Minister president (Germany)
The Minister President (Ministerpräsident) is the head of state and government in thirteen of Germany's sixteen states.
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In the three states of Berlin, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg the heads of the state hold different titles:
- in Berlin Governing Mayor (Regierender Bürgermeister) (before 1951 Mayor)
- in Bremen President of the Senate and Mayor (Präsident des Senats und Bürgermeister)
- in Hamburg First Mayor (Erster Bürgermeister).
In the former states of Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern, defunct since 1952, the heads of state held the title State President (Staatspräsident).
Nevertheless, in Germany it is usual to call all sixteen heads of the states ministers president if they are referred to collectively. For example, the regular meetings of the sixteen office-holders are called Conference of Ministers President (Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz).
Constitutional roles and powers
As the German constitution (Basic Law) defines the Federal Republic of Germany as a federation, each German state has its own constitution. The Basic Law gives the states a broad discretion to determine their respective state structure, only stating that each German state has to be a social and democratic republic under the rule of law (Article 28.1). In practice all German states have adopted some form of a mixed parliamentary republican system: Despite some differences between the individual state constitutions, the Ministers President have both typical powers of an executive leader (for example appointing and dismissing cabinet members or defining the political guidelines of the cabinet) and typical powers and functions of a head of state (for example the power to grant pardons on behalf of the state and to perform certain ceremonial duties). As such, their powers and functions resemble those of an executive president, but in contrast to a presidential system, they are not directly elected and depend on the confidence of the respective state parliament. Thus, the constitutional position of a minister president differs from that of the Chancellor of Germany at the federal level, who only holds the role of a chief executive leader, while the President of Germany performs the more ceremonial powers and functions of the federal head of state.
Even though all sixteen ministers president hold roughly the same position in their states, there are also some important differences between the provisions of the state constitutions with regard to the head of state and government. This begins with the election procedure: All ministers president are elected by the state parliament, but while in some states a majority of parliament members is needed for a successful election, in other states a simple majority (a majority of votes cast) is sufficient. The same goes for recall procedures: In some states, the parliament may simply vote an officeholder out of office, while in other states the parliament has to elect a new officeholder at the same time (Constructive vote of no confidence). In Bavaria, the constitution does not allow a recall of the minister president at all. In fifteen states, the state constitution defines the minister president as the leader of the cabinet, giving him or her the right, to determine the cabinet's political guidelines, but this is not the case in Bremen, where the President of the Senate and Mayor only has a ceremonial precedence over the other cabinet members. There are also differences regarding the ministers president power, to shape his or her cabinet: While in some states the office-holder is free to appoint or dismiss cabinet ministers at his or her discretion, in other states there are limits to this power, while the constitution of Bremen does not give the President of the Senate and Mayor any power, to directly influence the composition of his or her cabinet.
| State | Title | Election threshold | Recall procedure | Position in cabinet | Power to shape the cabinet | Right to grant pardon | Minimum age | Other provisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg[1] | Minister President | majority of members | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | cabinet appointments subject to parliamentary approval, the state parliament may recall individual cabinet ministers with a two-thirds majority | yes | 35 | |
| Free State of Bavaria[2] | Minister President | simple majority | none | guideline competence | cabinet appointments subject to parliamentary approval | yes | 40 | |
| Berlin[3] | Governing Mayor | simple majority | vote of no confidence, but if the state parliament does not elect a new Governing Mayor within 21 days, the former officeholder is reinvested automatically | guideline competence | full | no (whole cabinet) | 18 (de facto) | |
| Brandenburg[4] | Minister President | majority of members (first and second ballot), plurality (third ballot) | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Bremen[5] | President of the Senate and Mayor | simple majority | constructive vote of no confidence | ceremonial precedence | none | no (whole cabinet) | 18 | may not be a member of the state parliament |
| Hamburg[6] | First Mayor | majority of members | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | cabinet appointments subject to parliamentary approval | no (whole cabinet) | 18 | may not be a member of the state parliament |
| Hesse[7] | Minister President | majority of members | vote of no confidence | guideline competence | dismissal of cabinet members subject to parliamentary approval | yes | 18 (de facto) | members of noble houses, which have reigned in Germany before 1918, are ineligible for office |
| Lower Saxony[8] | Minister President | majority of members or plurality, if the state parliament does not elect a minister president in 21 days and does not dissolve itself thereupon | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | cabinet appointments subject to parliamentary approval | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern[9] | Minister President | majority of members or plurality, if the state parliament does not elect a minister president in 28 days and does not dissolve itself thereupon | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| North Rhine-Westphalia[10] | Minister President | majority of members (first ballot), simple majority (second and third ballot), runoff (fourth ballot) | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 | has to be a member of the state parliament |
| Rhineland-Palatinate[11] | Minister President | majority of members | vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Saarland[12] | Minister President | majority of members | vote of no confidence | guideline competence | cabinet appointments and dismissals subject to parliamentary approval | no (whole cabinet) | 18 (de facto) | |
| Free State of Saxony[13] | Minister President | majority of members (first ballot), simple majority (following ballots) | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Saxony-Anhalt[14] | Minister President | majority of members or simple majority, if the state parliament does not elect a minister president in 14 days and does not dissolve itself thereupon | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Schleswig-Holstein[15] | Minister President | majority of members (first and second ballot), plurality (third ballot) | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) | |
| Free State of Thuringia[16] | Minister President | majority of members (first and second ballot), plurality (third ballot) | constructive vote of no confidence | guideline competence | full | yes | 18 (de facto) |
By virtue of their position in the Bundesrat, the ministers president can exert considerable influence on national politics within the federal structure. Along with several of their ministers, they commonly represent their state in the Bundesrat (the German Federal Council). Each state government is represented in the Bundesrat by three to six delegates, depending on the state's population.
