List of German presidents since 1919
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A number of presidential offices have existed in Germany since the abolition of the imperial monarchy in 1918. During the 1919-1933 Weimar Republic the head of state was the Reichspräsident (Reich President). Upon the death of Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934 the office was abolished until 1945, when Karl Dönitz briefly became Reich President according to the last will of Adolf Hitler.
The West German constitution (Grundgesetz or Basic Law) of May 1949 created the office of Bundespräsident ("Federal President"). The East German constitution of October 1949 created the office of Präsident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (DDR) [President of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)]. 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 der DDR (State Council of the GDR). The Vorsitzender (Chairman) of the Staatsrat was considered to be the head of state of the GDR. The Staatsrat was abolished by a constitutional amendment of the first and only freely elected Volkskammer ("People's Chamber" or parliament) on 5 April 1990. From then until the GDR joined with the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, the president of the Volkskammer also served as the GDR head of state.
[edit] Reich Presidents (Reichspräsidenten) (1919-1945)
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Friedrich Ebert | 11 February 1919 | 28 February 1925 (death) | SPD |
| 2. | Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg | 12 May 1925 | 2 August 1934 (death) | (None) |
| 3. | Adolf Hitler - Führer und Reichskanzler | 2 August 1934 | 30 April 1945 (suicide) | National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) |
| 4. | Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz | 1 May 1945 | 23 May 1945 (arrested) | (None) |
[edit] Federal Presidents (Bundespräsidenten) since 1949
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Theodor Heuss | 13 September 1949 | 12 September 1959 | FDP |
| 2. | Heinrich Lübke | 13 September 1959 | 30 June 1969 | CDU |
| 3. | Gustav Heinemann | 1 July 1969 | 30 June 1974 | SPD |
| 4. | Walter Scheel | 1 July 1974 | 30 June 1979 | FDP |
| 5. | Karl Carstens | 1 July 1979 | 30 June 1984 | CDU |
| 6. | Richard von Weizsäcker | 1 July 1984 | 30 June 1994 | CDU |
| 7. | Roman Herzog | 1 July 1994 | 30 June 1999 | CDU |
| 8. | Johannes Rau | 1 July 1999 | 30 June 2004 | SPD |
| 9. | Horst Köhler | 1 July 2004 | ( Incumbent ) | CDU |
[edit] President of the GDR (Präsident der DDR) (1949-1960)
- Wilhelm Pieck (SED) October 1949 to 7 September 1960 (death)
[edit] Chairmen of the Council of State of the GDR (Vorsitzenden des Staatsrats der DDR) (1960-1990)
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Walter Ulbricht | 12 September 1960 | 1 August 1973 (death) | SED |
| 2. | Willi Stoph | 1973 | 1976 (replaced) | SED |
| 3. | Erich Honecker | 1976 | 18 October 1989 (resigned) | SED |
| 4. | Egon Krenz | 18 October 1989 | 6 December 1989 (resigned) | SED |
| 5. | Manfred Gerlach | 6 December 1989 | 5 April 1990 (office abolished) | LDPD |
[edit] President of the People's Chamber of the GDR (Präsident/-in der Volkskammer der DDR) (1990)
- Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) 5 April to 2 October 1990 (office abolished)
NOTE: The office of Präsident der Volkskammer der DDR was created by the GDR constitution in October 1949 and remained throughout the existence of the GDR.
[edit] List of acting heads of state (Geschäftsführenden Staatsoberhaupte)
- Hans Luther (DVP) was acting Reich President from 28 February to 12 March 1925.
- Walter Simons was acting Reich President from 12 March to 12 May 1925.
- Karl Arnold (CDU) was acting head of state of the Federal Republic from 7 September to 12 September 1949. He filled this role in his capacity as President of the Bundesrat.
- Johannes Dieckmann (SED) briefly filled the role of acting State President of East Germany on two occasions: in 1949 (before Wilhelm Pieck took office) and again in 1960 (after Pieck died).
- Friedrich Ebert (SED) was Acting Chairman of the Council of State in East Germany from 1 August 1973 to 3 October 1973.
- Manfred Gerlach (LDPD) was Acting Chairman of the Council of State in East Germany from 6 December 1989 to 5 April 1990.
