| No. | Portrait | Name
(born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Rank | Ref. |
|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|
| 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 | |
| 3 |  | Otto Lenz
(1903–1957) | 15 January 1951 | 19 September 1953 | 2 years, 247 days | |
| 4 |  | Hans Globke
(1898–1973) | 28 October 1953 | 15 October 1963 | 9 years, 352 days | |
| 5 |  | Ludger Westrick
(1894–1990) | 17 October 1963 | 16 June 1964 | 243 days | |
| 16 June 1964 | 30 November 1966 | 2 years, 167 days | Federal Minister | |
| 6 |  | Werner Knieper
(1909–1977) | 1 December 1966 | 31 December 1967 | 1 year, 30 days | Secretary of State | |
| 7 |  | Karl Carstens
(1914–1992) | 1 January 1968 | 22 October 1969 | 1 year, 294 days | |
| 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 | Secretary of State | |
| 10 |  | Manfred Schüler
(1932–2025) | 16 May 1974 | 1 December 1980 | 6 years, 199 days | |
| 11 |  | Manfred Lahnstein
(born 1937) | 1 December 1980 | 28 April 1982 | 1 year, 148 days | |
| 12 |  | Gerhard Konow
(1929–1997) | 29 April 1982 | 4 October 1982 | 159 days | | CDU | |
|---|
| 13 |  | Waldemar Schreckenberger
(1929–2017) | 4 October 1982 | 15 November 1984 | 2 years, 42 days | |
| 14 |  | Wolfgang Schäuble
(1942–2023) | 15 November 1984 | 20 April 1989 | 4 years, 156 days | Federal Minister | |
| 15 |  | Rudolf Seiters
(born 1937) | 21 April 1989 | 25 November 1991 | 2 years, 218 days | |
| 16 |  | Friedrich Bohl
(born 1945) | 26 November 1991 | 27 October 1998 | 6 years, 335 days | |
| 17 |  | Bodo Hombach
(born 1952) | 27 October 1998 | 7 July 1999 | 253 days | | SPD | |
|---|
| 18 |  | Frank-Walter Steinmeier
(born 1956) | 7 July 1999 | 22 November 2005 | 6 years, 138 days | 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 | |
| 21 |  | Peter Altmaier
(born 1958) | 17 December 2013 | 14 March 2018 | 4 years, 87 days | |
| 22 |  | Helge Braun
(born 1972) | 14 March 2018 | 8 December 2021 | 3 years, 269 days | |
| 23 |  | Wolfgang Schmidt
(born 1970) | 8 December 2021 | 6 May 2025 | 3 years, 149 days | | SPD | |
|---|
| 24 |  | Thorsten Frei
(born 1973) | 6 May 2025 | Incumbent | 29 days | | CDU | |
|---|
