Leaders of Germany
(Federal Republic of Germany)
[To the list of countries]
[To the ZPC Homepage]

Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB's website. See also the CIDOB page detailing the German Governments since 1949. The listing of the minister-presidents of the States is available at Rulers.

Current parties:: AfD: Alternative for Germany (2013) - Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: Alliance 90/The Greens (1980/1993) - CDU: Christian Democratic Union (1945) CSU: Christian Social Union of Bavaria (1946) - Die Linke: The Left (2007) - FDP: Free Democratic Party (1948) - NPD: National Democratic Party of Germany (1964) - REP: The Republicans (1983) - SPD: Social Democratic Party of Germany (1875)

Late parties:: BP: The Blue Party - DVU: German People's Union (1987-2011 > NPD) - FVP: Liberal People's Party (1956-1957) - PDS: Party of Democratic Socialism (1990-2005 > Die Linkspartei.PDS) - Die Linkspartei.PDS: The Left Party.PDS (2005-2007 > Die Linke) - WASG: Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative (2005-2007 > Die Linke)


Federal Presidents
Karl Arnold              7 Sep 1949 - 12 Sep 1949 (†1958) CDU (acting)
Theodor Heuss           12 Sep 1949 - 12 Sep 1959 (†1963) FDP  
Karl Heinrich Lübke     12 Sep 1959 -  1 Jul 1969 (†1972) CDU
Gustav Heinemann         1 Jul 1969 -  1 Jul 1974 (†1976) SPD
Walter Scheel            1 Jul 1974 -  1 Jul 1979 (†2016) FDP  
Karl Carstens            1 Jul 1979 -  1 Jul 1984 (†1992) CDU 
Richard von Weizsäcker   1 Jul 1984 -  1 Jul 1994 (†2015) CDU
Roman Herzog             1 Jul 1994 -  1 Jul 1999 (†2017) CDU  
Johannes Rau             1 Jul 1999 -  1 Jul 2004 (†2006) SPD  
Horst Köhler             1 Jul 2004 - 31 May 2010         CDU  
Jens Böhrnsen           31 May 2010 - 30 Jun 2010         SPD (acting)
Christian Wulff         30 Jun 2010 - 17 Feb 2012         CDU
Horst Seehofer          17 Feb 2012 - 18 Mar 2012         CSU (acting)
Joachim Gauck           18 Mar 2012 - 19 Mar 2017         n/p
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 19 Mar 2017 -                     SPD

Federal Chancellors
Konrad Adenauer         15 Sep 1949 - 16 Oct 1963 (†1967) CDU
Ludwig Erhard           16 Oct 1963 -  1 Dec 1966 (†1977) CDU
Kurt Georg Kiesinger     1 Dec 1966 - 21 Oct 1969 (†1988) CDU 
Willy Brandt            21 Oct 1969 -  7 May 1974 (†1992) SPD
Walter Scheel            7 May 1974 - 16 May 1974 (†2016) FDP (acting)  
Helmut Schmidt          16 May 1974 -  1 Oct 1982 (†2015) SPD
Helmut Kohl              1 Oct 1982 - 27 Oct 1998 (†2017) CDU  
Gerhard Schröder        27 Oct 1998 - 22 Nov 2005         SPD  
Angela Merkel           22 Nov 2005 -  8 Dec 2021         CDU
Olaf Scholz              8 Dec 2021 -                     SPD

Federal Vice Chancellors
Franz Blücher           1949-1957 (†1959) FDP, FVP
Ludwig Erhard           1957-1963 (†1977) CDU       
Erich Mende             1963-1966 (†1998) FDP
Hans-Christoph Seebohm  1966      (†1967) CDU 
Willy Brandt            1966-1969 (†1992) SPD 
Walter Scheel           1969-1974 (†2016) FDP 
Hans-Dietrich Genscher  1974-1982 (†2016) FDP
Egon Franke             1982      (†1995) SPD
Hans-Dietrich Genscher  1982-1992 (†2016) FDP
Jürgen Möllemann        1992-1993 (†2003) FDP
Klaus Kinkel            1993-1998 (†2019) FDP 
Joschka Fischer         1998-2005         Die Grünen  
Franz Müntefering       2005-2007         SPD
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2007-2009         SPD   
Guido Westerwelle       2009-2011 (†2016) FDP
Philipp Rösler          2011-2013         FDP
Sigmar Gabriel          2013-2018         SPD     
Olaf Scholz             2018-2021         SPD  
Robert Habeck           2021-             Die Grünen  

Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Konrad Adenauer         1951-1955 (†1967) CDU
Heinrich von Brentano   1955-1961 (†1964) CDU
Gerhard Schröder        1961-1966 (†1989) CDU
Willy Brandt            1966-1969 (†1992) SPD
Walter Scheel           1969-1974 (†2016) FDP
Hans-Dietrich Genscher  1974-1982 (†2016) FDP
Helmut Schmidt          1982      (†2015) SPD
Hans-Dietrich Genscher  1982-1992 (†2016) FDP
Klaus Kinkel            1992-1998 (†2019) FDP
Joschka Fischer         1998-2005         Die Grünen 
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2005-2009         SPD        
Guido Westerwelle       2009-2013 (†2016) FDP
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2013-2017         SPD 
Sigmar Gabriel          2017-2018         SPD   
Heiko Maas              2018-2021         SPD
Annalena Baerbock       2021-             Die Grünen

Ministers of Finance
Fritz Schäffer         1949-1957 (†1965) CSU
Franz Etzel            1957-1961 (†1970) CDU
Heinz Starke           1961-1962 (†2001) FDP
Rolf Dahlgrün          1962-1966 (†1969) FDP
Kurt Schmücker         1966      (†1996) CDU
Franz-Josef Strauss    1966-1969 (†1988) CSU
Alex Möller            1969-1971 (†1985) SPD  
Karl Schiller          1971-1972 (†1994) SPD
Helmut Schmidt         1972-1974 (†2015) SPD
Hans Eberhard Apel     1974-1978 (†2011) SPD
Hans Matthöfer         1978-1982 (†2009) SPD
Manfred Lahnstein      1982              SPD
Gerhard Stoltenberg    1982-1989 (†2001) CDU
Theo Waigel            1989-1998         CSU
Oskar Lafontaine       1998-1999         SPD  
Werner Müller          1999      (†2019) n/p (acting)
Hans Eichel            1999-2005         SPD
Peer Steinbrück        2005-2009         SPD
Wolfgang Schäuble      2009-2017 (†2023) CDU
Peter Altmaier         2017-2018         CDU (acting)
Olaf Scholz            2018-2021         SPD 
Christian Lindner      2021-             FDP 

Ministers of Economy
Ludwig Erhard              1949-1963 (†1977) CDU
Kurt Schmücker             1963-1966 (†1996) CDU         
Karl Schiller              1966-1972 (†1994) SPD
Helmut Schmidt             1972      (†2015) SPD
Hans Friderichs            1972-1977         FDP
Otto Graf Lambsdorff       1977-1982 (†2009) FDP 
Manfred Lahnstein          1982              SPD
Otto Graf Lambsdorff       1982-1984 (†2009) FDP 
Martin Bangemann           1984-1988 (†2022) FDP
Helmut Haussmann           1988-1991         FDP
Jürgen Möllemann           1991-1993 (†2003) FDP
Günther Rexrodt            1993-1998 (†2004) FDP
Werner Müller              1998-2002 (†2019) n/p
Wolfgang Clement           2002-2005 (†2020) SPD
Michael Glos               2005-2009         CSU
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg 2009              CSU
Rainer Brüderle            2009-2011         FDP
Philipp Rösler             2011-2013         FDP
Sigmar Gabriel             2013-2017         SPD
Brigitte Zypries           2017-2018         SPD
Peter Altmaier             2018-2021         CDU
Robert Habeck              2021-             Die Grünen

