List of chancellors of Germany

* Top left: Otto von Bismarck was the first chancellor of Germany with the creation of the North German Confederation and later the German Empire.
* Top right: Konrad Adenauer was the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
* Bottom left: Helmut Kohl was chancellor during the period of German reunification in 1990.
* Bottom right: Angela Merkel was the first female chancellor of Germany.

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 regime. During the Allied occupation, no independent German government and no chancellor existed; and the office was not reconstituted in East Germany, thus the head of government of East Germany was chairman of the Council of Ministers. The 1949 Basic Law made the chancellor the most important office in West Germany, while diminishing the role of the president.[1]

## North German Confederation (1867–1871)

[edit]

The North German Confederation came into existence after the German Confederation was dissolved following the Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The chancellor was appointed by the Bundespräsidium, a position that was held constitutionally by the Prussian king.[3]

Political parties:  None

Federal Chancellor of the North German Confederation

Portrait  | Name
(born–died) | Term of office  | Political party
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1 |  | Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898) | 1 July
1867  | 21 March
1871  | 3 years, 263 days |  | Non-partisan

## German Reich (1871–1943) / Greater German Reich (1943–1945)

[edit]

### German Empire (1871–1918)

[edit]

The German Empire was born out of the North German Confederation as result of the Franco-Prussian War (1870/71). The Präsidium (the Prussian king), which now had also the title Emperor, named the chancellor.[4]

Political parties:  None Centre

Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire

Portrait  | Name
(born–died) | Term of office  | Political party  | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1 |  | Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898) | 21 March
1871  | 20 March
1890  | 18 years, 364 days |  | Non-partisan  | Bismarck
2 |  | Leo von Caprivi
(1831–1899) | 20 March
1890  | 26 October
1894  | 4 years, 220 days |  | Non-partisan  | Caprivi
3 |  | Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
(1819–1901) | 29 October
1894  | 17 October
1900  | 5 years, 353 days |  | Non-partisan  | Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
4 |  | Bernhard von Bülow
(1849–1929) | 17 October
1900  | 14 July
1909  | 8 years, 270 days |  | Non-partisan  | Bülow
5 |  | Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
(1856–1921) | 14 July
1909  | 13 July
1917  | 7 years, 364 days |  | Non-partisan  | Bethmann Hollweg
6 |  | Georg Michaelis
(1857–1936) | 14 July
1917  | 1 November
1917  | 110 days |  | Non-partisan  | Michaelis
7 |  | Georg von Hertling
(1843–1919) | 1 November
1917  | 30 September
1918  | 333 days |  | Centre Party | Hertling
8 |  | Max von Baden
(1867–1929) | 3 October
1918  | 9 November
1918  | 37 days |  | Non-partisan  | Baden

### Weimar Republic (1918–1933)

[edit]

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]

The Weimar Constitution of 1919 set the framework for the Weimar Republic. The chancellors were officially installed by the president; in some cases the chancellor did not have a majority in parliament.[1][5]

Political parties:  SPD Centre DVP NSDAP None

Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire / President of the Council of the People's Deputies