Deputies
The Ministers President appoint one (or in some states two) member(s) of their cabinet as their deputies. In most states the deputy of the minister president holds the title Deputy Minister President. Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein have a higher ranking First Deputy Minister President and a lower ranking Second Deputy Minister President. Bavaria has a higher ranking Deputy Minister President and a lower ranking Additional Deputy Minister President. Berlin has two equally ranking Mayors deputizing for the Governing Mayor, while Bremen has a Mayor deputizing for the President of the Senate and Mayor and Hamburg has a Second Mayor deputizing for the First Mayor.
Their duties and functions mirror roughly those of the Vice Chancellor of Germany on federal level. Most importantly, the Deputy Ministers President (or equivalent) temporarily act as Minister President in case of the office-holder's death or incapacity until the election of a successor by the state parliament. An exception to this are the regulations in the state constitution of Bavaria (Art. 44.3), which designates both the Deputy Minister President (for internal affairs) and the President of the Landtag (for the external representation) as acting successors. If an office-holder resigns, normally he or she stays in office as acting Minister President (or equivalent) themselves until a successor is elected. This is however not the case, if the reason for the resignation is some form of constitutional, legal or traditional incompatibility with an office, on which the resigning office-holder has entered: The Basic Law prohibits the President of Germany from holding office in a state government at the same time (Art. 55.1). According to the Federal Constitutional Court Act, the same applies to judges on the Federal Constitutional Court (§ 3.3). Under federal law, simultaneous membership in the Bundestag or the federal government is not prohibited for a Minister President (or other members of a state government), but in some states it is forbidden by the state constitution and generally it is not in line with political tradition. Therefore, office-holders elected or appointed to such office usually resign and refrain from continuing to hold the office of Minister President on an acting basis, leaving that role to their deputy.[17]
The historically most significant case of such an acting Minister Presidency occurred in Schleswig-Holstein in 1987/88: The state election on 13 September 1987 had resulted in a stalemate between the centre-right bloc of CDU and FDP, which supported the incument Uwe Barschel, and the centre-left parties SPD and SSW, each with 37 seats. Due to the weak election results for the CDU and above all the Barschel affair, a supposed election-fraud scandal, Barschel declared his resignation with effect from 2 October and died a few days later in a hotel in Geneva under circumstances that have not been clarified to this day. As a result, the previous deputy Henning Schwarz became acting Minister President. Attempts to elect a new Minister President in the state parliament failed because of the stalemate, so the parliament dissolved itself and early state elections were held on 8 May 1988. The SPD emerged from these with an absolute majority of seats and its leading candidate Björn Engholm was elected Minister President on 31 May. Schwarz thus held office as acting Minister President for 242 days.
List of current office-holders
The longest-serving incumbent office-holder is Volker Bouffier, who serves as the Minister President of Hesse since 31 August 2010. Bodo Ramelow, the Minister President of Thuringia (since 4 March 2020), is the shortest-serving incumbent, although he already held this office from 2014 until 5 February 2020.
| Portrait | Name Cabinet | Title | entered office | Party | Deputy Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png.webp) Baden-Württemberg | .jpg.webp) | Winfried Kretschmann Cabinet Kretschmann II | Minister President of Baden-Württemberg | 12 May 2011 | Alliance 90/The Greens | Thomas Strobl (CDU) Deputy Minister President |
 Free State of Bavaria |  | Markus Söder Cabinet Söder II | Minister President of Bavaria | 16 March 2018 | CSU | Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) Deputy Minister President Joachim Herrmann (CSU) Additional Deputy Minister President |
 Berlin | _by_Sandro_Halank.jpg.webp) | Michael Müller Senate Müller II | Governing Mayor of Berlin | 11 December 2014 | SPD | Klaus Lederer (The Left) Mayor Ramona Pop (Alliance 90/The Greens) Mayor |
 Brandenburg | .jpg.webp) | Dietmar Woidke Cabinet Wodke III | Minister President of Brandenburg | 28 August 2013 | SPD | Michael Stübgen (CDU) First Deputy Minister President Ursula Nonnenmacher (Alliance 90/The Greens) Second Deputy Minister President |
