Chancellor of Germany

From Wikimerica, the United States encyclopedia 
The chancellor of Germany 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.
The office was created in the North German Confederation in 1867, 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. 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.
The constitution was set aside during the 1933–1945 Nazi dictatorship. During 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.
== North German Confederation (1867–1871) ==
; Federal Chancellor of the North German Confederation
The North German Confederation came into existence after the falling apart of the German Confederation, itself caused by Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The chancellor was appointed by the Prussian king.
Portrait	Name 	Term of office	Term of office	Term of office 	Political Party	Political Party
Portrait	Name 	Took office 	Left office 	Time in office 	Political Party	Political Party
 	Otto von Bismarck	July 11867 	March 211871 	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). The newly created emperor named the chancellor to serve at his pleasure.
Political parties:
No.	Portrait	Name 	Term of office	Term of office 	Term of office 	Political party	Political party 	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name 	Took office 	Left office 	Time in office 	Political party	Political party 	Cabinet
1 	 	Otto von Bismarck 	Match 211871 	March 201890 	3 years, 263 days	Non-partisan 	Bismarck 	
2 	 	Leo von Caprivi 	March 201890 	October 261894 	4 years, 220 days	Non-partisan 	Caprivi 	
3 	 	Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst	October 291894	October 171900 	5 years, 353 days	Non-partisan 	Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst	
4 	 	Bernhard von Bülow 	October 171900	July 141909 	8 years, 270 days	Non-partisan 	Bülow 	
5 	 	Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg 	July 141909 	July 131917 	7 years, 364 days	Non-partisan 	Bethmann-Hollweg 	
6 	 	Georg Michaelis 	July 141917 	November 11917 	110 days 	Non-partisan 	Michaelis 	
7 	 	Georg von Hertling 	November 11917	Setepmber 301918	333 days 	Centre Party 	Hertling 	
8 	 	Max von Baden 	October 31918 	November 91918 	37 days 	Non-partisan 	Baden 	
=== Weimar Republic (1918–1933) ===
; Reich Chancellor of the German Reich
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.
The Weimar Constitution of 1919 set the framework for the Weimar Republic. The chancellors were often dependent on support from the president.
No. 	Portrait 	Name 	Term of office 	Term of office 	Term of office 	Political party 	Political party 	Cabinet 	Reichstag
No. 	Portrait 	Name 	Took office 	Left office 	Time in office 	Political party 	Political party 	Cabinet 	Reichstag
Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)	Pre-constitutional Weimar Republic (1918–1919)
9 	 	Friedrich Ebert
(de facto head of government) 	November 91918 	Febuary 131919 	96 day 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Council of the People's Deputies
SPD–USPD
(as of 29 December 1918 SPD alone)	– 	
10 	 	Philipp Scheidemann 	February 131919 	June 201919 	127 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Scheidemann
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) 	Nat.Ass.
(1919) 	
11 	 	Gustav Bauer 	June 211919 	August 141919 	54 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Bauer
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) 	Nat.Ass.
(1919) 	
Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 	Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
11 	 	Gustav Bauer 	August 14 1919 	March 261920 	225 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Bauer
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) 	Nat.Ass. 	
12 	 	Hermann Müller 	March 271920 	June 211920 	86 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Müller I
SPD–DDP–Z
(Weimar Coalition) 	Nat.Ass. 	
