manfred Kanther
* Otto Schily
* Wolfgang Schäuble
* Thomas de Maizière
* Hans-Peter Friedrich
* Thomas de Maizière
* Horst Seehofer
* Nancy Faeser
* Alexander Dobrindt

1 East Germany
*[No.]: Number
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