List of chancellors of Germany by age
This is a list of Chancellors of Germany by age. This table can be sorted to display the chancellors by name, order of office, date of birth, age at inauguration, length of retirement, or lifespan.
Chancellor | Date of birth | Term of office |
---|---|---|
Gerhard Schröder | 7 April 1944 | 1998–2005 |
Angela Merkel | 17 July 1954 | 2005– |
Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each chancellor. The first figure is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses the same period given in years and days, with the years being the number of whole years the chancellor lived, and the days being the remaining number of days after their last birthday. Where the chancellor in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to 4 February 2021.
Overview
The median age of accession is roughly 54 years and 235 days, which falls between Gerhard Schröder and Helmut Schmidt. The youngest person to assume office was Joseph Wirth (aged 41 years, 246 days). The oldest person to assume office was Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (aged 75 years, 209 days).
The oldest living chancellor is Gerhard Schröder, born 7 April 1944 (aged 76 years, 303 days). The youngest living chancellor is the incumbent, Angela Merkel, born 17 July 1954 (aged 66 years, 202 days).
The longest lived chancellor was Helmut Schmidt, who lived to the age of 96 years and 322 days. Konrad Adenauer was the second longest-lived chancellor, who lived to the age of 91 years and 104 days, 5 years and 218 days short of Schmidt. Schmidt surpassed Adenauer's lifespan on 6 April 2010. The oldest living chancellor Gerhard Schröder will tie Adenauer if he lives to 20 July 2035, and tie Schmidt if he lives to 23 February 2041. The shortest lived chancellor was Joseph Goebbels, who died in office at the age of 47 years and 184 days.
The chancellor with the longest retirement is Heinrich Brüning. He left office on 30 May 1932, and died 37 years and 304 days later on 30 March 1970. The chancellor with the shortest retirement is Georg von Hertling, who died on 4 January 1919, 96 days after leaving office on 30 September 1918.
List of chancellors
# |
Chancellor |
Date of birth |
Start date of first term | Age at start date |
End date of final term | Age at end date |
Length of retirement |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Otto von Bismarck | 1 April 1815 | 1 July 1867 | 52 years, 91 days | 20 March 1890 | 74 years, 353 days | 8 years, 132 days | 30 July 1898 | 83 years, 120 days |
2 | Leo von Caprivi | 24 February 1831 | 20 March 1890 | 59 years, 24 days | 26 October 1894 | 63 years, 244 days | 4 years, 103 days | 6 February 1899 | 67 years, 347 days |
3 | Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst | 31 March 1819 | 26 October 1894 | 75 years, 209 days | 17 October 1900 | 81 years, 200 days | 262 days | 6 July 1901 | 82 years, 97 days |
4 | Bernhard von Bülow | 3 May 1849 | 17 October 1900 | 51 years, 167 days | 14 July 1909 | 60 years, 72 days | 20 years, 106 days | 28 October 1929 | 80 years, 178 days |
5 | Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg | 29 November 1856 | 14 July 1909 | 52 years, 227 days | 13 July 1917 | 60 years, 226 days | 3 years, 172 days | 1 January 1921 | 64 years, 33 days |
6 | Georg Michaelis | 8 September 1857 | 14 July 1917 | 59 years, 309 days | 1 November 1917 | 60 years, 54 days | 18 years, 266 days | 24 July 1936 | 78 years, 320 days |
7 | Georg von Hertling | 31 August 1843 | 1 November 1917 | 74 years, 62 days | 30 September 1918 | 75 years, 30 days | 96 days | 4 January 1919 | 75 years, 126 days |
8 | Max von Baden | 10 July 1867 | 3 October 1918 | 51 years, 85 days | 9 November 1918 | 51 years, 122 days | 10 years, 362 days | 6 November 1929 | 62 years, 119 days |
9 | Friedrich Ebert | 4 February 1871 | 9 November 1918 | 47 years, 278 days | 13 February 1919 | 48 years, 9 days | 6 years, 15 days | 28 February 1925 | 54 years, 24 days |
