List of German Prime Ministers Party Term Present Birth Death, German Prime Ministers Chancellors list,
Germany December 6, 2016,List of German Prime Ministers Party Term Present Birth Death, German Prime Ministers list, Current List of Prime Ministers of Germany, Chancellors of Germany, Germany Prime Ministers list
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 the office became known as the Chancellor of Germany. Bismarck, who was Chancellor until 1890, is the longest-serving Chancellor to this date.
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 to be appointed by the President, but were responsible to Parliament. The constitution was set aside during the 1933–1945 Nazi dictatorship. The 1949 German constitution made the Chancellor the most important office in the country, while diminishing the role of the President.
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Name |
Term of Office |
Political Party |
Cabinet |
Bundestag |
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Took Office |
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Left Office |
Duration |
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Konrad Adenauer |
20 September 1949 |
20 October 1953 |
14 years, 31 days |
Christian Democratic Union |
Adenauer I |
CDU/CSU –FDP – DP |
1 (1949) |
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20 October 1953 |
29 October 1957 |
Adenauer II |
CDU/CSU –FDP/FVP[3] |
2 (1953) |
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29 October 1957 |
14 November 1961 |
Adenauer III |
CDU/CSU –DP[4] |
3 (1957) |
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14 November 1961 |
13 December 1962 |
Adenauer IV |
CDU/CSU –FDP |
4 (1961) |
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14 December 1962 |
11 October 1963 |
Adenauer V |
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One of the "founding fathers" of the Federal Republic of Germany, Adenauer pursued conservative and pro-western policies. |
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Ludwig Erhard |
17 October 1963 |
26 October 1965 |
3 years, 46 days |
No party membership;[3] |
Erhard I |
CDU/CSU –FDP |
4 ( ···· ) |
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26 October 1965 |
30 November 1966 |
Erhard II |
5 (1965) |
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As Minister of the Economy, Erhard oversaw the economic miracle, before his three-year term as Chancellor. |
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Kurt Georg Kiesinger |
1 December 1966 |
21 October 1969 |
2 years, 324 days |
Christian Democratic Union |
Kiesinger |
CDU/CSU –SPD |
5 ( ···· ) |
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Kiesinger led the Federal Republic's first Grand coalition. |
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Willy Brandt |
22 October 1969 |
15 December 1972 |
4 years, 198 days |
Social Democratic Party of Germany |
Brandt I |
SPD – FDP |
6 (1969) |
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15 December 1972 |
7 May 1974 |
Brandt II |
7 (1972) |
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The first SPD Chancellor since 1930, Brandt led a Social-liberal coalition. He pursued a policy of Ostpolitik. |
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Walter Scheel |
7 May 1974 |
16 May 1974 |
9 days |
Free Democratic Party |
(acting) |
SPD – FDP |
7 ( ···· ) |
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As Vice-Chancellor under Brandt, Scheel served as acting Chancellor following Brandt's resignation. |
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Helmut Schmidt |
16 May 1974 |
14 December 1976 |
8 years, 138 days |
Social Democratic Party of Germany |
Schmidt I |
SPD – FDP |
7 ( ···· ) |
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16 December 1976 |
4 November 1980 |
Schmidt II |
8 (1976) |
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6 November 1980 |
1 October 1982 |
Schmidt III |
9 (1980) |
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Schmidt succeeded Brandt at the head of the Social-liberal coalition, until the FDP stood down. |
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Helmut Kohl |
1 October 1982 |
29 March 1983 |
16 years, 26 days |
Christian Democratic Union |
Kohl I |
CDU/CSU –FDP |
9 ( ···· ) |
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30 March 1983 |
11 March 1987 |
Kohl II |
10 (1983) |
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12 March 1987 |
18 January 1991 |
Kohl III |
CDU/CSU –FDP – DSU |
11 (1987) |
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18 January 1991 |
17 November 1994 |
Kohl IV |
CDU/CSU –FDP |
12 (1990) |
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17 November 1994 |
27 October 1998 |
Kohl V |
13 (1994) |
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Kohl held office for the longest period since Bismarck; he oversaw German reunification in 1990. |
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Gerhard Schröder |
27 October 1998 |
22 October 2002 |
7 years, 26 days |
Social Democratic Party of Germany |
Schröder I |
SPD – Green |
14 (1998) |
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22 October 2002 |
22 November 2005 |
Schröder II |
15 (2002) |
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Schröder marked the arrival to power of the "generation of '68"; he headed a Red-green alliance. |
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Angela Merkel |
22 November 2005 |
28 October 2009 |
11 years, 13 days |
Christian Democratic Union |
Merkel I |
CDU/CSU –SPD |
16 (2005) |
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28 October 2009 |
17 December 2013 |
Merkel II |
CDU/CSU –FDP |
17 (2009) |
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17 December 2013 |
Incumbent |
Merkel III |
CDU/CSU –SPD |
18 (2013) |
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The first female Chancellor and the first from former East Germany Merkel led a Grand coalition,during her first and third term. |
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