List of heads of state of Germany

This is a list of the heads of state of Germany, from the Unification of Germany in 1871 to the present day.

From 1871 to 1918 the head of state was the Emperor, who was the same person as the King of Prussia according to the Constitution. Germany became a republic under the Constitution of 1918 and the monarch was replaced by a President with semi-presidential powers. In 1934 when President von Hindenburg died, Chancellor Adolf Hitler called for a referendum in 1934 which was to merge the offices of President and Chancellor, after the result he became Führer and Chancellor.

Monarchs (1871–1918)

The succession to the throne of Germany was the same as the succession to the throne of the Prussia.

Monarch			Reign			Position	Royal House
#	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		Wilhelm I (1797–1871)	18 January 1871	9 March 1888	17 years, 51 days	German Emperor Deutscher Kaiser	House of Hohenzollern
2		Friedrich III (1831–1888)[1]	9 March 1888	15 June 1888	98 days	German Emperor Deutscher Kaiser	House of Hohenzollern
3		Wilhelm II (1859–1941)	15 June 1888	9 November or 28 November 1918 (Abdicated)	30 years, 147 days	German Emperor Deutscher Kaiser	House of Hohenzollern

President (1919–1945)

Under the 1919 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Germany, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state with semi-presidential powers. The President was elected by Universal suffrage for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the Chancellor served as Acting President.

Status

  Denotes Acting President

President			Term of Office			Position	Political party
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919 Acting since 28 November 1918	28 February 1925 (Died in Office)	6 years, 17 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	SPD
		Hans Luther (1879–1962)	28 February 1925	12 March 1925	12 days	Chancellor Reichskanzler	Independent
		Walter Simons (1861–1937)	12 March 1925	12 May 1925	61 days	President of the Supreme Court Präsident des Obersten Gerichtshofs	Independent
2		General Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 (Died in Office)	9 years, 82 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	Independent

№	Portrait	Name	Term	Tenure		Election Year/Voter Percentage	Affiliation
3		Adolf Hitler (1889–1945)	1	2 August 1934	30 April 1945	—	NSDAP
			Died in Office
4		Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (1891–1980)	1	30 April 1945	23 May 1945	—	NSDAP

President

Under the current Constitution, the second constitution of the Republic of Germany, the President is the ceremonial head of state. The President was elected by proportional representation for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Bundesrat served as Acting President.

Status

  Denotes President of the Bundesrat as Acting President

№	Portrait	Name	Term	Tenure		Election Year/Voter Percentage	Affiliation
—		Karl Arnold (1901–1958)	—	7 September 1949	12 September 1949	—	CDU
			As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until after the 1949 presidential election
5		Theodor Heuss (1884–1963)	1	13 September 1949	12 September 1954	1949 — %	FDP
			2	13 September 1954	12 September 1959	1954 — %
6		Heinrich Lübke (1894–1972)	1	13 September 1959	12 September 1964	1959 — %	CDU
			2	13 September 1964	30 June 1969	1964 — %
			Resigned
7		Gustav Heinemann (1899–1976)	1	1 July 1969	30 June 1974	1969 — %	SPD
8		Walter Scheel (1919–2016)	1	1 July 1974	30 June 1979	1974 — %	FDP
9		Karl Carstens (1914–1992)	1	1 July 1979	30 June 1984	1979 — %	CDU
10		Richard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015)	1	1 July 1984	30 June 1989	1984 — %	CDU
			2	1 July 1989	30 June 1994	1989 — %
11		Roman Herzog (1934–)	1	1 July 1994	30 June 1999	1994 — %	CDU
12		Johannes Rau (1931–2006)	1	1 July 1999	30 June 2004	1999 — %	SPD
13		Horst Köhler (1943–)	1	1 July 2004	30 June 2009	2004 — %	CDU
			2	1 July 2009	31 May 2010	2009 — %
			Resigned
—		Jens Böhrnsen (1949–)	—	31 May 2010	1 July 2010	—	SPD
			As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until after the 2010 presidential election
14		Christian Wulff (1959–)	1	2 July 2010	17 February 2012	2010 — %	CDU
			Resigned
—		Horst Seehofer (1949–)	—	17 February 2012	18 March 2012	—	CSU
			As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until after the 2012 presidential election
15		Joachim Gauck (1940–)	1	18 March 2012		2012 — %	Independent

Leader of East Germany

During the East German period the title of the heads of state varies from President to Chairman of the Council.

Status

  Denotes Acting President

№	Portrait	Name	Term	Tenure		Election Year/Voter Percentage	Affiliation
—		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	—	7 October 1949	11 October 1949	—	LDPD
	As President of the People's Chamber he acted as President until after the 1949 presidential election.
1		Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	1	11 October 1949	1953	1949 — %	SED
			2	1953	1957	1953 — %
			3	1957	7 September 1960	1957 — %
			Died in Office.
—		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	—	7 September 1960	12 September 1960	—	LDPD
	As President of the People's Chamber he acted as President after the death of Wilhelm Pieck.
2		Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	1	12 September 1960	1 August 1973	—	SED
	Died in Office.
—		Friedrich Ebert, Jr. (1894–1979)	–	1 August 1973	3 October 1973	—	SED
	As Deputy Chairman of the State Council he acted as Chairman after the death of Walter Ulbricht.
3		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	1	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	—	SED
4		Erich Honecker (1912–1994)	1	29 October 1976	18 October 1989	—	SED
5		Egon Krenz (1937–)	1	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	—	SED
6		Manfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	–	6 December 1989	5 April 1990	—	LDPD
–		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (1946–)	–	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	—	CDU
	As President of the People's Chamber she acted as President until the German reunification

Styles of the Heads of State

Country	Years	Title of Head of State
German Empire	1871–1918	German Emperor Deutscher Kaiser
Weimar Republic	1919–1933	President of the Reich Reichspräsident
Nazi Germany	1933–1934	President of the Reich Reichspräsident
	1934–1945	Leader and Chancellor Führer und Reichskanzler
	1945	President of the Reich Reichspräsident
West Germany	1949–1990	Federal President Bundespräsident
East Germany	1949–1960	President of the German Democratic Republic Präsident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
	1960–1990	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates
Reunited Germany	1990–Present	Federal President Bundespräsident

Living former heads of state

Name	Term	Office	Date of birth
Egon Krenz	1989	President of East Germany	19 March 1937
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl	1990	Acting President of East Germany	20 April 1946
Roman Herzog	1994–1999	President of Germany	5 April 1934
Horst Köhler	2004–2010	President of Germany	22 February 1943
Jens Böhrnsen	2010	Acting President of Germany	12 June 1949
Christian Wulff	2010–2012	President of Germany	19 June 1959
Horst Seehofer	2012	Acting President of Germany	4 July 1949

References

1. Enumerated as successor of Frederick II who was King of Prussia 1740–1786 but not German Emperor.