10 | Philipp Scheidemann | 26 July 1865 | 13 February 1919 | 53 years, 202 days | 20 June 1919 | 53 years, 329 days | 20 years, 162 days | 29 November 1939 | 74 years, 126 days |
11 | Gustav Bauer | 6 January 1870 | 21 June 1919 | 49 years, 166 days | 26 March 1920 | 50 years, 80 days | 24 years, 174 days | 16 September 1944 | 74 years, 254 days |
12 | Hermann Müller | 18 May 1876 | 27 March 1920 | 43 years, 314 days | 27 March 1930 | 53 years, 313 days | 358 days | 20 March 1931 | 54 years, 306 days |
13 | Constantin Fehrenbach | 11 January 1852 | 25 June 1920 | 68 years, 166 days | 4 May 1921 | 69 years, 113 days | 4 years, 326 days | 26 March 1926 | 74 years, 74 days |
14 | Joseph Wirth | 6 September 1879 | 10 May 1921 | 41 years, 246 days | 14 November 1922 | 43 years, 69 days | 33 years, 50 days | 3 January 1956 | 76 years, 119 days |
15 | Wilhelm Cuno | 2 July 1876 | 22 November 1922 | 46 years, 143 days | 12 August 1923 | 47 years, 41 days | 9 years, 144 days | 3 January 1933 | 56 years, 185 days |
16 | Gustav Stresemann | 10 May 1878 | 13 August 1923 | 45 years, 95 days | 30 November 1923 | 45 years, 204 days | 5 years, 307 days | 3 October 1929 | 51 years, 146 days |
17 | Wilhelm Marx | 15 January 1863 | 30 November 1923 | 60 years, 319 days | 12 June 1928 | 65 years, 149 days | 18 years, 54 days | 5 August 1946 | 83 years, 202 days |
18 | Hans Luther | 10 March 1879 | 15 January 1925 | 45 years, 311 days | 12 May 1926 | 47 years, 63 days | 35 years, 364 days | 11 May 1962 | 83 years, 62 days |
19 | Heinrich Brüning | 26 November 1885 | 30 March 1930 | 44 years, 124 days | 30 May 1932 | 46 years, 186 days | 37 years, 304 days | 30 March 1970 | 84 years, 124 days |
20 | Franz von Papen | 29 October 1879 | 30 May 1932 | 52 years, 214 days | 17 November 1932 | 53 years, 19 days | 36 years, 166 days | 2 May 1969 | 89 years, 185 days |
21 | Kurt von Schleicher | 7 April 1882 | 3 December 1932 | 50 years, 240 days | 28 January 1933 | 50 years, 296 days | 1 year, 153 days | 30 June 1934 | 52 years, 84 days |
22 | Adolf Hitler | 20 April 1889 | 30 January 1933 | 43 years, 285 days | 30 April 1945[1] | 56 years, 10 days | N/A | 30 April 1945 | 56 years, 10 days |
23 | Joseph Goebbels | 29 October 1897 | 30 April 1945 | 47 years, 183 days | 1 May 1945[1] | 47 years, 184 days | N/A | 1 May 1945 | 47 years, 184 days |
24 | Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk | 22 August 1887 | 2 May 1945 | 57 years, 253 days | 23 May 1945 | 57 years, 274 days | 31 years, 307 days | 4 March 1977 | 89 years, 194 days |
25 | Konrad Adenauer | 5 January 1876 | 15 September 1949 | 73 years, 253 days | 11 October 1963 | 87 years, 279 days | 3 years, 190 days | 19 April 1967 | 91 years, 104 days |
26 | Ludwig Erhard | 4 February 1897 | 17 October 1963 | 66 years, 255 days | 30 November 1966 | 69 years, 299 days | 10 years, 156 days | 5 May 1977 | 80 years, 90 days |
27 | Kurt Georg Kiesinger | 6 April 1904 | 1 December 1966 | 62 years, 239 days | 21 October 1969 | 65 years, 198 days | 18 years, 140 days | 9 March 1988 | 83 years, 338 days |
28 | Willy Brandt | 18 December 1913 | 22 October 1969 | 55 years, 308 days | 7 May 1974 | 60 years, 140 days | 18 years, 154 days | 8 October 1992 | 78 years, 295 days |
29 | Helmut Schmidt | 23 December 1918 | 16 May 1974 | 55 years, 144 days | 16 May 1974 | 63 years, 282 days | 33 years, 40 days | 10 November 2015 | 96 years, 322 days |
30 | Helmut Kohl | 3 April 1930 | 1 October 1982 | 52 years, 181 days | 27 October 1998 | 68 years, 207 days | 18 years, 232 days | 16 June 2017 | 87 years, 74 days |
31 | Gerhard Schröder | 7 April 1944 | 27 October 1998 | 54 years, 203 days | 22 November 2005 | 61 years, 229 days | 15 years, 74 days | 76 years, 303 days | |
32 | Angela Merkel | 17 July 1954 | 22 November 2005 | 51 years, 128 days | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | 66 years, 202 days |
- Died in office on this date.