 Free Hanseatic City of Bremen |  | Andreas Bovenschulte Senate Bovenschulte | President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen | 15 August 2019 | SPD | Maike Schaefer (Alliance 90/The Greens) Mayor |
 Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg | .jpg.webp) | Peter Tschentscher Senate Tschentscher II | First Mayor of Hamburg | 28 March 2018 | SPD | Katharina Fegebank (Alliance 90/The Greens) Second Mayor |
 Hesse |  | Volker Bouffier Cabinet Bouffier III | Minister President of Hesse | 31 August 2010 | CDU | Tarek Al-Wazir (Alliance 90/The Greens) Deputy Minister President |
 Lower Saxony |  | Stephan Weil Cabinet Weil II | Minister President of Lower Saxony | 19 February 2013 | SPD | Bernd Althusmann (CDU) Deputy Minister President |
.svg.png.webp) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |  | Manuela Schwesig Cabinet Schwesig | Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 4 July 2017 | SPD | Harry Glawe (CDU) Deputy Minister President |
 North Rhine-Westphalia | .jpg.webp) | Armin Laschet Cabinet Laschet | Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia | 27 June 2017 | CDU | Joachim Stamp (FDP) Deputy Minister President |
 Rhineland-Palatinate |  | Malu Dreyer Cabinet Dreyer II | Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate | 16 January 2013 | SPD | Volker Wissing (FDP) Deputy Minister President |
 Saarland |  | Tobias Hans Cabinet Hans | Minister President of Saarland | 1 March 2018 | CDU | Anke Rehlinger (SPD) Deputy Minister President |
 Free State of Saxony | .jpg.webp) | Michael Kretschmer Cabinet Kretschmer II | Minister President of Saxony | 13 December 2017 | CDU | Wolfram Günther (Alliance 90/The Greens) First Deputy Minister President Martin Dulig (SPD) Second Deputy Minister President |
 Saxony-Anhalt | _09.jpg.webp) | Reiner Haseloff Cabinet Haseloff II | Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt | 19 April 2011 | CDU | Petra Grimm-Benne (SPD) First Deputy Minister President Claudia Dalbert (Alliance 90/The Greens) Second Deputy Minister President |
 Schleswig-Holstein | .jpg.webp) | Daniel Günther Cabinet Günther | Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein | 28 June 2017 | CDU | Monika Heinold (Alliance 90/The Greens) First Deputy Minister President Hainer Garg (FDP) Second Deputy Minister President |
 Free State of Thuringia |  | Bodo Ramelow Cabinet Ramelow II | Minister President of Thuringia | 4 March 2020 | The Left | Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD) Deputy Minister President |
Lists of former Ministers president
State Presidents of Baden (1947–1952)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
 |
Leo Wohleb (1888–1955) |
24 July 1947 | 25 April 1952 state was merged into Baden-Württemberg |
4 years, 276 days | CDU | |
Ministers President of Baden-Württemberg (since 1952)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 |  |
Reinhold Maier (1889–1971) |
25 April 1952 | 30 September 1953 resigned |
1 year, 158 days | FDP |
| 2 |  |
Gebhard Müller (1900–1990) |
30 September 1953 | 17 December 1958 resigned appointed to the Federal Constitutional Court |
5 years, 78 days | CDU |
| 3 | .jpg.webp) |
Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1904–1988) |
17 December 1958 | 1 December 1966 resigned elected Chancellor |
7 years, 349 days | CDU |
| Wolfgang Haußmann (acting) | 1 December 1966 | 16 December 1966 | 15 days | FDP | ||
| 4 | .jpg.webp) |
Hans Filbinger (1913–2007) |
16 December 1966 | 30 August 1978 resigned |
11 years, 257 days | CDU |
| 5 |  |
Lothar Späth (1937–2016) |
30 August 1978 | 22 January 1991 resigned |
12 years, 145 days | CDU |
| 6 |  |
Erwin Teufel (born 1939) |
22 January 1991 | 21 April 2005 resigned |
14 years, 89 days | CDU |
| 7 |  |
Günther Oettinger (born 1953) |
21 April 2005 | 10 February 2010 resigned appointed to the European Commission |
4 years, 295 days | CDU |
| 8 | .jpg.webp) |
Stefan Mappus (born 1966) |
10 February 2010 | 12 May 2011 | 1 year, 91 days | CDU |
| 9 | |
Winfried Kretschmann (born 1948) |
12 May 2011 | Incumbent | 9 years, 274 days | Alliance 90/The Greens |
Ministers President of Bavaria (since 1945)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 |  |
Fritz Schäffer (1888–1967) |
28 May 1945 | 28 September 1945 | 123 days | CSU |
| 2 |  |
Wilhelm Hoegner (1887–1980) 1st term |
28 September 1945 | 16 December 1946 | 1 year, 79 days | SPD |
| 3 |  |
Hans Ehard (1887–1980) 1st term |
21 December 1946 | 14 December 1954 | 7 years, 358 days | CSU |
| 4 | |
Wilhelm Hoegner (1887–1980) 2nd term |
14 December 1954 | 8 October 1957 resigned |
2 years, 298 days | SPD |
| 5 |  |
Hanns Seidel (1901–1961) |
