# Head of the Federal Chancellery of Germany

The Head of the Chancellery (German: Chef des Bundeskanzleramtes, abbreviated ChefBK) is the highest ranking official of the German Chancellery and the principal assistant of the Chancellor of Germany. The Chief of Staff is in charge of the running of the German Chancellery as well as with coordinating the federal government's work. The Chief of Staff is either a member of the federal cabinet with the rank of Federal Minister for Special Affairs or holds the rank of Secretary of State. All Chiefs of Staff since 2005 have been members of the federal cabinet.

## List of the heads of the Federal Chancellery

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Rank | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Rank | Ref. |
| 1 | | Franz-Josef Wuermeling (1900–1986) | 12 October 1949 | 14 January 1951 | 1 year, 94 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 2 | | Walter Hallstein (1901–1982) | 17 October 1949 | 1 March 1950 | 135 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 3 | | Otto Lenz (1903–1957) | 15 January 1951 | 19 September 1953 | 2 years, 247 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 4 | | Hans Globke (1898–1973) | 28 October 1953 | 15 October 1963 | 9 years, 352 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 5 | | Ludger Westrick (1894–1990) | 17 October 1963 | 16 June 1964 | 243 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 5 | | Ludger Westrick (1894–1990) | 16 June 1964 | 30 November 1966 | 2 years, 167 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 6 | | Werner Knieper (1909–1977) | 1 December 1966 | 31 December 1967 | 1 year, 30 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 7 | | Karl Carstens (1914–1992) | 1 January 1968 | 22 October 1969 | 1 year, 294 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 8 | | Horst Ehmke (1927–2017) | 22 October 1969 | 18 December 1972 | 3 years, 57 days | | SPD | Federal Minister | |
| 9 | | Horst Grabert (1927–2011) | 18 December 1972 | 15 May 1974 | 1 year, 148 days | | SPD | Secretary of State | |
| 10 | | Manfred Schüler (born 1932) | 16 May 1974 | 1 December 1980 | 6 years, 199 days | | SPD | Secretary of State | |
| 11 | | Manfred Lahnstein (born 1937) | 1 December 1980 | 28 April 1982 | 1 year, 148 days | | SPD | Secretary of State | |
| 12 | | Gerhard Konow (1929–1997) | 29 April 1982 | 4 October 1982 | 159 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 13 | | Waldemar Schreckenberger (1929–2017) | 4 October 1982 | 15 November 1984 | 2 years, 42 days | | CDU | Secretary of State | |
| 14 | | Wolfgang Schäuble (1942-2023) | 15 November 1984 | 20 April 1989 | 4 years, 156 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 15 | | Rudolf Seiters (born 1937) | 21 April 1989 | 25 November 1991 | 2 years, 218 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 16 | | Friedrich Bohl (born 1945) | 26 November 1991 | 27 October 1998 | 6 years, 335 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 17 | | Bodo Hombach (born 1952) | 27 October 1998 | 7 July 1999 | 253 days | | SPD | Federal Minister | |
| 18 | | Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 1956) | 7 July 1999 | 22 November 2005 | 6 years, 138 days | | SPD | Secretary of State | |
| 19 | | Thomas de Maizière (born 1954) | 22 November 2005 | 28 October 2009 | 3 years, 340 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 20 | | Ronald Pofalla (born 1959) | 28 October 2009 | 17 December 2013 | 4 years, 50 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 21 | | Peter Altmaier (born 1958) | 17 December 2013 | 14 March 2018 | 4 years, 87 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 22 | | Helge Braun (born 1972) | 14 March 2018 | 8 December 2021 | 3 years, 269 days | | CDU | Federal Minister | |
| 23 | | Wolfgang Schmidt (born 1970) | 8 December 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 26 days | | SPD | Federal Minister | |