This is a list of German Chancellors since 1871 by longevity. Where the person in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to 16 February 2012.
The median age of accession is roughly 53 years and 1 month, which falls between Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg and Philipp Scheidemann. The youngest person to assume office was Joseph Wirth (age 41 years, 246 days). The oldest person to assume office was Chlodwig Viktor (age 75 years, 212 days).
The oldest living Chancellor is Helmut Schmidt, born 23 December 1918 (aged 93 years, 66 days). On 6 April 2010, Schmidt passed Konrad Adenauer to become the longest lived chancellor in German history. The youngest living former Chancellor is Gerhard Schröder, born 7 April 1944 (aged 67 years, 326 days). The youngest living Chancellor is the incumbent, Angela Merkel, born 17 July 1954 (aged 57 years, 225 days).
The shortest-lived Chancellor was Gustav Stresemann, who died at the age of 51 years, 146 days.
# |
Chancellor |
Date of birth |
Date of inauguration |
Age at inauguration |
End of term | Length of retirement |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Otto von Bismarck | 1 April 1815 | 21 March 1871 | 55 years, 354 days | 20 March 1890 | 3,054 days | 30 July 1898 | 30,436 days ( | 83 years, 120 days)
2 | Leo von Caprivi | 24 February 1831 | 20 March 1890 | 59 years, 24 days | 26 October 1894 | 1,564 days | 6 February 1899 | 24,819 days ( | 67 years, 347 days)
3 | Chlodwig von Hohenlohe | 31 March 1819 | 29 October 1894 | 75 years, 212 days | 17 October 1900 | 262 days | 6 July 1901 | 30,047 days ( | 82 years, 97 days)
4 | Bernhard von Bülow | 3 May 1849 | 17 October 1900 | 51 years, 167 days | 14 July 1909 | 7,411 days | 28 October 1929 | 29,397 days ( | 80 years, 178 days)
5 | Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg | 29 November 1856 | 14 July 1909 | 52 years, 227 days | 13 July 1917 | 1,268 days | 1 January 1921 | 23,408 days ( | 64 years, 33 days)
6 | Georg Michaelis | 8 September 1857 | 14 July 1917 | 59 years, 309 days | 31 October 1917 | 6,841 days | 24 July 1936 | 28,808 days ( | 78 years, 320 days)
7 | Georg von Hertling | 31 August 1843 | 1 November 1917 | 74 years, 62 days | 30 September 1918 | 96 days | 4 January 1919 | 27,519 days ( | 75 years, 126 days)
8 | Maximilian von Baden | 10 July 1867 | 3 October 1918 | 51 years, 85 days | 9 November 1918 | 4,015 days | 6 November 1929 | 22,764 days ( | 62 years, 119 days)
9 | Friedrich Ebert | 4 February 1871 | 9 November 1918 | 47 years, 278 days | 11 February 1919 | 2,209 days | 28 February 1925 | 19,747 days ( | 54 years, 24 days)
10 | Philipp Scheidemann | 26 July 1865 | 13 February 1919 | 53 years, 202 days | 20 June 1919 | 7,467 days | 29 November 1939 | 27,153 days ( | 74 years, 126 days)
11 | Gustav Bauer | 6 January 1870 | 21 June 1919 | 49 years, 166 days | 26 March 1920 | 8,940 days | 16 September 1944 | 27,281 days ( | 74 years, 254 days)
12 | Hermann Müller | 18 May 1876 | 27 March 1920[1] | 43 years, 314 days | 8 June 1920 | [2] | 3,300 days20 March 1931 | 20,028 days ( | 54 years, 306 days)
