List of presidents of Germany

Last updated

A number of presidential offices have existed in Germany since the collapse of the German Empire in 1918.

Contents

The Weimar Constitution of August 1919 created the office of President of the Reich (German : Reichspräsident). Upon the death of Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934, the office was left vacant, with Adolf Hitler becoming head of state as Führer und Reichskanzler (retroactively approved by a referendum). In April–May 1945, Karl Dönitz briefly became President upon the suicide of Hitler (in accordance with Hitler's last will and testament).

The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of May 1949 created the office of Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (German : Bundespräsident der Bundesrepublik Deutschland). Since German reunification in 1990, the President has been the head of state for all of Germany.

The East German constitution of October 1949 created the office of President of the German Democratic Republic (German : Präsident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik). Upon the death of Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the office of president was replaced by a collective head of state, the Staatsrat ("State Council"). After the Staatsrat was abolished on 5 April 1990, the president of the Volkskammer ("People's Chamber") served as head of state until East Germany joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990

Weimar Republic (1919–1933)


   SPD    None

† denotes people who died in office.

Portrait Reichspräsident Took officeLeft officeTime in officePartyElection
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00015, Friedrich Ebert(cropped).jpg
Ebert, Friedrich Friedrich Ebert
(1871–1925)
11 February 191928 February 1925 6 years, 17 days  SPD 1919
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1969-008A-07, Hans Luther.jpg
Luther, Hans Hans Luther
(1879–1962)
Acting
[a]
28 February 192512 March 192512 days  Independent
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12279, Walter Simons.jpg
Simons, Walter Walter Simons
(1861–1937)
Acting
[b]
12 March 192512 May 192561 days  Independent
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-C06886, Paul v. Hindenburg.jpg
Hindenburg, Paul Generalfeldmarschall
Paul von Hindenburg
(1847–1934)
12 May 192521 March 19337 years, 313 days  Independent 1925
1932

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

   None    NSDAP

† denotes people who died in office.

Portrait Reichspräsident Took officeLeft officeTime in officePartyElection
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-C06886, Paul v. Hindenburg.jpg
Hindenburg, Paul Generalfeldmarschall
Paul von Hindenburg
(1847–1934)
21 March 19332 August 1934 1 year, 143 days  Independent 1925
1932
Hitler portrait crop.jpg
Hitler, Adolf Adolf Hitler
(1889–1945)
Führer und Reichskanzler
2 August 1934 30 April 1945  10 years, 271 days  NSDAP
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-127-06A, Karl Donitz (cropped)(2).jpg
Dönitz, Karl Großadmiral
Karl Dönitz
(1891–1980)
30 April 194523 May 194523 days  NSDAP

German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (1949–1990)

† denotes people who died in office.

PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in officeParty
President of the Republic
Präsident der Republik
Fotothek df pk 0000079 060.jpg
Pieck, Wilhelm Wilhelm Pieck
(1876–1960)
11 October 19497 September 1960 10 years, 332 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-F0711-0037-001, Johannes Dieckmann (cropped).jpg
Dieckmann, Johannes Johannes Dieckmann
(1893–1969)
Acting
[c]
7 September 196012 September 19605 days  LDPD
Chairman of the State Council
Vorsitzender des Staatsrats
Opvolger van Pieck, Walter Ulbricht, Bestanddeelnr 911-5926 (cropped).jpg
Ulbricht, Walter Walter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
12 September 19601 August 1973 12 years, 323 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-83285-0029, Friedrich Ebert.jpg
Ebert, Friedrich Friedrich Ebert Jr.
(1894–1979)
Acting
[d]
1 August 19733 October 197363 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R0430-0305A, Willi Stoph.jpg
Stoph, Willi Willi Stoph
(1914–1999)
3 October 197329 October 19763 years, 26 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R1220-401, Erich Honecker (cropped).jpg
Honecker, Erich Erich Honecker
(1912–1994)
29 October 197618 October 1989
(resigned)
12 years, 354 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-0704-400, Egon Krenz.jpg
Krenz, Egon Egon Krenz
(born 1937)
18 October 19896 December 1989
(resigned)
49 days  SED
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1986-0617-034, Prof. Dr. Manfred Gerlach.jpg
Gerlach, Manfred Manfred Gerlach
(1928–2011)
6 December 19895 April 1990
(office abolished)
120 days  LDPD
President of the People's Chamber
Präsident der Volkskammer
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl.jpg
Bergmann-Pohl, Sabine Sabine Bergmann-Pohl
(born 1946)
5 April 19902 October 1990
( office abolished )
180 days  CDU

Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present)

† denotes people who died in office.

