List of presidents of Germany

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

The Weimar Constitution of August 1919 created the office of President of Germany (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. In April–May 1945, Karl Dönitz briefly became President upon the suicide of Hitler (in accordance with last will and testament of Hitler).

The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of May 1949 created the office of President of the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundespräsident). From 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, DDR). Upon the death of Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the office of Präsident der DDR was abolished and replaced by a collective head of state, the Staatsrat ("State Council"). The Staatsrat was abolished by the Volkskammer ("People's Chamber") on 5 April 1990. From then until the GDR joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, the president of the Volkskammer also served as the GDR head of state.

Weimar Republic (1919–1933)

† denotes people who died in office.

Portrait	Reichspräsident	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election
	Ebert, FriedrichFriedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919	28 February 1925 †	6 years, 17 days		SPD	1919
	Luther, HansHans Luther (1879–1962) Acting [lower-alpha 1]	28 February 1925	12 March 1925	12 days		Nonpartisan	–
	Simons, WalterWalter Simons (1861–1937) Acting [lower-alpha 2]	12 March 1925	12 May 1925	61 days		Nonpartisan	–
	Hindenburg, PaulGeneralfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 †	9 years, 82 days		Nonpartisan	1925 1932

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

  Denotes Acting head of state

President			Term of Office			Position	Political party
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919	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 Reichsgerichts	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
		Adolf Hitler (1889–1945)	2 August 1934	30 April 1945 (Died in Office)	10 years, 271 days	Führer and Chancellor Führer und Reichskanzler	NSDAP
3		Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (1891–1980)	30 April 1945	23 May 1945	23 days	President of the Reich Reichspräsident	NSDAP

President of the Federal Republic of Germany (since 1949)

Under the current Constitution, the second republican constitution of Germany, the President is the ceremonial head of state. The President is elected indirectly for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Bundesrat serves as acting head of state.

  Denotes President of the Bundesrat as acting head of state

№	Portrait	Name	Term	Tenure		Election Percentage	Affiliation
1		Theodor Heuss (1884–1963)	1	13 September 1949	12 September 1954	1949: 51.7%	FDP
			2	13 September 1954	12 September 1959	1954: 85.6%
2		Heinrich Lübke (1894–1972)	1	13 September 1959	12 September 1964	1959: 50.7%	CDU
			2	13 September 1964	30 June 1969 (resigned)	1964: 68.1%
3		Gustav Heinemann (1899–1976)	1	1 July 1969	30 June 1974	1969: 49.4%	SPD
4		Walter Scheel (1919–2016)	1	1 July 1974	30 June 1979	1974: 51.2%	FDP
5		Karl Carstens (1914–1992)	1	1 July 1979	30 June 1984	1979: 51%	CDU
6		Richard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015)	1	1 July 1984	30 June 1989	1984: 80%	CDU
			2	1 July 1989	30 June 1994	1989: 84.9%
			With East Germany joining the Federal Republic in 1990, Weizsäcker became President of a reunified Germany.
7		Roman Herzog (1934–2017)	1	1 July 1994	30 June 1999	1994: 52.6%	CDU
8		Johannes Rau (1931–2006)	1	1 July 1999	30 June 2004	1999: 51.6%	SPD
9		Horst Köhler (1943–)	1	1 July 2004	30 June 2009	2004: 50.1%	CDU
			2	1 July 2009	31 May 2010 (resigned)	2009: 50.08%
—		Jens Böhrnsen (1949–)	—	31 May 2010	1 July 2010	—	SPD
			As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until the 2010 presidential election
10		Christian Wulff (1959–)	1	2 July 2010	17 February 2012 (resigned)	2010: 50.2%	CDU
—		Horst Seehofer (1949–)	—	17 February 2012	18 March 2012	—	CSU
			As President of the Bundesrat he acted as President until the 2012 presidential election
11		Joachim Gauck (1940–)	1	18 March 2012	18 March 2017	2012: 80.43%	Independent
12		Frank-Walter Steinmeier (1956–)	1	19 March 2017		2017: 73.89 %	SPD

Heads of state of East Germany (1949-1990)

In the German Democratic Republic, which comprised East Germany from 1949 to 1990, varying positions performed the functions of head of state.

  Denotes acting head of state

№	Portrait	Name	Tenure		Position	Affiliation
1		Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	11 October1949	7 September 1960 (Died in office)	President of the Republic Präsident der Republik	SED
—		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	7 September 1960	12 September 1960	As President of the People's Chamber he acted as President after the death of Wilhelm Pieck.	LDPD
2		Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	12 September 1960	1 August 1973 (Died in office)	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
—		Friedrich Ebert, Jr. (1894–1979)	1 August 1973	3 October 1973	As Deputy Chairman of the State Council he acted as President after the death of Walter Ulbricht.	SED
3		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
4		Erich Honecker (1912–1994)	29 October 1976	18 October 1989	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
5		Egon Krenz (1937–)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	SED
6		Manfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	6 December 1989	5 April 1990	Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrates	LDPD
7		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (1946–)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	President of the People's Chamber	CDU

Notes

1. Acting President, as Chancellor of Germany.
2. Acting President, as President of the Reichsgericht.

See also

• List of German monarchs
• President of Germany
• President of Germany (1919–1945)
• Leadership of East Germany
• List of chancellors of Germany