13 | Konstantin Fehrenbach | 11 January 1852 | 21 June 1920 | 68 years, 162 days | 10 May 1921 | 1,781 days | 26 March 1926 | 27,102 days ( | 74 years, 74 days)
14 | Joseph Wirth | 6 September 1879 | 10 May 1921 | 41 years, 246 days | 14 November 1922 | 12,103 days | 3 January 1956 | 27,877 days ( | 76 years, 119 days)
15 | Wilhelm Cuno | 2 July 1876 | 22 November 1922 | 46 years, 143 days | 12 August 1923 | 3,432 days | 3 January 1933 | 20,638 days ( | 56 years, 185 days)
16 | Gustav Stresemann | 10 May 1878 | 13 August 1923 | 56 years, 95 days | 23 November 1923 | 2,141 days | 3 October 1929 | 18,773 days ( | 51 years, 146 days)
17 | Wilhelm Marx | 15 January 1863 | 30 November 1923[1] | 60 years, 319 days | 15 January 1925 | [2] | 7,115 days5 August 1946 | 30,517 days ( | 83 years, 202 days)
18 | Hans Luther | 10 March 1879 | 15 January 1925 | 45 years, 311 days | 12 May 1926 | 13,148 days | 11 May 1962 | 30,377 days ( | 83 years, 62 days)
19 | Wilhelm Marx | 15 January 1863 | 17 May 1926[1] | 63 years, 122 days | 12 June 1928 | [2] | 7,115 days5 August 1946 | 30,517 days ( | 83 years, 202 days)
20 | Hermann Müller | 18 May 1876 | 28 June 1928[1] | 52 years, 41 days | 27 March 1930 | [2] | 3,300 days20 March 1931 | 20,028 days ( | 54 years, 306 days)
21 | Heinrich Brüning | 26 November 1885 | 30 March 1930 | 44 years, 124 days | 30 May 1932 | 13,818 days | 30 March 1970 | 30,804 days ( | 84 years, 124 days)
22 | Franz von Papen | 29 October 1879 | 1 June 1932 | 52 years, 216 days | 17 November 1932 | 13,315 days | 2 May 1969 | 32,692 days ( | 89 years, 185 days)
23 | Kurt von Schleicher | 7 April 1882 | 2 December 1932 | 50 years, 239 days | 28 January 1933 | 518 days | 30 June 1934 | 19,076 days ( | 52 years, 84 days)
24 | Adolf Hitler | 20 April 1889 | 30 January 1933 | 43 years, 285 days | 30 April 1945 | [3] | N/A30 April 1945 | 20,463 days ( | 56 years, 10 days)
25 | Konrad Adenauer | 5 January 1876 | 15 September 1949 | 73 years, 253 days | 16 October 1963 | 1,281 days | 19 April 1967 | 33,341 days ( | 91 years, 104 days)
26 | Ludwig Erhard | 4 February 1897 | 16 October 1963 | 66 years, 254 days | 1 December 1966 | 3,808 days | 5 May 1977 | 29,309 days ( | 80 years, 90 days)
27 | Kurt Kiesinger | 6 April 1904 | 1 December 1966 | 62 years, 239 days | 21 October 1969 | 6,714 days | 9 March 1988 | 30,653 days ( | 83 years, 338 days)
28 | Willy Brandt | 18 December 1913 | 21 October 1969 | 55 years, 307 days | 7 May 1974 | 6,729 days | 8 October 1992 | 28,784 days ( | 78 years, 295 days)
29 | Helmut Schmidt | 23 December 1918 | 16 May 1974 | 55 years, 144 days | 1 October 1982 | 10,741 days | 34,034 days ( | 93 years, 66 days)|
30 | Helmut Kohl | 3 April 1930 | 1 October 1982 | 52 years, 181 days | 27 October 1998 | 4,871 days | 29,915 days ( | 81 years, 330 days)|
31 | Gerhard Schröder | 7 April 1944 | 27 October 1998 | 54 years, 203 days | 22 November 2005 | 2,288 days | 24,797 days ( | 67 years, 326 days)|
32 | Angela Merkel | 17 July 1954 | 22 November 2005 | 51 years, 128 days | Incumbent | Incumbent | 21,044 days ( | 57 years, 225 days)|
# | Chancellor | Date of birth | Date of inauguration |
Age at inauguration |
End of term | Length of retirement |
Date of death | Lifespan |