Ministers of Defence
Theodor Blank              1955-1956 (†1972) CDU 
Franz-Josef Strauss        1956-1963 (†1988) CSU
Kai-Uwe von Hassel         1963-1966 (†1997) CDU
Gerhard Schröder           1966-1969 (†1989) CDU
Helmut Schmidt             1969-1972 (†2015) SPD
Georg Leber                1972-1978 (†2012) SPD
Hans Eberhard Apel         1978-1982 (†2011) SPD
Manfred Wörner             1982-1988 (†1994) CDU
Rupert Scholz              1988-1989         CDU
Gerhard Stoltenberg        1989-1992 (†2001) CDU
Volker Rühe                1992-1998         CDU
Rudolf Scharping           1998-2002         SPD
Peter Struck               2002-2005 (†2012) SPD
Franz Josef Jung           2005-2009         CDU
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg 2009-2011         CSU
Thomas de Maizière         2011-2013         CDU
Ursula von der Leyen       2013-2019         CDU
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer 2019-2021         CDU
Christine Lambrecht        2021-2023         SPD
Boris Pistorius            2023-             SPD

Ministers of the Interior
Gustav Heinemann       1949-1950 (†1976) CDU              
Robert Lehr            1950-1953 (†1956) CDU
Gerhard Schröder       1953-1961 (†1989) CDU
Hermann Höcherl        1961-1965 (†1989) CSU
Paul Lücke             1965-1968 (†1976) CDU
Ernst Benda            1968-1969 (†2009) CDU
Hans-Dietrich Genscher 1969-1974 (†2016) FDP
Werner Maihofer        1974-1978 (†2009) FDP
Gerhart Baum           1978-1982         FDP
Jürgen Schmude         1982              SPD
Friedrich Zimmermann   1982-1989 (†2012) CSU
Wolfgang Schäuble      1989-1991 (†2023) CDU
Rudolf Seiters         1991-1993         CDU                             
Manfred Kanther        1993-1998         CDU                            
Otto Schily            1998-2005         SPD  
Wolfgang Schäuble      2005-2009 (†2023) CDU
Thomas de Maizière     2009-2011         CDU    
Hans-Peter Friedrich   2011-2013         CSU
Thomas de Maiziere     2013-2018         CDU  
Horst Seehofer         2018-2021         CSU     
Nancy Faeser           2021-             SPD                

Presidents of the Bundestag
Erich Köhler           1949-1950 (†1958) CDU
Hermann Ehlers         1950-1954 (†1954) CDU
Eugen Gerstenmaier     1954-1969 (†1986) CDU
Kai-Uwe von Hassel     1969-1972 (†1997) CDU
Annemarie Renger       1972-1976 (†2008) SPD
Karl Carstens          1976-1979 (†1992) CDU
Richard Stücklen       1979-1983 (†2002) CSU
Rainer Barzel          1983-1984 (†2006) CDU
Philipp Jenninger      1984-1988 (†2018) CDU
Rita Süssmuth          1988-1998         CDU
Wolfgang Thierse       1998-2005         SPD
Norbert Lammert        2005-2017         CDU
Wolfgang Schäuble      2017-2021 (†2023) CDU
Bärbel Bas             2021-             SPD

