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Germany
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Germany Germany Stolberg, Germany Germany
Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity
How did Berlin become the capital of reunified Germany?
Rhine River Zugspitze, Germany Germany: Black Forest
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Germany summary
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Leaders of Germany

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Also known as: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Deutschland, Federal Republic of Germany
Written by
Gerald Strauss
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University, Bloomington. Author of Law, Resistance, and the State in Reformation Germany.
Gerald Strauss,
Thomas Henry Elkins
Professor of Geography, University of Sussex, Brighton, England. Author of Germany and others.
Thomas Henry Elkins•All
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Last Updated: • Article History
German Lufthansa closes deal to acquire 41% of ITA Airways, gaining full control by 2033 • Jan. 17, 2025, 1:58 PM ET (AP)
Germany's economy shrank for the second consecutive year in 2024 • Jan. 15, 2025, 9:43 AM ET (AP)
NATO announces a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region • Jan. 14, 2025, 11:54 AM ET (AP)
Zelenskyy, Macron discuss Western troop deployment in Ukraine before German defense chief visits • Jan. 14, 2025, 11:36 AM ET (AP)

The table provides a chronological list of the leaders of Germany from 1871.

Leaders of Germany
Kaisers of the German Empire
*Upon Hindenburg's death in 1934, the powers of the presidency were merged with those of the chancellor.
**Chancellor from 1933 and Führer ("Leader") from 1934.
***East Germany was governed by interim administrations from December 1989 until the two Germanys were reunited in October 1990.
William I (of Prussia) 1871–88
Frederick III 1888
William II 1888–1918
Presidents of the Weimar Republic
Friedrich Ebert 1919–25
Paul von Hindenburg 1925–33
Leaders of the Third Reich (National Socialist regime)
Paul von Hindenburg* 1934
Adolf Hitler** 1933–45
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
Konrad Adenauer 1949–63
Ludwig Erhard 1963–66
Kurt Georg Kiesinger 1966–69
Willy Brandt 1969–74
Helmut Schmidt 1974–82
Helmut Kohl 1982–90
First (or General) Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
Walter Ulbricht 1950–71
Erich Honecker 1971–89
Egon Krenz*** 1989
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany (reunited Germany)
Helmut Kohl 1990–98
Gerhard Schröder 1998–2005
Angela Merkel 2005–21
Olaf Scholz 2021–