16 October 1957 | 22 January 1960 resigned |
2 years, 98 days | CSU |
| 6 | |
Hans Ehard (1887–1980) 2nd term |
26 January 1960 | 11 December 1962 | 2 years, 319 days | CSU |
| 7 |  |
Alfons Goppel (1905–1991) |
11 December 1962 | 6 November 1978 | 15 years, 330 days | CSU |
| 8 |  |
Franz Josef Strauss (1915–1988) |
6 November 1978 | 3 October 1988 died in office |
9 years, 332 days | CSU |
| Max Streibl (acting, Deputy MP), Franz Heubl (acting, President of the Landtag) | 3 October 1988 | 19 October 1988 | 16 days | both CSU | ||
| 9 |  |
Max Streibl (1932–1998) |
19 October 1988 | 28 May 1993 resigned |
4 years, 221 days | CSU |
| 10 |  |
Edmund Stoiber (born 1941) |
28 May 1993 | 30 September 2007 resigned |
14 years, 126 days | CSU |
| 11 |  |
Günther Beckstein (born 1943) |
9 October 2007 | 27 October 2008 | 1 year, 18 days | CSU |
| 12 |  |
Horst Seehofer (born 1949) |
27 October 2008 | 13 March 2018 resigend appointed Federal Minister of the Interior |
9 years, 140 days | CSU |
| Ilse Aigner (acting, Deputy MP), Barbara Stamm (acting, President of the Landtag) | 13 March 2018 | 16 March 2018 | 3 days | both CSU | ||
| 13 | .jpg.webp) |
Markus Söder (born 1967) |
16 March 2018 | Incumbent | 2 years, 331 days | CSU |
Governing Mayors of Berlin (since 1948, West Berlin until 1990/91)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 |  |
Ernst Reuter (1889–1953) |
7 December 1948 | 29 September 1953 died in office |
4 years, 296 days | SPD |
| 2 |  |
Walther Schreiber (1884–1958) |
29 September 1953 | 11 January 1955 | 1 year, 104 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Otto Suhr (1894–1957) |
11 January 1955 | 30 August 1957 died in office |
2 years, 231 days | SPD |
| Franz Amrehn (acting) | 30 August 1957 | 3 October 1957 | 34 days | CDU | ||
| 4 |  |
Willy Brandt (1913–1992) |
3 October 1957 | 1 December 1966 resigned appointed Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor |
9 years, 59 days | SPD |
| 5 |  |
Heinrich Albertz (1915–1993) |
1 December 1966 | 19 October 1967 resigned |
322 days | SPD |
| 6 |  |
Klaus Schütz (1926–2012) |
19 October 1967 | 2 May 1977 resigned |
9 years, 195 days | SPD |
| 7 |  |
Dietrich Stobbe (1938–2011) |
2 May 1977 | 23 January 1981 resigned |
3 years, 266 days | SPD |
| 8 |  |
Hans-Jochen Vogel (1926–2020) |
23 January 1981 | 11 June 1981 | 139 days | SPD |
| 9 |  |
Richard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015) |
11 June 1981 | 9 February 1984 resigned elected President of Germany |
2 years, 243 days | CDU |
| 10 |  |
Eberhard Diepgen (born 1941) 1st term |
9 February 1984 | 16 March 1989 | 5 years, 35 days | CDU |
| 11 |  |
Walter Momper[lower-alpha 1] (born 1945) |
16 March 1989 | 24 January 1991 | 1 year, 314 days | SPD |
| 12 | |
Eberhard Diepgen (born 1941) 2nd term |
24 January 1991 | 16 June 2001 replaced by a constructive vote of no confidence |
10 years, 143 days | CDU |
| 13 |  |
Klaus Wowereit (born 1953) |
16 June 2001 | 11 December 2014 resigned |
13 years, 178 days | SPD |
| 14 | |
Michael Müller (born 1964) |
11 December 2014 | Incumbent | 6 years, 61 days | SPD |
- Due to the German Reunification Treaty, from 3 October 1990 on Momper, as Governing Mayor of West Berlin, governed the reunited state of Berlin together with the Lord Mayor of East Berlin, until the formation of a democratically legitimate state government following the 1990 Berlin state election on 24 January 1991. The Lord Mayors of East Berlin during this period were Tino Schwierzina (SPD, 3 October 1990–11 January 1991) and Thomas Krüger (acting, SPD, 11 January–24 January 1991).
Ministers President of Brandenburg (since 1990)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 | _(2).JPG.webp) |
Manfred Stolpe (1936–2019) |
1 November 1990 | 26 June 2002 resigned |
11 years, 237 days | SPD |
| 2 |  |
Matthias Platzeck (born 1953) |
26 June 2002 | 28 August 2013 resigned |
11 years, 63 days | SPD |
| 3 |  |
Dietmar Woidke (born 1961) |
28 August 2013 | Incumbent | 7 years, 166 days | SPD |
Presidents of the Senate and Mayors of Bremen (since 1945)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 | .png.webp){kind=spacer} |
Erich Vagts (1884–1967) |
2 May 1945 | 31 July 1945 | 90 days | Independent |
| 2 |  |
Wilhelm Kaisen (1887–1979) |
31 July 1945 | 20 July 1965 | 19 years, 354 days | SPD |
| 3 |  |
Willy Dehnkamp (1903–1985) |
20 July 1965 | 28 November 1967 | 2 years, 141 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Hans Koschnick (1929–2016) |
28 November 1967 | 18 September 1985 | 17 years, 294 days | SPD |
| 5 |  |
Klaus Wedemeier (born 1944) |
18 September 1985 | 4 July 1995 | 9 years, 289 days | SPD |
| 6 |  |
Henning Scherf (born 1938) |
4 July 1995 | 8 November 2005 resigned |
10 years, 127 days | SPD |
