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 (retroactively approved by a referendum). 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 president was replaced by a collective head of state, the Staatsrat ("State Council"). After the Staatsrat was abolished on 5 April 1990, the president of the Volkskammer ("People's Chamber") served as head of state until East Germany joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990

Weimar Republic (1919–1933)

† denotes people who died in office.

	Reichspräsident	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election
	Ebert, FriedrichFriedrich Ebert (1871–1925)	11 February 1919	28 February 1925 †			SPD	1919
	Luther, HansHans Luther (Acting) (1879–1962)	28 February 1925	12 March 1925			Nonpartisan	–
	Simons, WalterWalter Simons (Acting) (1861–1937)	12 March 1925	12 May 1925			Nonpartisan	–
Paul von Hindenburg	Hindenburg, PaulGeneralfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 †			Nonpartisan	1925 1932

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

† denotes people who died in office.

	Reichspräsident	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election
Paul von Hindenburg	Hindenburg, PaulGeneralfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934)	12 May 1925	2 August 1934 †			Nonpartisan	1925 1932
	Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler (1889–1945) Führer und Reichskanzler	2 August 1934	30 April 1945 †			NSDAP	–
	Dönitz, KarlGroßadmiral Karl Dönitz (1891–1980)	30 April 1945	23 May 1945			NSDAP	–

German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (1949–1990)

† denotes people who died in office.

	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
President of the Republic Präsident der Republik
	Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	11 October 1949	7 September 1960 †			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
	Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann (Acting) (1893–1969)	7 September 1960	12 September 1960			[[Liberal Democratic Party of Germany|Template:Liberal Democratic Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrats
Walter Ulbricht	Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	12 September 1960	1 August 1973 †			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
	Ebert, FriedrichFriedrich Ebert Jr. (Acting) (1894–1979)	1 August 1973	3 October 1973			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
	Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
Erich Honecker	Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	29 October 1976	18 October 1989 (resigned)			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
	Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989 (resigned)			[[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Template:Socialist Unity Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
Manfred Gerlach	Gerlach, ManfredManfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	6 December 1989	5 April 1990 (office abolished)			[[Liberal Democratic Party of Germany|Template:Liberal Democratic Party of Germany/meta/shortname]]
President of the People's Chamber Präsident der Volkskammer
	Bergmann-Pohl, SabineSabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990 (office abolished)			CDU

Federal Republic of Germany (from 1949)

† denotes people who died in office.

	Bundespräsident	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election
	Heuss, TheodorTheodor Heuss (1884–1963)	12 September 1949	12 September 1959			FDP	1949 1954
	Lübke, HeinrichHeinrich Lübke (1894–1972)	13 September 1959	30 June 1969 (resigned)			CDU	1959 1964
Gustav Heinemann	Heinemann, GustavGustav Heinemann (1899–1976)	1 July 1969	30 June 1974			SPD	1969
	Scheel, WalterWalter Scheel (1919–2016)	1 July 1974	30 June 1979			FDP	1974
Karl Carstens	Carstens, KarlKarl Carstens (1914–1992)	1 July 1979	30 June 1984			CDU	1979
Richard von Weizsäcker	Weizsäcker, RichardRichard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015)	1 July 1984	30 June 1994			CDU	1984 1989
Roman Herzog	Herzog, RomanRoman Herzog (1934–2017)	1 July 1994	30 June 1999			CDU	1994
	Rau, JohannesJohannes Rau (1931–2006)	1 July 1999	30 June 2004			SPD	1999
	Köhler, HorstHorst Köhler (born 1943)	1 July 2004	31 May 2010 (resigned)			CDU	2004 2009
	Böhrnsen, JensJens Böhrnsen (Acting) (born 1949)	31 May 2010	30 June 2010			SPD	–
Christian Wulff	Wulff, ChristianChristian Wulff (born 1959)	30 June 2010	17 February 2012 (resigned)			CDU	2010
	Seehofer, HorstHorst Seehofer (Acting) (born 1949)	17 February 2012	18 March 2012			CSU	–
	Gauck, JoachimJoachim Gauck (born 1940)	18 March 2012	18 March 2017			Independent	2012
Frank-Walter Steinmeier	Steinmeier, Frank-WalterFrank-Walter Steinmeier (born 1956)	18 March 2017	Incumbent			SPD	2017

See also

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