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)

Federal Chancellor of the North German Confederation

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]

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

German Reich (1871–1945)

German Empire (1871–1918)

Reich Chancellor of the German Reich

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

Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Cabinet
Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Cabinet
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)

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

Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Cabinet	Reichstag
Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Cabinet	Reichstag
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)	–
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	26 March 1920	273 days		Social Democratic Party	Bauer SPD–DDP–Z (Weimar Coalition)	Nat.Ass. (Jan.1919)
12	Hermann Müller (1876–1931)	27 March 1920	21 June 1920	86 days		Social Democratic Party	Müller I SPD–DDP–Z (Weimar Coalition)	Nat.Ass. (Jan.1919)
13	Constantin Fehrenbach (1852–1926)	25 June 1920	10 May 1921	319 days		Centre Party	Fehrenbach Z–DDP–DVP	1 (Jun.1920)
14	Joseph Wirth (1879–1956)	10 May 1921	22 November 1922	1 year, 196 days		Centre Party	Wirth I Z–SPD–DDP (Weimar Coalition)
14	Joseph Wirth (1879–1956)	10 May 1921	22 November 1922	1 year, 196 days		Centre Party	Wirth II Z–SPD–DDP (Weimar Coalition)
15	Wilhelm Cuno (1876–1933)	22 November 1922	12 August 1923	263 days		Non-partisan	Cuno Ind.–DVP–DDP–Z–BVP
16	Gustav Stresemann (1878–1929)	13 August 1923	30 November 1923	109 days		German People's Party	Stresemann I DVP–SPD–Z–DDP
16	Gustav Stresemann (1878–1929)	13 August 1923	30 November 1923	109 days		German People's Party	Stresemann II DVP–SPD–Z–DDP
17	Wilhelm Marx (1863–1946)	30 November 1923	15 January 1925	1 year, 46 days		Centre Party	Marx I Z–DVP–BVP–DDP
17	Wilhelm Marx (1863–1946)	30 November 1923	15 January 1925	1 year, 46 days		Centre Party	Marx II Z–DVP–DDP	2 (May 1924)
18	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)
18	Hans Luther (1879–1962)	15 January 1925	12 May 1926	1 year, 117 days		Non-partisan	Luther II DVP–Z–DDP–BVP
19	Wilhelm Marx (1863–1946)	17 May 1926	28 June 1928	2 years, 42 days		Centre Party	Marx III Z–DVP–DDP–BVP
19	Wilhelm Marx (1863–1946)	17 May 1926	28 June 1928	2 years, 42 days		Centre Party	Marx IV Z–DNVP–DVP–BVP
20	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)
21	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)
21	Heinrich Brüning (1885–1970)	30 March 1930	30 May 1932	2 years, 61 days		Centre Party	Brüning II Z–DSP–BVP–KVP–CLV	5 (Sep.1930)
22	Franz von Papen (1879–1969)	1 June 1932	3 December 1932	185 days		Non-partisan	Papen Ind.–DNVP	6 (Jul.1932)
23	Kurt von Schleicher (1882–1934)	3 December 1932	30 January 1933	58 days		Non-partisan	Schleicher Ind.–DNVP	7 (Nov.1932)
24	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)

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

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Cabinet	Reichstag^[a]
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Cabinet	Reichstag^[a]
25		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)
26		Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945)	30 April 1945	1 May 1945	1 day		National Socialist German Workers' Party	Goebbels^[b] NSDAP	—
27		Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk (1887–1977)	2 May 1945	23 May 1945	21 days		National Socialist German Workers' Party	Schwerin von Krosigk NSDAP	—

^ No elections held during World War II. Last convened on 26 April 1942.
^ Cabinet nominated in Hitler's testament but never convened.

Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present)

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 (4) SPD (4) Independent (1)

Denotes acting (i.e. ad interim)

Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Cabinet	Bundestag
Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Cabinet	Bundestag
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		Independent^[a]	Erhard I CDU/CSU–FDP	4 (1961)
2	Ludwig Erhard (1897–1977)	15 October 1963	30 November 1966	3 years, 45 days		Independent^[a]	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	5 (1965)
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)
4	Willy Brandt (1913–1992)	21 October 1969	7 May 1974	4 years, 197 days		Social Democratic Party (SPD)	Brandt II SPD–FDP	7 (1972)
–	Walter Scheel (1919–2016) Acting^[b]	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	9 (1980)
							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)
7	Gerhard Schröder (born 1944)	27 October 1998	22 November 2005	7 years, 26 days		Social Democratic Party (SPD)	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	2 years, 347 days		Social Democratic Party (SPD)	Scholz SPD–Green–FDP	20 (2021)

^ No party membership; but affiliated with the CDU.^[10] Later on, Erhard briefly became the leader of the CDU from 1966 to 1967.
^ As Vice Chancellor under Brandt, Scheel served as acting Chancellor following Brandt's resignation.^[11]

Timeline

References

^ ^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.
^ "Tasks of the Federal Chancellor". bundeskanzlerin.de. The Press and Information Office of the Federal Government. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b Verfassung des Norddeutschen Bundes [North German Constitution] (in German). 26 June 1867 – via Wikisource.
^ ^a ^b Constitution of the German Empire [Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs]. 16 April 1871 – via Wikisource.
^ ^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.
^ "Biografie Friedrich Ebert 1871-1925" [Biography of Friedrich Ebert]. www.dhm.de/lemo (in German). LeMO/Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
^ 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.
^ "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.
^ 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.
^ Jörges, Hans Ulrich; Wüllenweber, Walter (25 April 2007). "CDU-Altkanzler: Ludwig Erhard war nie CDU-Mitglied" (in German). Der Stern. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
^ 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.

[8] No elections held during World War II. Last convened on 26 April 1942.

[9] Cabinet nominated in Hitler's testament but never convened.

[13] No party membership; but affiliated with the CDU.^[10] Later on, Erhard briefly became the leader of the CDU from 1966 to 1967.

[15] As Vice Chancellor under Brandt, Scheel served as acting Chancellor following Brandt's resignation.^[11]

[grundgesetz-bpb-1] "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.

[north-german-constitution-3] Verfassung des Norddeutschen Bundes [North German Constitution] (in German). 26 June 1867 – via Wikisource.

[empire-constitution-4] Constitution of the German Empire [Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs]. 16 April 1871 – via Wikisource.

[weimar-constitution-5] "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.

[10] "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.

[unification-treaty-11] 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.

[stern-erhard-cdu-12] Jörges, Hans Ulrich; Wüllenweber, Walter (25 April 2007). "CDU-Altkanzler: Ludwig Erhard war nie CDU-Mitglied" (in German). Der Stern. Retrieved 8 April 2018.

[14] 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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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