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Germany
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Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity
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Leaders of Germany

in Germany
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Also known as: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Deutschland, Federal Republic of Germany
Written by
William H. Berentsen
Professor of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Editor of Contemporary Europe: A Geographical Analysis.
William H. Berentsen,
Thomas Henry Elkins
Professor of Geography, University of Sussex, Brighton, England. Author of Germany and others.
Thomas Henry Elkins•All
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Germany's Easter peace marches underway in war-filled world • Apr. 19, 2025, 11:49 PM ET (Deutsche Welle)
Merz: My goal is to make Germany 'economically stronger' • Apr. 19, 2025, 11:49 PM ET (Deutsche Welle)
Trump's tariffs could be tough to crack for a German nutcracker maker focused on the US • Apr. 16, 2025, 12:22 PM ET (AP)
Police detain 6 climbers who wanted to scale Cologne's famous cathedral • Apr. 13, 2025, 10:08 AM ET (AP)
Crumbling bridges slow traffic and the economy in Germany. Can more money fix the problem? • Apr. 11, 2025, 8:05 AM ET (AP)

The table provides a chronological list of the leaders of Germany from 1871.

Leaders of Germany
Kaisers of the German Empire
*Upon Hindenburg's death in 1934, the powers of the presidency were merged with those of the chancellor.
**Chancellor from 1933 and Führer ("Leader") from 1934.
***East Germany was governed by interim administrations from December 1989 until the two Germanys were reunited in October 1990.
William I (of Prussia) 1871–88
Frederick III 1888
William II 1888–1918
Presidents of the Weimar Republic
Friedrich Ebert 1919–25
Paul von Hindenburg 1925–33
Leaders of the Third Reich (National Socialist regime)
Paul von Hindenburg* 1934
Adolf Hitler** 1933–45
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
Konrad Adenauer 1949–63
Ludwig Erhard 1963–66
Kurt Georg Kiesinger 1966–69
Willy Brandt 1969–74
Helmut Schmidt 1974–82
Helmut Kohl 1982–90
First (or General) Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
Walter Ulbricht 1950–71
Erich Honecker 1971–89
Egon Krenz*** 1989
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany (reunited Germany)
Helmut Kohl 1990–98
Gerhard Schröder 1998–2005
Angela Merkel 2005–21
Olaf Scholz 2021–