| 7 |  |
Jens Böhrnsen (born 1949) |
8 November 2005 | 17 July 2015 | 9 years, 251 days | SPD |
| 8 |  |
Carsten Sieling (born 1959) |
17 July 2015 | 15 August 2019 | 4 years, 29 days | SPD |
| 9 | |
Andreas Bovenschulte (born 1965) |
15 August 2019 | Incumbent | 1 year, 179 days | SPD |
First Mayors of Hamburg (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Max Brauer (1887–1973) 1st term |
22 November 1946 | 2 December 1953 replaced by a constructive vote of no confidence |
7 years, 10 days | SPD |
| 2 |  |
Kurt Sieveking (1897–1986) |
2 December 1953 | 4 December 1957 | 4 years, 2 days | CDU |
| 3 | |
Max Brauer (1887–1973) 2nd term |
4 December 1957 | 31 December 1960 resigned |
3 years, 27 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Paul Nevermann (1902–1979) |
1 January 1961 | 9 June 1965 resigned |
4 years, 159 days | SPD |
| 5 |  |
Herbert Weichmann (1896–1983) |
9 June 1965 | 9 June 1971 resigned |
6 years, 0 days | SPD |
| 6 |  |
Peter Schulz (1930–2013) |
9 June 1971 | 12 November 1974 | 3 years, 156 days | SPD |
| 7 |  |
Hans-Ulrich Klose (born 1937) |
12 November 1974 | 8 June 1981 resigned |
6 years, 208 days | SPD |
| 8 |  |
Klaus von Dohnanyi (born 1928) |
24 June 1981 | 8 June 1988 | 6 years, 350 days | SPD |
| 9 |  |
Henning Voscherau (1941–2016) |
8 June 1988 | 12 November 1997 | 9 years, 157 days | SPD |
| 10 | .jpg.webp) |
Ortwin Runde (born 1944) |
12 November 1997 | 31 October 2001 | 3 years, 353 days | SPD |
| 11 |  |
Ole von Beust (born 1955) |
31 October 2001 | 25 August 2010 resigned |
8 years, 298 days | CDU |
| 12 |  |
Christoph Ahlhaus (born 1969) |
25 August 2010 | 7 March 2011 | 194 days | CDU |
| 13 | .jpg.webp) |
Olaf Scholz (born 1958) |
7 March 2011 | 13 March 2018 resigned appointed Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor |
7 years, 6 days | SPD |
| Katharina Fegebank (acting) | 13 March 2018 | 28 March 2018 | 15 days | Alliance 90/The Greens | ||
| 14 | |
Peter Tschentscher (born 1966) |
28 March 2018 | Incumbent | 2 years, 319 days | SPD |
Ministers President of Hesse (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Christian Stock (1884–1967) |
20 December 1946 | 14 December 1950 | 3 years, 359 days | SPD |
| 2 |  |
Georg-August Zinn (1901–1976) |
14 December 1950 | 3 October 1969 | 18 years, 293 days | SPD |
| 3 |  |
Albert Osswald (1919–1996) |
3 October 1969 | 16 October 1976 resigned |
7 years, 13 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Holger Börner (1931–2006) |
16 October 1976 | 23 April 1987 | 10 years, 189 days | SPD |
| 5 |  |
Walter Wallmann (1932–2013) |
23 April 1987 | 5 April 1991 | 3 years, 347 days | CDU |
| 6 |  |
Hans Eichel (born 1941) |
5 April 1991 | 7 April 1999 | 8 years, 2 days | SPD |
| 7 |  |
Roland Koch (born 1958) |
7 April 1999 | 31 August 2010 resigned |
11 years, 146 days | CDU |
| 8 | |
Volker Bouffier (born 1951) |
31 August 2010 | Incumbent | 10 years, 163 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Lower Saxony (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf (1893–1961) 1st term |
9 December 1946 | 26 May 1955 | 8 years, 168 days | SPD |
| 2 | |
Heinrich Hellwege (1908–1991) |
26 May 1955 | 12 May 1959 | 3 years, 351 days | German Party |
| 3 | |
Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf (1893–1961) 2nd term |
12 May 1959 | 21 December 1961 died in office |
2 years, 223 days | SPD |
| Hermann Ahrens (acting) | 21 December 1961 | 29 December 1961 | 8 days | GB/BHE | ||
| 4 |  |
Georg Diederichs (1900–1983) |
29 December 1961 | 8 July 1970 | 8 years, 191 days | SPD |
| 5 | .jpg.webp) |
Alfred Kubel (1909–1999) |
8 July 1970 | 6 February 1976 resigned |
5 years, 213 days | SPD |
| 6 |  |
Ernst Albrecht (1930–2014) |
6 February 1976 | 21 June 1990 | 14 years, 135 days | CDU |
| 7 | .jpg.webp) |
Gerhard Schröder (born 1944) |
21 June 1990 | 28 October 1998 resigned elected Chancellor |
8 years, 129 days | SPD |
| 8 | |
Gerhard Glogowski (born 1943) |
28 October 1998 | 15 October 1999 resigned |
352 days | SPD |
| 9 | .jpg.webp) |
Sigmar Gabriel (born 1959) |
15 October 1999 | 4 March 2003 | 3 years, 140 days | SPD |
| 10 |  |
Christian Wulff (born 1959) |
4 March 2003 | 30 June 2010 resigned elected President of Germany |
7 years, 118 days | CDU |
| Jörg Bode (acting) | 30 June 2010 | 1 July 2010 | 1 day | FDP | ||
| 11 |  |
David McAllister (born 1971) |
1 July 2010 | 19 February 2013 | 2 years, 233 days | CDU |
| 12 | |
Stephan Weil (born 1958) |
19 February 2013 | Incumbent | 7 years, 357 days | SPD |
Ministers President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (since 1990)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term | Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Alfred Gomolka (1942–2020) |
