Heads of the German Chancellery

The Head of the Chancellery (German: Chef des Bundeskanzleramtes, abbreviated ChefBK) is the highest ranking official of the German Chancellery and the principal assistant of the Chancellor of Germany. The Chief of Staff is in charge of the running of the German Chancellery as well as with coordinating the federal government's work. The Chief of Staff is either a member of the federal cabinet with the rank of Federal Minister for Special Affairs or holds the rank of Secretary of State. All Chiefs of Staff since 2005 have been members of the federal cabinet.[1]

Head of the Chancellery
Chef des Bundeskanzleramtes (German)
Incumbent
Wolfgang Schmidt
since 8 December 2021
German Chancellery
AbbreviationChefBK
Member ofCabinet
Reports toChancellor of Germany
AppointerChancellor
PrecursorChief of the Reich Chancellery
Formation12 October 1949
First holderFranz-Josef Wuermeling
WebsiteOfficial website

List of the heads of the Federal Chancellery edit

No. Portrait Name
(born–died)
Term of office Political party Rank Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Franz-Josef Wuermeling
(1900–1986)
12 October 1949 14 January 1951 1 year, 94 days CDU Secretary of State
2   Walter Hallstein
(1901–1982)
17 October 1949 1 March 1950 135 days
3   Otto Lenz
(1903–1957)
15 January 1951 19 September 1953 2 years, 247 days
4   Hans Globke
(1898–1973)
28 October 1953 15 October 1963 9 years, 352 days
5   Ludger Westrick
(1894–1990)
17 October 1963 16 June 1964 243 days
16 June 1964 30 November 1966 2 years, 167 days Federal Minister
6   Werner Knieper
(1909–1977)
1 December 1966 31 December 1967 1 year, 30 days Secretary of State
7   Karl Carstens
(1914–1992)
1 January 1968 22 October 1969 1 year, 294 days
8   Horst Ehmke
(1927–2017)
22 October 1969 18 December 1972 3 years, 57 days SPD Federal Minister
9   Horst Grabert
(1927–2011)
18 December 1972 15 May 1974 1 year, 148 days Secretary of State
10   Manfred Schüler
(born 1932)
16 May 1974 1 December 1980 6 years, 199 days
11   Manfred Lahnstein
(born 1937)
1 December 1980 28 April 1982 1 year, 148 days
12   Gerhard Konow
(1929–1997)
29 April 1982 4 October 1982 159 days CDU
13   Waldemar Schreckenberger
(1929–2017)
4 October 1982 15 November 1984 2 years, 42 days
14   Wolfgang Schäuble
(born 1942)
15 November 1984 20 April 1989 4 years, 156 days Federal Minister
15   Rudolf Seiters
(born 1937)
21 April 1989 25 November 1991 2 years, 218 days
16   Friedrich Bohl
(born 1945)
26 November 1991 27 October 1998 6 years, 335 days
17   Bodo Hombach
(born 1952)
27 October 1998 7 July 1999 253 days SPD
18   Frank-Walter Steinmeier
(born 1956)
7 July 1999 22 November 2005 6 years, 138 days Secretary of State
19   Thomas de Maizière
(born 1954)
22 November 2005 28 October 2009 3 years, 340 days CDU Federal Minister
20   Ronald Pofalla
(born 1959)
28 October 2009 17 December 2013 4 years, 50 days
21   Peter Altmaier
(born 1958)
17 December 2013 14 March 2018 4 years, 87 days
22   Helge Braun
(born 1972)
14 March 2018 8 December 2021 3 years, 269 days
23   Wolfgang Schmidt
(born 1970)
8 December 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 111 days SPD

References edit