Presidents of the Bundesrat
Karl Arnold            1949-1950 (†1958) CDU  
Hans Ehard             1950-1951 (†1980) CSU 
Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf   1951-1952 (†1961) SPD  
Reinhold Maier         1952-1953 (†1971) FDP 
Georg August Zinn      1953-1954 (†1976) SPD  
Peter Altmeier         1954-1955 (†1977) CDU     
Kai-Uwe von Hassel     1955-1956 (†1997) CDU  
Kurt Sieveking         1956-1957 (†1986) CDU  
Willy Brandt           1957-1958 (†1992) SPD                    
Wilhelm Kaisen         1958-1959 (†1979) SPD
Franz Josef Röder      1959-1960 (†1979) CDU
Franz Meyers           1960-1961 (†2002) CDU
Hans Ehard             1961-1962 (†1980) CSU
Kurt Georg Kiesinger   1962-1963 (†1988) CDU
Georg Diederichs       1963-1964 (†1983) SPD
Georg August Zinn      1964-1965 (†1976) SPD
Peter Altmeier         1965-1966 (†1977) CDU
Helmut Lemke           1966-1967 (†1990) CDU
Klaus Schütz           1967-1968 (†2012) SPD
Herbert Weichmann      1968-1969 (†1983) SPD
Franz Josef Röder      1969-1970 (†1979) CDU
Hans Koschnick         1970-1971 (†2016) SPD
Heinz Kühn             1971-1972 (†1992) SPD
Alfons Goppel          1972-1973 (†1991) CSU
Hans Filbinger         1973-1974 (†2007) CDU 
Alfred Kubel           1974-1975 (†1999) SPD
Albert Osswald         1975-1976 (†1996) SPD
Bernhard Vogel         1976-1977         CDU
Gerhard Stoltenberg    1977-1978 (†2001) CDU
Dietrich Stobbe        1978-1979 (†2011) SPD
Hans-Ulrich Klose      1979-1980         SPD
Werner Zeyer           1980-1981 (†2000) CDU
Hans Koschnick         1981-1982 (†2016) SPD
Johannes Rau           1982-1983 (†2006) SPD 
Franz Josef Strauss    1983-1984 (†1988) CSU
Lothar Späth           1984-1985 (†2016) CDU
Ernst Albrecht         1985-1986 (†2014) CDU
Holger Börner          1986-1987 (†2006) SPD
Walter Wallmann        1987      (†2013) CDU
Bernhard Vogel         1987-1988         CDU
Björn Engholm          1988-1989         SPD
Walter Momper          1989-1990         SPD
Henning Voscherau      1990-1991 (†2016) SPD
Alfred Gomolka         1991-1992         CDU
Berndt Seite           1992              CDU
Oskar Lafontaine       1992-1993         SPD
Klaus Wedemeier        1993-1994         SPD
Johannes Rau           1994-1995 (†2006) SPD 
Edmund Stoiber         1995-1996         CSU
Erwin Teufel           1996-1997         CDU
Gerhard Schröder       1997-1998         SPD 
Hans Eichel            1998-1999         SPD
Roland Koch            1999              CDU
Kurt Biedenkopf        1999-2000 (†2021) CDU
Kurt Beck              2000-2001         SPD
Klaus Wowereit         2001-2002         SPD
Wolfgang Böhmer        2002-2003         CDU
Dieter Althaus         2003-2004         CDU
Matthias Platzeck      2004-2005         SPD
Peter Harry Carstensen 2005-2006         CDU
Harald Ringstorff      2006-2007         SPD
Ole von Beust          2007-2008         CDU
Peter Müller           2008-2009         CDU
Jens Böhrnsen          2009-2010         SPD
Hannelore Kraft        2010-2011         SPD
Horst Seehofer         2011-2012         CSU
Winfried Kretschmann   2012-2013         Die Grünen
Stephan Weil           2013-2014         SPD
Volker Bouffier        2014-2015         CDU
Stanislaw Tillich      2015-2016         CDU
Malu Dreyer            2016-2017         SPD
Michael Müller         2017-2018         SPD
Daniel Günther         2018-2019         CDU
Dietmar Woidke         2019-2020         SPD
Reiner Haseloff        2020-2021         CDU
Bodo Ramelow           2021-2022         Die Linke
Peter Tschentscher     2022-2023         SPD
Manuela Schwesig       2023-             SPD

Defeated electoral candidates to Federal Chancellor
1949 Kurt Schumacher      (†1952) SPD
1953 Erich Ollenhauer     (†1963) SPD
1957 Erich Ollenhauer     (†1963) SPD
1961 Willy Brandt         (†1992) SPD 	
1965 Willy Brandt         (†1992) SPD 
1969 Kurt Georg Kiesinger (†1988) CDU 
1972 Rainer Barzel        (†2006) CDU 
1976 Helmut Kohl          (†2017) CDU 
1980 Franz-Josef Strauss  (†1988) CSU
1983 Hans-Jochen Vogel    (†2020) SPD 
1987 Johannes Rau         (†2006) SPD 
1990 Oskar Lafontaine             SPD 
1994 Rudolf Scharping             SPD 
1998 Helmut Kohl          (†2017) CDU 
2002 Edmund Stoiber               CSU 
2005 Gerhard Schröder             SPD 
2009 Frank-Walter Steinmeier      SPD
2013 Peer Steinbrück              SPD
2017 Martin Schulz                SPD
2021 Armin Laschet                CDU