Portrait  | Name
(born–died) | Term of office  | Political party  | Cabinet  | Reichstag
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
9 |  | Friedrich Ebert
(1871–1925) | 9 November
1918  | 13 February
1919  | 96 days |  | Social Democratic Party | Council of the People's Deputies
SPD–USPD
(as of 29 December 1918 SPD alone) | –
Reich Minister-President of the German Reich
10 |  | Philipp Scheidemann
(1865–1939) | 13 February
1919  | 20 June
1919  | 127 days |  | Social Democratic Party  | Scheidemann
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) | Nat.Ass.
(Jan.1919)
11 |  | Gustav Bauer
(1870–1944) | 21 June
1919  | 14 August
1919 | 54 days |  | Social Democratic Party  | Bauer
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition)
Reich Chancellor of the German Reich
12 |  | Gustav Bauer
(1870–1944) | 14 August
1919 | 26 March
1920  | 219 days |  | Social Democratic Party  | Bauer
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) | Nat.Ass.
(Jan.1919)
13 |  | Hermann Müller
(1876–1931) | 27 March
1920  | 21 June
1920  | 86 days |  | Social Democratic Party  | Müller I
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition)
14 |  | Constantin Fehrenbach
(1852–1926) | 25 June
1920  | 10 May
1921  | 319 days |  | Centre Party | Fehrenbach
Z–DDP–DVP | 1
(Jun.1920)
15 |  | Joseph Wirth
(1879–1956) | 10 May
1921  | 22 November
1922  | 1 year, 196 days |  | Centre Party  | Wirth I
Z–SPD–DDP
(Weimar Coalition)
Wirth II
Z–SPD–DDP
(Weimar Coalition)
16 |  | Wilhelm Cuno
(1876–1933) | 22 November
1922  | 12 August
1923  | 263 days |  | Non-partisan  | Cuno
Ind.–DVP–DDP–Z–BVP
17 |  | Gustav Stresemann
(1878–1929) | 13 August
1923  | 30 November
1923  | 109 days |  | German People's Party | Stresemann I
DVP–SPD–Z–DDP
Stresemann II
DVP–SPD–Z–DDP
18 |  | Wilhelm Marx
(1863–1946) | 30 November
1923  | 15 January
1925  | 1 year, 46 days |  | Centre Party  | Marx I
Z–DVP–BVP–DDP
Marx II
Z–DVP–DDP | 2
(May 1924)
19 |  | Hans Luther
(1879–1962) | 15 January
1925  | 12 May
1926  | 1 year, 117 days |  | Non-partisan  | Luther I
DVP–DNVP–Z–DDP–BVP | 3
(Dec.1924)
Luther II
DVP–Z–DDP–BVP
20 |  | Wilhelm Marx
(1863–1946) | 17 May
1926  | 28 June
1928  | 2 years, 42 days |  | Centre Party  | Marx III
Z–DVP–DDP–BVP
Marx IV
Z–DNVP–DVP–BVP
21 |  | Hermann Müller
(1876–1931) | 28 June
1928  | 27 March
1930  | 1 year, 272 days |  | Social Democratic Party  | Müller II
SPD–DVP–DDP–Z–BVP | 4
(May 1928)
22 |  | Heinrich Brüning
(1885–1970) | 30 March
1930  | 30 May
1932  | 2 years, 61 days |  | Centre Party  | Brüning I
Z–DDP–DVP–WP–BVP–KVP | 5
(Sep.1930)
Brüning II
Z–DSP–BVP–KVP–CLV
23 |  | Franz von Papen
(1879–1969) | 1 June
1932  | 3 December
1932  | 185 days |  | Non-partisan  | Papen
Ind.–DNVP | 6
(Jul.1932)
24 |  | Kurt von Schleicher
(1882–1934) | 3 December
1932  | 30 January
1933  | 58 days |  | Non-partisan  | Schleicher
Ind.–DNVP | 7
(Nov.1932)
25 |  | Adolf Hitler
(1889–1945) | 30 January
1933  | 24 March
1933  | 53 days |  | National Socialist
German Workers' Party | Hitler
NSDAP – DNVP | 8 (Mar.1933)

### Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

[edit]

Soon after Adolf Hitler was appointed as chancellor in 1933, the German Reichstag (parliament) passed the so-called Enabling Act (German: Ermächtigungsgesetz), officially titled "Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich" (German: Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich), which effectively gave the chancellor the power of a dictator. This event marked the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Nazi Germany.[7] Hitler thereupon destroyed all democratic systems and consolidated all power to himself. After the death of president Paul von Hindenburg in 1934, Hitler merged the offices of chancellor and president in his own person and called himself Führer und Reichskanzler.

Political parties:  NSDAP

Reich Chancellor of the German Reich / Reich Chancellor of the Greater German Reich

No. | Portrait  | Name
(born–died) | Term of office  | Political party  | Cabinet  | Reichstag[a]
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
26 |  | Adolf Hitler
(1889–1945) | 24 March
1933  | 30 April
1945  | 12 years, 37 days |  | National Socialist
German Workers' Party | Hitler
NSDAP | 9 (Nov.1933)
10 (Mar.1936)
11 (Apr.1938)
27 |  | Joseph Goebbels
(1897–1945) | 30 April
1945  | 1 May
1945  | 1 day |  | National Socialist
German Workers' Party  | Goebbels[b]
NSDAP | —
28 |  | Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk[c]
(1887–1977) | 2 May
1945  | 23 May
1945  | 21 days |  | National Socialist
German Workers' Party  | Schwerin von Krosigk
NSDAP | —

1. ^ No elections held during World War II. Last convened on 26 April 1942.
2. ^ Cabinet nominated in Hitler's testament but never convened.
3. ^ Lutz von Krosigk did not accept the position of chancellor, but acted as "Leading Minister" with the power of a chancellor.

## Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present)

[edit]

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 (5)[a] SPD (4)

Denotes acting (i.e. ad interim)

Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Portrait  | Name
(born–died) | Term of office  | Political party  | Cabinet  | Bundestag
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1 |  | Konrad Adenauer
(1876–1967) | 15 September
1949  | 15 October
1963  | 14 years, 30 days |  | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU)  | Adenauer I
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP | 1 (1949)
Adenauer II
CDU/CSU–FDP/FVP–DP–GB/BHE | 2 (1953)
Adenauer III
CDU/CSU–DP | 3 (1957)
Adenauer IV
CDU/CSU–FDP | 4 (1961)
2 |  | Ludwig Erhard
(1897–1977) | 15 October
1963  | 30 November
1966  | 3 years, 45 days |  | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU)[b] | Erhard I
CDU/CSU–FDP
Erhard II
CDU/CSU–FDP | 5 (1965)
3 |  | Kurt Georg Kiesinger
(1904–1988) | 30 November
1966  | 21 October
1969  | 2 years, 324 days |  | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU)  | Kiesinger
CDU/CSU–SPD
4 |  | Willy Brandt
(1913–1992) | 21 October
1969  | 7 May
1974  | 4 years, 197 days |  | Social Democratic Party
(SPD)  | Brandt I
SPD–FDP | 6 (1969)
Brandt II
SPD–FDP | 7 (1972)
–  |  | Walter Scheel
(1919–2016)
Acting[c] | 7 May
1974  | 16 May
1974  | 9 days |  | Free Democratic Party
(FDP)  | Brandt II
(acting)
5 |  | Helmut Schmidt
(1918–2015) | 16 May
1974  | 1 October
1982  | 8 years, 138 days |  | Social Democratic Party
(SPD)  | Schmidt I
SPD–FDP
Schmidt II
SPD–FDP | 8 (1976)
Schmidt III
SPD–FDP | 9 (1980)
6 |  | Helmut Kohl
(1930–2017) | 1 October
1982  | 27 October
1998  | 16 years, 26 days |  | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU)  | Kohl I
CDU/CSU–FDP
Kohl II
CDU/CSU–FDP | 10 (1983)
Kohl III
CDU/CSU–FDP | 11 (1987)
Kohl IV
CDU/CSU–FDP | 12 (1990)
Kohl V
CDU/CSU–FDP | 13 (1994)
7 |  | Gerhard Schröder
(born 1944) | 27 October
1998  | 22 November
2005  | 7 years, 26 days |  | Social Democratic Party
(SPD)  | Schröder I
SPD–Green | 14 (1998)
Schröder II
SPD–Green | 15 (2002)
8 |  | Angela Merkel
(born 1954) | 22 November
2005  | 8 December
2021  | 16 years, 16 days |  | Christian Democratic Union
(CDU)  | Merkel I
CDU/CSU–SPD | 16 (2005)
Merkel II
CDU/CSU–FDP | 17 (2009)
Merkel III
CDU/CSU–SPD | 18 (2013)
Merkel IV
CDU/CSU–SPD | 19 (2017)
9 |  | Olaf Scholz
(born 1958) | 8 December
2021  | Incumbent | 3 years, 70 days |  | Social Democratic Party
(SPD)  | Scholz
SPD–Green–FDP | 20 (2021)

1. ^ Including Ludwig Erhard, who never formally joined the CDU and was de jure an independent politician. His lack of party membership was not widely known until decades after his death.
2. ^ Erhard never formally joined the CDU and so was de jure an independent politician. However, Erhard spent his entire career with the CDU, and was believed to be a member by both the party and the public; his lack of party membership was not widely known until decades after his death.[10] Later on, Erhard briefly became the leader of the CDU from 1966 to 1967.
3. ^ As Vice Chancellor under Brandt, Scheel served as acting Chancellor following Brandt's resignation.[11]

## Timeline

[edit]

## See also

[edit]

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* Leadership of East Germany
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## References

[edit]

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. ^ Hosch, William L. (23 March 2007). "The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act of March 23, 1933". Britannica Blog. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
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.

* v
* t
* e

Chancellors of Germany (since 1867)

North German Confederation
Bundeskanzler (1867–1871)|

* Otto von Bismarck

German Empire
Reichskanzler (1871–1918)|

* Otto von Bismarck
* Leo von Caprivi
* Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
* Bernhard von Bülow
* Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
* Georg Michaelis
* Georg von Hertling
* Prince Maximilian of Baden

Weimar Republic
Reichskanzler (1919–1933)|

* Friedrich Ebert
* Philipp Scheidemann (as Ministerpräsident)
* Gustav Bauer (as Ministerpräsident, later Chancellor)
* Hermann Müller
* Constantin Fehrenbach
* Joseph Wirth
* Wilhelm Cuno
* Gustav Stresemann
* Wilhelm Marx
* Hans Luther
* Wilhelm Marx
* Hermann Müller
* Heinrich Brüning
* Franz von Papen
* Kurt von Schleicher
* Adolf Hitler

Nazi Germany
Reichskanzler (1933–1945)|

* Adolf Hitler
* Joseph Goebbels
* Count Schwerin von Krosigk (as Leading Minister)

Federal Republic
Bundeskanzler (1949–present)|

* Konrad Adenauer (CDU, 1949–1963)
* Ludwig Erhard (CDU, 1963–1966)
* Kurt Georg Kiesinger (CDU, 1966–1969)
* Willy Brandt (SPD, 1969–1974)
* Helmut Schmidt (SPD, 1974–1982)
* Helmut Kohl (CDU, 1982–1998)
* Gerhard Schröder (SPD, 1998–2005)
* Angela Merkel (CDU, 2005–2021)
* Olaf Scholz (SPD, 2021–present)

List of chancellors
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