27 October 1990 | 19 March 1992 resigned |
1 year, 144 days | CDU |
| 2 | _by_Guenter_Prust.jpg.webp) |
Berndt Seite (born 1940) |
19 March 1992 | 3 November 1998 | 6 years, 229 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Harald Ringstorff (1939–2020) |
3 November 1998 | 6 October 2008 resigned |
9 years, 338 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Erwin Sellering (born 1949) |
6 October 2008 | 4 July 2017 resigned |
8 years, 271 days | SPD |
| 5 | |
Manuela Schwesig (born 1974) |
4 July 2017 | Incumbent | 3 years, 221 days | SPD |
Ministers President of North Rhine-Westphalia (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Rudolf Amelunxen (1888–1969) |
23 August 1946 | 17 June 1947 | 298 | Non-partisan (until 1947) |
| Centre Party (from 1947) | ||||||
| 2 |  |
Karl Arnold (1901–1958) |
17 June 1947 | 20 February 1956 replaced by a constructive vote of no confidence |
8 years, 248 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Fritz Steinhoff (1897–1969) |
20 February 1956 | 21 July 1958 | 2 years, 151 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Franz Meyers (1908–2002) |
21 July 1958 | 8 December 1966 replaced by a constructive vote of no confidence |
8 years, 140 days | CDU |
| 5 |  |
Heinz Kühn (1912–1992) |
8 December 1966 | 20 September 1978 | 11 years, 286 days | SPD |
| 6 |  |
Johannes Rau (1931–2006) |
20 September 1978 | 27 May 1998 resigned |
19 years, 249 days | SPD |
| 7 |  |
Wolfgang Clement (1940–2020) |
27 May 1998 | 22 October 2002 resigned appointed Federal Minister for the Economy and Labour |
4 years, 148 days | SPD |
| Michael Vesper (acting) | 22 October 2002 | 6 November 2002 | 15 days | Alliance 90/The Greens | ||
| 8 |  |
Peer Steinbrück (born 1947) |
6 November 2002 | 22 June 2005 | 2 years, 228 days | SPD |
| 9 |  |
Jürgen Rüttgers (born 1951) |
22 June 2005 | 14 July 2010 | 5 years, 22 days | CDU |
| 10 |  |
Hannelore Kraft (born 1961) |
14 July 2010 | 27 June 2017 | 6 years, 348 days | SPD |
| 11 | |
Armin Laschet (born 1961) |
27 June 2017 | Incumbent | 3 years, 228 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Rhineland-Palatinate (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 | |
Wilhelm Boden (1890–1961) |
1 December 1946 | 9 July 1947 | 220 days | CDU |
| 2 |  |
Peter Altmeier (1899–1977) |
9 July 1947 | 19 May 1969 | 21 years, 314 days | CDU |
| 3 | .jpg.webp) |
Helmut Kohl (1930–2017) |
19 May 1969 | 2 December 1976 resigned elected to the Bundestag |
7 years, 197 days | CDU |
| 4 |  |
Bernhard Vogel (born 1932) |
2 December 1976 | 8 December 1988 resigned |
12 years, 6 days | CDU |
| 5 |  |
Carl-Ludwig Wagner (1930–2012) |
8 December 1988 | 21 May 1991 | 2 years, 164 days | CDU |
| 6 |  |
Rudolf Scharping (born 1947) |
21 May 1991 | 26 October 1994 resigned elected to the Bundestag |
3 years, 158 days | SPD |
| 7 | _cropped.jpg.webp) |
Kurt Beck (born 1949) |
26 October 1994 | 16 January 2013 resigned |
18 years, 82 days | SPD |
| 8 | |
Malu Dreyer (born 1961) |
16 January 2013 | Incumbent | 8 years, 25 days | SPD |
Ministers President of Saarland (since 1947, joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957)
| Portrait | Name (born and died) |
Term of office | Political party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Johannes Hoffmann (1890–1967) |
20 December 1947 | 29 October 1955 resigned |
7 years, 313 days | CVP |
| 2 | |
Heinrich Welsch (1888–1976) |
29 October 1955 | 10 January 1956 | 73 days | Independent |
| 3 |  |
Hubert Ney (1892–1984) |
10 January 1956 | 4 June 1957 resigned |
1 year, 145 days | CDU |
| 4 | |
Egon Reinert (1908–1959) |
4 June 1957 | 23 April 1959 died in office |
1 year, 323 days | CDU |
| 5 |  |
Franz-Josef Röder (1909–1979) |
23 April 1959 | 26 June 1979 died in office |
20 years, 64 days | CDU |
| Werner Klumpp (acting) | 26 June 1979 | 5 July 1979 | 9 days | FDP | ||
| 6 |  |
Werner Zeyer (1929–2000) |
5 July 1979 | 9 April 1985 | 5 years, 278 days | CDU |
| 7 | .jpg.webp) |
Oskar Lafontaine (born 1943) |
9 April 1985 | 10 November 1998 resigned appointed Federal Minister of Finance |
13 years, 215 days | SPD |
| 8 |  |
Reinhard Klimmt (born 1942) |
10 November 1998 | 29 September 1999 | 323 days | SPD |
| 9 |  |
Peter Müller (born 1955) |
29 September 1999 | 10 August 2011 resigned appointed to the Federal Constitutional Court |
11 years, 315 days | CDU |
| 10 |  |
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (born 1962) |
10 August 2011 | 1 March 2018 resigned |
6 years, 203 days | CDU |
| 11 | |
Tobias Hans (born 1978) |
1 March 2018 | Incumbent | 2 years, 346 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Saxony (since 1990)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Kurt Biedenkopf (born 1930) |
27 October 1990 | 18 April 2002 resigned |