Leaders of SPD
Chairmen
Kurt Schumacher         1946-1952 (†1952)     
Erich Ollenhauer        1952-1963 (†1963)     
Willy Brandt            1964-1987 (†1992) 				
Hans-Jochen Vogel       1987-1991 (†2020)        
Björn Engholm           1991-1993         
Johannes Rau            1993      (†2006) (acting)
Rudolf Scharping        1993-1995        
Oskar Lafontaine        1995-1999
Gerhard Schröder        1999-2004
Franz Müntefering       2004-2005         
Matthias Platzeck       2005-2006  
Kurt Beck               2006-2008
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2008              (acting)
Franz Müntefering       2008-2009
Sigmar Gabriel          2009-2017
Martin Schulz           2017-2018
Olaf Scholz             2018              (acting)  
Andrea Nahles           2018-2019
Manuela Schwesig +
Malu Dreyer      +
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel 2019              (acting)
Malu Dreyer             2019              (acting)
Saskia Esken           +
Norbert Walter-Borjans  2019-2021
Saskia Esken           +
Lars Klingbeil          2021-

The SPD was founded on 27 May 1875.


Chairmen of CDU
Konrad Adenauer            1945-1966 (†1967) 
Ludwig Erhard              1966-1967 (†1977) 
Kurt Georg Kiesinger       1967-1971 (†1988) 
Rainer Barzel              1971-1973 (†2006) 
Helmut Kohl                1973-1998 (†2017)         
Wolfgang Schäuble          1998-2000 (†2023)       
Angela Merkel              2000-2018
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer 2018-2021
Armin Laschet              2021-2022
Friedrich Merz             2022-     

The CDU was founded on 26 Jun 1945.


Chairmen of CSU
Hans Ehard             1946-1955 (†1980) 
Hanns Seidel           1955-1961 (†1961) 
Franz-Josef Strauss    1961-1988 (†1988)    
Theo Waigel            1988-1999         
Edmund Stoiber         1999-2007
Erwin Huber            2007-2008
Horst Seehofer         2008-2019
Markus Söder           2019-             

The CSU was founded on 13 Oct 1945.


Chairmen of FDP
Theodor Heuss          1948-1949 (†1963) 
Franz Blücher          1949-1954 (†1959)
Thomas Dehler          1954-1957 (†1967) 
Reinhold Maier         1957-1960 (†1971) 
Erich Mende            1960-1968 (†1998) 
Walter Scheel          1968-1974 (†2016)        
Hans-Dietrich Genscher 1974-1985 (†2016)        
Martin Bangemann       1985-1988 (†2022)        
Otto Graf Lambsdorff   1988-1993 (†2009)        
Klaus Kinkel           1993-1995 (†2019)        
Wolfgang Gerhardt      1995-2001         
Guido Westerwelle      2001-2011 (†2016)
Philipp Rösler         2011-2013
Christian Lindner      2013-                                       

The CSU was founded on 12 Dec 1948.


Co-Speakers/Co-Chairmen of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Herbert Gruhl (†1993) + August Haussleiter (†1989) + Helmut Neddermeyer  1980     (acting)
August Haussleiter (†1989) + Petra Kelly (†1992) + Norbert Mann          1980
Dieter Burgmann + Petra Kelly (†1992) + Norbert Mann                     1980-1981
Dieter Burgmann + Petra Kelly (†1992) + Manon Maren-Grisebach            1981-1982
Wilhelm Knabe + Manon Maren-Grisebach + Rainer Trampert                  1982-1983
Wilhelm Knabe + Rebekka Schmidt + Rainer Trampert                        1983-1984
Lukas Beckmann + Jutta Ditfurth + Rainer Trampert                        1984-1987
Jutta Ditfurth + Regina Michalik + Christian Schmidt                     1987-1989
Ralf Fücks + Ruth Hammerbacher + Verena Krieger                          1989-1990
Renate Damus (†1992) + Heide Rühle + Christian Ströbele                  1990-1991
Ludger Volmer + Christine Weiske                                         1991-1993
Ludger Volmer + Marianne Birthler                                        1993-1994
Jürgen Trittin + Krista Sager                                            1994-1996
Jürgen Trittin + Gunda Röstel                                            1996-1998
Antje Radcke + Gunda Röstel                                              1998-2000
Renate Künast + Fritz Kuhn                                               2000-2001
Claudia Roth + Fritz Kuhn                                                2001-2002
Angelika Beer + Reinhard Bütikofer                                       2002-2004
Claudia Roth + Reinhard Bütikofer                                        2004-2008
Claudia Roth + Cem Özdemir                                               2008-2013
Simone Peter + Cem Özdemir                                               2013-2018
Annalena Baerbock + Robert Habeck                                        2018-2022
Ricarda Lang + Omid Nouripour                                            2022-

Die Grünen was founded on 13 Jan 1980. On 14 May 1993 it merged with Bündnis 90, a party based on the former GDR.