This List contains:
Chancellors | 32 |
---|---|
Living | 2 |
Deceased | 30 |
Months & Zodiacs
- Births by Century
- 19th century: 1st, Otto von Bismarck; last, Ludwig Erhard
- 20th century: 1st, Kurt Georg Kiesinger; most recent, Angela Merkel
- Deaths by Century
- 19th century: 1st, Otto von Bismarck; last, Leo von Caprivi
- 20th century: 1st, Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst; last, Willy Brandt
- 21st century: 1st, Helmut Schmidt; most recent, Helmut Kohl
- Between the births of Otto von Bismarck in 1815 and Angela Merkel in 1954, a Chancellor has been born in every decade except for the 1820s and 1920s.
- Between the deaths of Otto von Bismarck in 1898 and Helmut Kohl in 2017, a Chancellor has died in every decade except for the 2000s.
- The months with the most births – six – in April.
- No chancellor as of yet, has been born in June.
- The month with the most deaths – five – in March.
- No chancellor as of yet, has died in December.
Oldest living chancellors of Germany
Not all chancellors live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 30 deceased chancellors, 16 eventually became the oldest of their time, while 14 did not (including both chancellors who died in office and 12 others). Otto von Bismarck became the oldest living chancellor when he was appointed in 1867 and remained so until his death in 1898, for a record period of 31 years, 29 days. Ludwig Erhard became the oldest living chancellor after the death of Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, but he survived von Krosigk by only 62 days.
On two occasions the oldest living chancellor lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a chancellor who was older. Bernhard von Bülow lost this distinction when Georg von Hertling was appointed, but when von Hertling died in 1919, von Bülow regained it again until his own death in 1929 for a total period of 27 years, 50 days. Hans Luther lost this distinction when Konrad Adenauer was appointed.
Franz von Papen was the oldest to acquire this distinction at the age of 87 years, 172 days. Joseph Wirth, who was aged 76 years, 119 days when he died on 3 January 1956, was the oldest and most recent chancellor to die without ever acquiring this distinction.
Chancellor | Period when oldest living chancellor | Age | Duration | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Start date | End date | at start | at end | ||
Otto von Bismarck | 1 July 1867 | 30 July 1898 | 52 years, 91 days | 83 years, 120 days | 31 years, 29 days |
Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst | 30 July 1898 | 6 July 1901 | 79 years, 121 days | 82 years, 97 days | 2 years, 341 days |
Bernhard von Bülow | 6 July 1901 | 1 November 1917 | 52 years, 64 days | 68 years, 182 days | 16 years, 118 days |
Georg von Hertling | 1 November 1917 | 4 January 1919 | 74 years, 62 days | 75 years, 126 days | 1 year, 64 days |
Bernhard von Bülow | 4 January 1919 | 28 October 1929 | 69 years, 246 days | 80 years, 178 days | 10 years, 297 days |
Georg Michaelis | 28 October 1929 | 24 July 1936 | 72 years, 50 days | 78 years, 320 days | 6 years, 270 days |
Wilhelm Marx | 24 July 1936 | 5 August 1946 | 73 years, 191 days | 83 years, 202 days | 10 years, 12 days |
Hans Luther | 5 August 1946 | 15 September 1949 | 67 years, 148 days | 70 years, 189 days | 3 years, 41 days |
Konrad Adenauer | 15 September 1949 | 19 April 1967 | 73 years, 253 days | 91 years, 104 days | 17 years, 216 days |
Franz von Papen | 19 April 1967 | 2 May 1969 | 87 years, 172 days | 89 years, 185 days | 2 years, 13 days |
Heinrich Brüning | 2 May 1969 | 30 March 1970 | 83 years, 157 days | 84 years, 124 days | 332 days |
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk | 30 March 1970 | 4 March 1977 | 82 years, 220 days | 89 years, 194 days | 6 years, 339 days |
Ludwig Erhard | 4 March 1977 | 5 May 1977 | 80 years, 28 days | 80 years, 90 days | 62 days |
Kurt Georg Kiesinger | 5 May 1977 | 9 March 1988 | 73 years, 29 days | 83 years, 338 days | 10 years, 309 days |
Willy Brandt | 9 March 1988 | 8 October 1992 | 74 years, 82 days | 78 years, 295 days | 4 years, 213 days |
Helmut Schmidt | 8 October 1992 | 10 November 2015 | 73 years, 290 days | 96 years, 322 days | 23 years, 33 days |
Helmut Kohl | 10 November 2015 | 16 June 2017 | 85 years, 221 days | 87 years, 74 days | 1 year, 218 days |
Gerhard Schröder | 16 June 2017 | Current oldest living chancellor | 73 years, 70 days | Current oldest living chancellor | 3 years, 233 days |
Chancellor | Period when oldest living chancellor | Age | Duration |
See also
- Lists of political office-holders by age