# Chancellor of Germany By [FLIGMATA](https://paragraph.com/@fligmata) · 2023-05-30 --- The **chancellor of Germany**, officially the **federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany**,[\[a\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_Germany#cite_note-3) is the head of the federal [government of Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Germany), and the [commander in chief](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander_in_chief) of the [German Armed Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Armed_Forces) during [wartime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_defence).[\[b\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_Germany#cite_note-4) The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. The chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the [federal president](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Germany) and without debate (Article 63 of the [German Constitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Constitution)).[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_Germany#cite_note-5) [https://opensea.io/assets/0x8720c2837EF9dD4f723C0E93751a1feCa6424c34/1](https://opensea.io/assets/0x8720c2837EF9dD4f723C0E93751a1feCa6424c34/1) The current officeholder is [Olaf Scholz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Scholz) of the [SPD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany), who was elected in December 2021, succeeding [Angela Merkel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel). He was elected after the SPD entered into a [coalition agreement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholz_cabinet) with [Alliance 90/The Greens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_90/The_Greens) and the [FDP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Democratic_Party_\(Germany\)). History of the office --------------------- This article **needs additional citations for** [**verification**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability). Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chancellor_of_Germany&action=edit) by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners). Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. _Find sources:_ ["Chancellor of Germany"](https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22) – [news](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1) **·** [newspapers](https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks) **·** [books](https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22+-wikipedia) **·** [scholar](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22) **·** [JSTOR](https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Chancellor+of+Germany%22&acc=on&wc=on) _(September 2017) (_[_Learn how and when to remove this template message_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal)_)_ **This article is part of a series on the**[Politics of Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Germany)show[Constitution (Basic Law)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_for_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany)showHead of StateshowExecutiveshowLegislatureshow[Judiciary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiciary_of_Germany)show[Subdivisions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_Germany)show[Elections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Germany)showState and local politicsshow[Foreign relations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Germany)showPolitical ideologies *  [Germany portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Germany) *  [Politics portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Politics) * [Other countries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_political_science#Politics_by_region) * [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Politics_of_Germany) * [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Politics_of_Germany) * [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Politics_of_Germany&action=edit) [Willy Brandt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Brandt) talking at an [SPD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany) meeting in [Dortmund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dortmund), 1983 The office of Chancellor has a long history, stemming back to the [Holy Roman Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire), when the office of German [archchancellor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archchancellor) was usually held by [archbishops of Mainz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbishops_of_Mainz). The title was, at times, used in several states of German-speaking Europe. The modern office of chancellor was established with the [North German Confederation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_German_Confederation), of which [Otto von Bismarck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck) became _Bundeskanzler_ (meaning "**Federal Chancellor**") in 1867. With the enlargement of this federal state to the German Empire in 1871, the title was renamed to **_Reichskanzler_** (meaning "**Imperial Chancellor**"). With [Germany's constitution of 1949](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_for_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany), the title of _Bundeskanzler_ was revived. Due to his administrative tasks, the head of the [clerics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clergy) at the chapel of an [imperial palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiserpfalz) during the [Carolingian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_Empire) was called [_chancellor_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor) (from [Latin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_language): _cancellarius_). The chapel's college acted as the Emperor's [chancery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancery_\(medieval_office\)) issuing deeds and [capitularies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulary). From the days of [Louis the German](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_the_German), the [archbishop of Mainz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbishopric_of_Mainz) was [_ex officio_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_officio) German [archchancellor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archchancellor), a position he held until the end of the [Holy Roman Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire) in 1806, while _de jure_ the [archbishop of Cologne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electorate_of_Cologne) was chancellor of [Italy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy_\(medieval\)) and the [archbishop of Trier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electorate_of_Trier) of [Burgundy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Burgundy-Arles). These three [prince-archbishops](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-Bishop) were also [prince-electors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-elector) of the empire electing the [King of the Romans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_the_Romans). Already in medieval times, the German chancellor had political power like Archbishop [Willigis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willigis) (archchancellor 975–1011, regent for King [Otto III of Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_III,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) 991–994) or [Rainald von Dassel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainald_of_Dassel) (Chancellor 1156–1162 and 1166–1167) under Emperor [Frederick Barbarossa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor). In 1559, Emperor [Ferdinand I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) established the agency of an imperial chancellery (_Reichshofkanzlei_) at the Vienna [Hofburg Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofburg_Palace), headed by a vice chancellor under the nominal authority of the Mainz archbishop. Upon the 1620 [Battle of White Mountain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_White_Mountain), Emperor [Ferdinand II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) created the office of an [Austrian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduchy_of_Austria) court chancellor in charge of the internal and foreign affairs of the [Habsburg monarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_monarchy). From 1753 onwards, the office of an Austrian state chancellor was held by Prince [Kaunitz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenzel_Anton,_Prince_of_Kaunitz-Rietberg). The imperial chancellery lost its importance, and from the days of [Maria Theresa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Theresa) and [Joseph II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor), merely existed on paper. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince [Metternich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metternich) served as state chancellor of the [Austrian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Empire) (1821–1848), likewise Prince [Hardenberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_August_von_Hardenberg) acted as [Prussian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Prussia) chancellor (1810–1822). The [German Confederation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Confederation) of 1815–1866 did not have a government or parliament, only the Bundestag as representative organ of the states. The role of the chancellor has varied during the different eras. From 1867 to 1918, the chancellor was the only responsible minister at the federal level. He was appointed by the [_Bundespräsidium_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundespr%C3%A4sidium), (i.e. the Prussian king; since 1871 called Emperor). The state secretaries (_Staatssekretäre_) were civil servants subordinate to the chancellor and similar to ministers. Besides his executive duties, the constitution gave the chancellor only one function: presiding over the [Bundesrat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesrat_\(German_Empire\)) (Federal Council), the representative organ of the states (which together with the [Reichstag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_\(German_Empire\)) was the Reich's lawmaking body). The chancellor was also nearly always [minister president of Prussia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_President_of_Prussia). Indirectly, this gave him the power of the Bundesrat, including to dissolve parliament. Although effective government was possible only in cooperation with the Reichstag, the results of the elections had at most an indirect influence on the chancellorship. Only in October 1918 was the [constitution changed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_constitutional_reforms_of_October_1918) to require that the chancellor have the trust of parliament. Some two weeks later, Chancellor Max von Baden declared the abdication of the emperor and, although he lacked the constitutional authority, handed over his office to [Friedrich Ebert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Ebert) of the revolutionary [Council of the People's Deputies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_the_People%27s_Deputies). According to the [Weimar Constitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimar_Constitution) of 1919, the chancellor was head of a collegial government. The chancellor was appointed by the [Reich president](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reich_President), as were the ministers, on the chancellor's recommendation. The chancellor or any minister had to be dismissed if the Reichstag demanded it. As today, the chancellor had the prerogative to determine the guidelines of government. In reality this power was limited by the needs of coalition governments and the powers of the Reich president. When the [Nazis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party) came to power on 30 January 1933, the Weimar Constitution was [_de facto_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_facto) set aside. After the death of [President Hindenburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Hindenburg) in 1934, [Adolf Hitler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler), the dictatorial party leader and chancellor, took over the powers of the president. The new official title became _Führer und Reichskanzler_ (meaning "Leader and Imperial Chancellor"). --- *Originally published on [FLIGMATA](https://paragraph.com/@fligmata/chancellor-of-germany)*