Home / Leaders / Germany Germany 1415– 73 recorded officeholder spells across 11 offices, led today by Friedrich Merz (Federal Chanc., since 2025-02-25), with Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Pres.).
How they got the job: the 2025 election → · full election history →
Elector of Brandenburg Name From To 👑 Frederick III 1688 1701 👑 Frederick William (the Great Elector) 1640 1688 👑 George William 1619 1640 👑 John Sigismund 1608 1619 👑 Joachim Frederick 1598 1608 👑 John George 1571 1598 👑 Joachim II Hector 1535 1571 👑 Joachim I Nestor 1499 1535 👑 John Cicero 1486 1499 👑 Albert III Achilles 1470 1486 👑 Frederick II Irontooth 1440 1470 👑 Frederick I 1415 1440
King of Prussia Name From To 👑 Wilhelm I 1861 1871 👑 Frederick William IV 1840 1861 👑 Frederick William III 1797 1840 👑 Frederick William II 1786 1797 👑 Frederick II the Great 1740 1786 👑 Frederick William I 1713 1740 👑 Frederick I 1701 1713
Monarch Name From To 👑 Kaiser Wilhelm II 1888 1918 👑 Kaiser Friedrich III 1888 1888 👑 Kaiser Wilhelm I 1871 1888
Imperial Chancellor Name From To Maximilian von Baden 1918 1918 Georg von Hertling 1917 1918 Georg Michaelis 1917 1917 Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg 1909 1917 Bernhard von Bulow 1900 1909 Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfurst 1894 1900 Leo von Caprivi 1890 1894 Otto von Bismarck 1871 1890
Weimar Chancellor Name From To Kurt von Schleicher 1932 1933 Franz von Papen 1932 1932 Heinrich Bruning 1930 1932 Hermann Muller 1928 1930 Wilhelm Marx 1926 1928 Hans Luther 1925 1926 Wilhelm Marx 1923 1925 Gustav Stresemann 1923 1923 Wilhelm Cuno 1922 1923 Joseph Wirth 1921 1922 Konstantin Fehrenbach 1920 1921 Hermann Muller 1920 1920 Gustav Bauer 1919 1920 Philipp Scheidemann 1919 1919 Friedrich Ebert 1918 1919
President Name From To Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2017 present Joachim Gauck 2012 2017 Christian Wulff 2010 2012 Horst Köhler 2004 2010 Johannes Rau 1999 2004 Roman Herzog 1994 1999 Richard von Weizsäcker 1984 1994 Karl Carstens 1979 1984 Walter Scheel 1974 1979 Gustav Heinemann 1969 1974 Heinrich Lübke 1959 1969 Theodor Heuss 1949 1959 Paul von Hindenburg 1925 1934 Friedrich Ebert 1919 1925
Chancellor/Fuhrer Name From To ⚠️ Adolf Hitler 1933 1945
Chancellor (1 day) Name From To ⚠️ Joseph Goebbels 1945 1945
Chancellor (brief) Name From To ⚠️ Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk 1945 1945
Occupation Authority Name From To Allied Control Council 1945 1949
Federal Chancellor Name From To Friedrich Merz 2025 present Olaf Scholz 2021 2024 Angela Merkel 2005 2021 Gerhard Schroeder 1998 2005 Helmut Kohl 1982 1998 Helmut Schmidt 1974 1982 Willy Brandt 1969 1974 Kurt Georg Kiesinger 1966 1969 Ludwig Erhard 1963 1966 Konrad Adenauer 1949 1963
Data from the leaders time-machine dataset; the current holder refreshes weekly. Use the time machine → 