Chairmen of PDS and Die Linkspartei.PDS (1990-2007)
Gregor Gysi       1990-1993        
Lothar Bisky      1993-2000 (†2013)        
Gabi Zimmer       2000-2003         
Lothar Bisky      2003-2007 (†2013)       

The PDS evolved from the previous Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED, Communist), the former single ruling party in the GDR. The SED became the SED-PDS on 15 Dec 1989 and subsequently the PDS on 4 Feb 1990. On 17 Jul 2005 the PDS adopted as name The Left Party.PDS. On 16 Jun 2007 it merged with the WASG to create The Left (Die Linke), ceasing to exist.


Co-Leaders of WASG (2005-2007)
Christine Buchholz + 
Klaus Ernst        + 
Thomas Händel      + 
Axel Troost          2005-2007

WASG was founded on 22 Jan 2005 by splinters of SPD and other lefitst polititians. On 16 Jun 2007 it merged with The Left Party.PDS to create The Left (Die Linke), ceasing to exist.


Co-Leaders of Die Linke
Lothar Bisky (†2013) + Oskar Lafontaine 2007-2010
Gesine Lötzsch + Klaus Ernst            2010-2012
Katja Kipping + Bernd Riexinger         2012-2021
Janine Wissler + Susanne Hennig-Wellsow 2021-2022
Janine Wissler                          2022  
Janine Wissler + Martin Schirdewan      2022-     

Die Linke (The Left) was founded on 16 Jun 2007 as the merger of The Left Party.PDS and the WASG.


Spokespersons of AfD

Frauke Petry + Konrad Adam + Bernd Lucke 2013-2015
Frauke Petry + Jörg Meuthen              2015-2017
Jörg Meuthen + Alexande Gauland          2017-2019
Jörg Meuthen + Tino Chrupalla            2019-2022
Tino Chrupalla + Alice Weidel            2022-

AfD was founded on 6 Feb 2013.


Chairmen of REP
Franz Handlos       1983-1985 (†2013)
Franz Schönhuber    1985-1994 (†2005) 
Rolf Schlierer      1994-2014  
Johann Gärtner      2014-2016    
Kevin Krieger       2016-2019
Michael Felgenheuer 2019 
Tilo Schöne         2019-

REP was founded on 26 Nov 1983.


Leaders of DVU (1971-2011)
Gerhard Frey      1987-2009 (†2013)
Matthias Faust    2009-2011

DVU was founded in 1971 as a non-partisan organization by G. Frey. Since Mar 1987 it contitued as a party properly with the name DVU-Liste D. In 1991 it changed its name to simply DVU. In 2011 the party merged with the NPD, ceasing to exist.


Chairmen of NPD
Fritz Thielen     1964-1967 (†1993)
Wilhelm Gutmann   1967      (†1976) (interim)  
Adolf von Thadden 1967-1971 (†1996)
Martin Mußgnug    1971-1991 (†1997) 
Walter Bachmann   1991              (interim)
Günter Deckert    1991-1996
Udo Voigt         1996-2011
Holger Apfel      2011-2013
Udo Pastörs       2013-2014
Frank Franz       2014-

The NPD was founded on 28 Nov 1964.


Leaders of BP (2017-2019)
Frauke Petry      2017-2019

The BP was founded on 17 Sep 2017 by splinters of AfD and was dissolved on 31 Dec 2019.

[To the list of countries] [To the ZPC Homepage]


ZPC homepage© Copyright ZPC, Roberto Ortiz de Zárate, 1996-2024
URL of this page: http://zarate.eu/germany.htm | E-mail: zpc@zarate.eu