Portrait Bundespräsident Took officeLeft officeTime in officePartyElection
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1983-098-20a, Heuss.jpg
Heuss, Theodor Theodor Heuss
(1884–1963)
12 September 194912 September 195910 years  FDP 1949
1954
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1994-034-22A, Heinrich Lubke.jpg
Lübke, Heinrich Heinrich Lübke
(1894–1972)
13 September 195930 June 1969
(resigned)
9 years, 290 days  CDU 1959
1964
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F029021-0010, Gustav Heinemann.jpg
Heinemann, Gustav Gustav Heinemann
(1899–1976)
1 July 196930 June 19744 years, 364 days  SPD 1969
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1989-047-20, Walter Scheel.jpg
Scheel, Walter Walter Scheel
(1919–2016)
1 July 197430 June 19794 years, 364 days  FDP 1974
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F054633-0020, Ludwigshafen, CDU-Bundesparteitag, Carstens (cropped).jpg
Carstens, Karl Karl Carstens
(1914–1992)
1 July 197930 June 19844 years, 365 days  CDU 1979
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1991-039-11, Richard v. Weizsacker.jpg
Weizsäcker, Richard Richard von Weizsäcker
(1920–2015)
1 July 198430 June 19949 years, 364 days  CDU 1984
1989
Roman Herzog 2012.JPG
Herzog, Roman Roman Herzog
(1934–2017)
1 July 199430 June 19994 years, 364 days  CDU 1994
Johannes rau 2004-05-16 berlin (1).jpg
Rau, Johannes Johannes Rau
(1931–2006)
1 July 199930 June 20044 years, 365 days  SPD 1999
Horst Kohler.jpg
Köhler, Horst Horst Köhler
(1943–2025)
1 July 200431 May 2010
(resigned)
5 years, 334 days  CDU 2004
2009
Portrait Buergermeister Boehrnsen.jpg
Böhrnsen, Jens Jens Böhrnsen
(born 1949)
Acting
[e]
31 May 201030 June 201030 days  SPD
Christian Wulff crop.jpg
Wulff, Christian Christian Wulff
(born 1959)
30 June 201017 February 2012
(resigned)
1 year, 232 days  CDU 2010
12-07-17-landtagsprojekt-bayern-RalfR-001.jpg
Seehofer, Horst Horst Seehofer
(born 1949)
Acting
[e]
17 February 201218 March 201230 days  CSU
Joachim Gauck (2012 passport).jpg
Gauck, Joachim Joachim Gauck
(born 1940)
18 March 201218 March 20175 years  Independent 2012
Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Brazil.jpg
Steinmeier, Frank-Walter Frank-Walter Steinmeier
(born 1956)
19 March 2017Incumbent7 years, 330 days  SPD 2017
2022

Timeline

Frank-Walter SteinmeierJoachim GauckHorst SeehoferChristian WulffJens BöhrnsenHorst KöhlerJohannes RauRoman HerzogRichard von WeizsäckerKarl CarstensWalter ScheelSabine Bergmann-PohlManfred GerlachEgon KrenzErich HoneckerWilli StophFriedrich Ebert Jr.Gustav HeinemannWalter UlbrichtHeinrich LübkeWilhelm PieckJohannes DieckmannTheodor HeussKarl ArnoldKarl DönitzAdolf HitlerPaul von HindenburgWalter SimonsHans LutherFriedrich EbertList of presidents of Germany

See also

Notes

  1. Acting President, as Chancellor of Germany.
  2. Acting President, as President of the Reichsgericht.
  3. Acting head of state, as President of the Volkskammer.
  4. Acting Chairman of the State Council, as Deputy Chairman of the State Council.
  5. 1 2 Acting President, as President of the Bundesrat.