13 	 	Constantin Fehrenbach 	June 251920 	March 41921 	313 days 	Centre Party 	Fehrenbach
Z–DDP–DVP 	1920 German federal election|1 	
14 	 	Joseph Wirth 	May 101921 	November 141922 	1 year, 188 days 	Centre Party 	Wirth I
Z–SPD–DDP
(Weimar Coalition) 	1920 German federal election|1 	
14 	 	Joseph Wirth 	May 101921 	November 141922 	1 year, 188 days 	Centre Party 	Wirth II
Z–SPD–DDP
(Weimar Coalition) 	1920 German federal election|1 	
15 	 	Wilhelm Cuno 	November 221922 	August 121923 	263 days 	Non-partisan 	Cuno
Ind.–DVP–DDP–Z–BVP 	1920 German federal election|1 	
16 	 	Gustav Stresemann 	August 131923 	November 301923 	109 days 	German People's Party 	Stresemann I
DVP–SPD–Z–DDP 	1920 German federal election|1 	
16 	 	Gustav Stresemann 	August 131923 	November 301923 	109 days 	German People's Party 	Stresemann II
DVP–SPD–Z–DDP 	1920 German federal election|1 	
17 	 	Wilhelm Marx 	November 301923 	January 151925 	1 year, 46 days 	 	Centre Party 	1920 German federal election|1 	Marx I
Z–DVP–BVP–DDP
17 	 	Wilhelm Marx 	November 301923 	January 151925 	1 year, 46 days 	 	Centre Party 	Marx II
Z–DVP–BVP–DDP 	2
18 	 	Hans Luther 	January 151925 	May 121926 	1 year, 117 days 	Non-partisan 	Luther I
DVP–DNVP–Z–DDP–BVP 	December 1924 German federal election|3 	
18 	 	Hans Luther 	January 151925 	May 121926 	1 year, 117 days 	Non-partisan 	Luther II
DVP–DNVP–Z–DDP–BVP 	December 1924 German federal election|3 	
17 	 	Wilhelm Marx 	May 171926 	June 121928 	2 years, 26 days 	Centre Party 	Marx III
Z–DVP–DDP–BVP 	December 1924 German federal election|3 	
17 	 	Wilhelm Marx 	May 171926 	June 121928 	2 years, 26 days 	Centre Party 	Marx IV
Z–DVP–DDP–BVP 	December 1924 German federal election|3 	
12 	 	Hermann Müller 	June 281928 	March 271930 	1 year, 272 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Müller II
SPD–DVP–DDP–Z–BVP 	4 	
19 	 	Heinrich Brüning 	March 301930 	May 301932 	2 years, 61 days 	Centre Party 	Brüning I
Z–DDP–DVP–WF–BVP–KVP 	1930 German federal election|5 	
19 	 	Heinrich Brüning 	March 301930 	May 301932 	2 years, 61 days 	Centre Party 	Brüning II
Z–DDP–DVP–WF–BVP–KVP 	1930 German federal election|5 	
20 	 	Franz von Papen 	June 11932 	November 171932 	169 days 	Non-partisan 	Papen
Ind.–DNVP 	6 	
21 	 	Kurt von Schleicher 	December 31932 	January 281933 	56 days 	Non-partisan 	Schleicher
Ind.–DNVP 	7 	
=== Nazi Germany (1933–1945) ===
; Reich Chancellor of the German Reich
;
No.	Portrait	Name 	Term of office 	Term of office	Term of office 	Political Party 	Political Party	Cabinet 	Reichstag
No.	Portrait	Name 	Took office 	Left office 	Time in office 	Political Party 	Political Party	Cabinet 	Reichstag
22 	 	FührerAdolf Hitler 	January 301933 	April 301945 	12 years, 90 days	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	Hitler
NSDAP – DNVP (until 1933)	March 1933 German federal election|8 	
22 	 	FührerAdolf Hitler 	January 301933 	April 301945 	12 years, 90 days	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	Hitler
NSDAP – DNVP (until 1933)	November 1933 German parliamentary election|9	
22 	 	FührerAdolf Hitler 	January 301933 	April 301945 	12 years, 90 days	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	Hitler
NSDAP – DNVP (until 1933)	1936 German election and referendum|10 	
22 	 	FührerAdolf Hitler 	January 301933 	April 301945 	12 years, 90 days	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	Hitler
NSDAP – DNVP (until 1933)	1938 German election and referendum|11 	
23 	 	Joseph Goebbels 	April 301945(de jure)	May 11945 	1 days 	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	(Cabinet nominated in Hitler's testament but never convened)
NSDAP	— 	
24 	 	Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigkas Leading Minister	May 21945 	May 231945 	21 days 	National SocialistGerman Workers' Party	Schwerin von Krosigk
NSDAP	— 	
== Federal Republic of Germany (1949–2104)== 
; Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Germany
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. 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.