11 years, 173 days | CDU |
| 2 | .jpg.webp) |
Georg Milbradt (born 1945) |
18 April 2002 | 28 May 2008 resigned |
6 years, 40 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Stanislaw Tillich (born 1959) |
28 May 2008 | 13 December 2017 resigned |
9 years, 199 days | CDU |
| 4 |  |
Michael Kretschmer (born 1975) |
13 December 2017 | Incumbent | 3 years, 59 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Saxony-Anhalt (since 1990)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 |  |
Gerd Gies (born 1943) |
28 October 1990 | 4 July 1991 resigned |
249 days | CDU |
| 2 |  |
Werner Münch (born 1940) |
4 July 1991 | 2 December 1993 resigned |
2 years, 151 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Christoph Bergner (born 1948) |
2 December 1993 | 21 June 1994 | 201 days | CDU |
| 4 |  |
Reinhard Höppner (1948–2014) |
21 June 1994 | 16 May 2002 | 7 years, 329 days | SPD |
| 5 | .jpg.webp) |
Wolfgang Böhmer (born 1936) |
16 May 2002 | 19 April 2011 | 8 years, 338 days | CDU |
| 6 | |
Reiner Haseloff (born 1954) |
19 April 2011 | Incumbent | 9 years, 297 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Schleswig-Holstein (since 1946)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 | |
Theodor Steltzer (1885–1967) |
12 September 1946 | 29 April 1947 | 229 days | CDU |
| 2 |  |
Hermann Lüdemann (1880–1959) |
29 April 1947 | 29 August 1949 | 2 years, 122 days | SPD |
| 3 | |
Bruno Diekmann (1897–1982) |
29 August 1949 | 5 September 1950 | 1 year, 7 days | SPD |
| 4 |  |
Walter Bartram (1893–1971) |
5 September 1950 | 25 June 1951 resigned |
293 days | CDU |
| 5 | |
Friedrich-Wilhelm Lübke (1887–1954) |
25 June 1951 | 11 October 1954 resigned |
3 years, 108 days | CDU |
| 6 | .jpg.webp) |
Kai-Uwe von Hassel (1913–1997) |
11 October 1954 | 14 January 1963 resigned appointed Federal Minister of Defence |
8 years, 95 days | CDU |
| 7 |  |
Helmut Lemke (1907–1990) |
14 January 1963 | 24 May 1971 | 8 years, 130 days | CDU |
| 8 | .jpg.webp) |
Gerhard Stoltenberg (1928–2001) |
24 May 1971 | 14 October 1982 resigned appointed Federal Minister of Finance |
11 years, 143 days | CDU |
| 9 |  |
Uwe Barschel (1944–1987) |
14 October 1982 | 2 October 1987 resigned |
4 years, 353 days | CDU |
| Henning Schwarz (acting) | 2 October 1987 | 31 May 1988 | 242 days | CDU | ||
| 10 |  |
Björn Engholm (born 1939) |
31 May 1988 | 19 May 1993 resigned |
4 years, 353 days | SPD |
| 11 |  |
Heide Simonis (born 1943) |
19 May 1993 | 27 April 2005 | 11 years, 343 days | SPD |
| 12 | .jpg.webp) |
Peter Harry Carstensen (born 1947) |
27 April 2005 | 12 June 2012 | 7 years, 46 days | CDU |
| 13 |  |
Torsten Albig (born 1963) |
12 June 2012 | 28 June 2017 | 5 years, 16 days | SPD |
| 14 | |
Daniel Günther (born 1973) |
28 June 2017 | Incumbent | 3 years, 227 days | CDU |
Ministers President of Thuringia (since 1990)
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
| 1 | .jpg.webp) |
Josef Duchac (born 1938) |
8 November 1990 | 5 February 1992 resigned |
1 year, 89 days | CDU |
| 2 | |
Bernhard Vogel (born 1932) |
5 February 1992 | 5 June 2003 resigned |
11 years, 120 days | CDU |
| 3 |  |
Dieter Althaus (born 1958) |
5 June 2003 | 30 October 2009 | 6 years, 147 days | CDU |
| 4 |  |
Christine Lieberknecht (born 1958) |
30 October 2009 | 5 December 2014 | 5 years, 36 days | CDU |
| 5 | |
Bodo Ramelow (born 1956) 1st term |
5 December 2014 | 5 February 2020 | 5 years, 62 days | The Left |
| 6 |  |
Thomas Kemmerich (born 1965) |
5 February 2020 | 4 March 2020 resigned |
28 days | FDP |
| 7 | |
Bodo Ramelow (born 1956) 2nd term |
4 March 2020 | Incumbent | 343 days | The Left |
Ministers President of Württemberg-Baden (1945–1952)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
|
Reinhold Maier (1889–1971) |
19 September 1945 | 25 April 1952 state was merged into into Baden-Württemberg |
6 years, 219 days | FDP | |
State Presidents of Württemberg-Hohenzollern (1945–1952)
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Days | ||||
| 1 | .jpg.webp) |
Carlo Schmid (1896–1979) |
16 October 1945 | 22 July 1947 | 1 year, 279 days | SPD |
| 2 |  |
Lorenz Bock (1883–1948) |
22 July 1947 | 3 August 1948 died in office |
1 year, 12 days | CDU |
| Carlo Schmid (acting) | 3 August 1948 | 13 August 1948 | 10 days | SPD | ||
| 3 | |
Gebhard Müller (1900–1990) |
13 August 1948 | 25 April 1952 state was merged into Baden-Württemberg |
3 years, 256 days | CDU |
The vast majority former ministers president have been members of Germany's two biggest political parties, the center-right CDU (or, in Bavaria, its sister party CSU) and the center-left SPD. However, all german parties currently represented in the Bundestag, apart from the AfD, have at least once provided a minister president.