No.	Portrait	Name 	Term of office	Term of office	Term of office 	Political party 	Political party	Cabinet 	Bundestag
No.	Portrait	Name 	Took office 	Left office 	Time in office 	Political party 	Political party	Cabinet 	Bundestag
25 	 	Konrad Adenauer 	15 September
1949	20 October
1953	14 years, 30 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Adenauer I
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP	1 	
25 	 	Konrad Adenauer 	20 October
1953	29 October
1957	14 years, 30 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Adenauer II
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP	2 	
25 	 	Konrad Adenauer 	29 October
1957	14 November
1961	14 years, 30 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Adenauer III
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP	1957 West German federal election|3 	
25 	 	Konrad Adenauer 	14 November
1961	15 October
1963	14 years, 30 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Adenauer IV
CDU/CSU–FDP–DP	1961 West German federal election|4 	
26 	 	Ludwig Erhard 	16 October
1963	26 October
1965	
3 years, 45 days	Independent 	Erhard I
CDU/CSU–FDP	1961 West German federal election|4 	
26 	 	Ludwig Erhard 	26 October
1965	30 November
1966	
3 years, 45 days	Independent 	Erhard II
CDU/CSU–FDP	1965 West German federal election|5 	
27 	 	Kurt Georg Kiesinger	1 December
1966	21 October
1969	2 years, 324 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kiesinger
CDU/CSU–SPD	1965 West German federal election|5 	
28 	 	Willy Brandt 	22 October
1969	15 December
1972	4 years, 197 days	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Brandt I
SPD–FDP	1969 West German federal election|6 	
28 	 	Willy Brandt 	15 December
1972	7 May
1974 	4 years, 197 days	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Brandt II
SPD–FDP	1972 West German federal election|7 	
– 	 	Walter Scheel 	7 May
1974 	16 May
1974 	9 days 	Free Democratic Party(FDP) 	Brandt II
(acting)	1972 West German federal election|7 	
29 	 	Helmut Schmidt 	16 May
1974 	14 December
1976	8 years, 138 days	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Schmidt I
SPD–FDP	1972 West German federal election|7 	
29 	 	Helmut Schmidt 	16 December
1976	4 November
1980	8 years, 138 days	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Schmidt II
SPD–FDP	1976 West German federal election|8 	
29 	 	Helmut Schmidt 	6 November
1980	1 October
1982	8 years, 138 days	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Schmidt III
SPD–FDP	1980 West German federal election|9 	
30 	 	Helmut Kohl 	1 October
1982	29 March
1983 	16 years, 26 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kohl I
CDU/CSU–FDP	1980 West German federal election|9 	
30 	 	Helmut Kohl 	30 March
1983 	11 March
1987 	16 years, 26 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kohl II
CDU/CSU–FDP	1983 West German federal election|10	
30 	 	Helmut Kohl 	12 March
1987 	18 January
1991	16 years, 26 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kohl III
CDU/CSU–FDP	1987 West German federal election|11	
30 	 	Helmut Kohl 	18 January
1991	17 November
1994	16 years, 26 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kohl IV
CDU/CSU–FDP	1990 German federal election|12 	
30 	 	Helmut Kohl 	17 November
1994	27 October
1998	16 years, 26 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Kohl V
CDU/CSU–FDP	1994 German federal election|13 	
31 	 	Gerhard Schröder 	27 October
1998	22 October
2002	7 years, 26 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Schröder I
SPD–Green	1998 German federal election|14 	
31 	 	Gerhard Schröder 	22 October
2002	22 November
2005	7 years, 26 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Schröder II
SPD–Green	2002 German federal election|15 	
32 	 	Angela Merkel 	22 November
2005	28 October
2009	16 years, 16 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Merkel I
CDU/CSU–SPD	2005 German federal election|16 	
32 	 	Angela Merkel 	28 October
2009	17 December
2013	16 years, 16 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Merkel II
CDU/CSU–SPD	2009 German federal election|17 	
32 	 	Angela Merkel 	17 December
2013	14 March
2018 	16 years, 16 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Merkel III
CDU/CSU–SPD	2013 German federal election|18 	
32 	 	Angela Merkel 	14 March
2018 	8 December
2021	16 years, 16 days	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	Merkel IV
CDU/CSU–SPD	2017 German federal election|19 	
33 	 	Olaf Scholz 	8 December
2021	Incumbent 	4 years, 6 days 	Social Democratic Party(SPD) 	Scholz
SPD–Green–FDP	2021 German federal election|20 	
==Timeline==
==See also==
*Leadership of East Germany
*List of chancellors of Germany by time in office
*List of German monarchs
*List of German presidents
*Minister-Presidents of the French "Saar protectorate"
*Religious affiliations of chancellors of Germany
*List of vice chancellors of Germany
==References==
 
Chancellor
Germany
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