- Winfried Kretschmann, Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (since 2011)
Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP):
- Reinhold Maier, Minister President of Württemberg-Baden (1945–1952), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1952–1953)
- Thomas Kemmerich, Minister President of Thuringia (2020)
- Bodo Ramelow, Minister President of Thuringia (2014–2020 and since 2020)
Trivia
The office of a minister president is both highly prestigious in its own right and acts as a potential "career springboard" for German politicians.
Three out of twelve Presidents of Germany have been head of a state before becoming President:
- Richard von Weizsäcker, Governing Mayor of Berlin (1981–1984)
- Johannes Rau, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (1978–1998)
- Christian Wulff, Minister President of Lower Saxony (2003–2010)
One out of 13 Presidents of the Bundestag has been head of a state before becoming President:
- Kai-Uwe von Hassel, Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein (1954–1963)
Four out of eight Chancellors of Germany have been head of a state before becoming Chancellor:
- Kurt-Georg Kiesinger, Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1958–1966)
- Willy Brandt, Governing Mayor of Berlin (1957–1966)
- Helmut Kohl, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate (1969–1976)
- Gerhard Schröder, Minister President of Lower Saxony (1990–1998)
One out of nine Presidents of the Federal Constitutional Court has been head of a state before becoming President:
- Gebhard Müller, State President of Württemberg-Hohenzollern (1948–1952), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1953–1958)
Many more Ministers President went on to become members of the federal government, EU institutions or associate judges of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany for example.
The three longest serving office-holders were:
- Peter Altmeier, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate (1947–1969, 21 years, 314 days)
- Franz-Josef Röder, Minister President of Saarland (1959–1979, 20 years, 64 days)
- Wilhelm Kaisen, President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen (1945–1965, 19 years, 354 days)
The three shortest serving office-holders were:
- Thomas Kemmerich, Minister President of Thuringia (2020, 28 days)
- Heinrich Welsch, Minister President of Saarland (1955–1956, 73 days)
- Erich Vagts, President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen (1945, 90 days)
There have been six female heads of a German state:
- Heide Simonis, Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein (1993–2005)
- Christine Lieberknecht, Minister President of Thuringia (2009–2014)
- Hannelore Kraft, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (2010–2017)
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister President of Saarland (2011–2018)
- Malu Dreyer, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate (incumbent since 2013)
- Manuela Schwesig, Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (incumbent since 2017)
One person has managed to become Minister President of two different states, which did not merge into one another:
- Bernhard Vogel, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate (1976–1988) and Minister President of Thuringia (1992–2003)
Two persons have been Ministers President of two states before and after they had merged into one another:
- Reinhold Maier, Minister President of Württemberg-Baden (1945–1952), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1952–1953)
- Gebhard Müller, State President of Württemberg-Hohenzollern (1948–1952), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1953–1958)
So far, there has been already one Minister President from a recognized national minority: Stanislaw Tillich, who served as Minister President of Saxony between 2008–2017, is of Sorbian origin and speaks Sorbian and German as his mother tongue.
David McAllister, who served as the Minister President of Lower Saxony between 2010–2013, has been the first office-holder with dual nationality (Germany and United Kingdom).
See also
References
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- "REVOSax Landesrecht Sachsen : Verfassung". Revosax.sachsen.de. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Landesrecht Sachsen-Anhalt Verf ST - Landesnorm Sachsen-Anhalt - Gesamtausgabe - Verfassung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt vom 16. Juli 1992 - gültig ab: 18.07.1992". Landesrecht.sachsen-anhalt.de. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Gesetze-Rechtsprechung Schleswig-Holstein Verf SH 2014 - Landesnorm Schleswig-Holstein - Gesamtausgabe - Verfassung des Landes Schleswig-Holstein in der Fassung vom 2. Dezember 2014 - gültig ab: 11.12.2014". Gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Landesrecht TH Verf TH - Landesnorm Thüringen - Gesamtausgabe - Verfassung des Freistaats Thüringen vom 25. Oktober 1993 - gültig ab: 30.10.1993". Landtag.thueringen.de. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- https://www.bundestag.de/resource/blob/189468/8464d1ab92cf523017d226d478dca83c/2005_11_10-data.pdf