List of mayors of Cologne

{{Short description|none}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Cologne Sections|mayors=true}} This is a '''list of mayors of Cologne'''. It includes the [[Lord Mayor]]s of [[Cologne]] (''Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Köln'') since 1815 as well as the city managers (''Oberstadtdirektoren'') from 1946 to 1999.

== Mayors since 1815 == [[File:DEU Koeln COA.svg|thumb|100px|[[Coat of arms of Cologne]]]] [[File:Keoln Maerz 2009 PD 20090327 028.JPG|thumb|[[Cologne City Hall]]]] === Lord Mayors of Cologne (1815–1945) === ====In Prussia==== *1815–1819: [[Karl Joseph Freiherr von Mylius]] *1819–1823: [[von Monschaw]] *1823–1848: [[Johann Adolf Steinberger]] *1848–1851: [[Friedrich Wilhelm Gräff]] *1851–1863: [[Hermann Joseph Stupp]] *1863–1871: [[Alexander Bachem]]

==== German Reich ==== '''Political party:''' {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid" |- !width=80px rowspan=2 colspan=2|Portrait !width=30% rowspan=2|Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}} !width=35% colspan=3|Term of office !width=28% rowspan=2|Political party |- !Took office !Left office !Days |- ! colspan="7"| [[German Empire]] (1871–1918) |- | style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black"| | [[File:Alexander-Bachem-OB-Köln.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Alexander Bachem]]''' {{small|(1806–1878)}} | 18 January 1871 | 29 May 1875 | {{age in days|1871|01|18|1875|05|29}} | Independent |- | style="background:{{party color|German Progress Party}}; color:black"| | [[File:Hermann heinrich becker painted by julius schrader (2).jpg|100px]] | '''[[Hermann Heinrich Becker (politician)|Hermann Heinrich Becker]]''' {{small|(1820–1885)}} | 5 June 1875 | 9 December 1885 | {{age in days|1875|06|05|1885|12|09}} | [[German Progress Party]] |- | style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black"| | [[File:WP Wilhelm Becker.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Friedrich Wilhelm von Becker]]''' {{small|(1835–1924)}} | 1 June 1886 | 14 September 1907 | {{age in days|1886|06|01|1907|09|14}} | Independent |- | style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black"| | [[File:Wallraff crop.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Max Wallraf]]''' {{small|(1859–1941)}} | 1 October 1907 | 8 August 1917 | {{age in days|1907|10|01|1917|08|08}} | Independent |- | style="background:{{party color|Centre Party (Germany)}}; color:white"| | [[File:1932 Konrad Adenauer Portrait.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Konrad Adenauer]]''' {{small|(1876–1967)}} | 18 October 1917 | 9 November 1918 | {{age in days|1917|10|18|1918|11|09}} | [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]] |- ! colspan="7"| [[Weimar Republic]] (1918–1933) |-

| style="background:{{party color|Centre Party (Germany)}}; color:white"| | [[File:1932 Konrad Adenauer Portrait.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Konrad Adenauer]]''' {{small|(1876–1967)}} | 9 November 1918 | 30 January 1933 | {{age in days|1918|11|09|1933|01|30}} | [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]] |- ! colspan="7"| [[Nazi Germany]] (1933–1945) |- | style="background:{{party color|Centre Party (Germany)}}; color:white"| | [[File:1932 Konrad Adenauer Portrait.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Konrad Adenauer]]''' {{small|(1876–1967)}} | 30 January 1933 | 13 March 1933 | {{age in days|1933|01|30|1933|03|13}} | [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]] |-style="background-color: #E6E6AA" | | style="background:{{party color|Nazi Party}}; color:white"| | [[File:Günter Riesen.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Günter Riesen]]''' {{small|(1892–1951)}} {{small|''Acting''}} | 13 March 1933 | 8 December 1936 | {{age in days|1933|03|13|1936|12|08}} | [[Nazi Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color| Nazi Party}}; color:white"| | | '''[[Karl Georg Schmidt]]''' {{small|(1904–1940)}} | 20 January 1937 | 26 November 1940 | {{age in days|1937|01|20|1940|11|26}} | [[Nazi Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Nazi Party}}; color:white"| | | '''[[Peter Winkelnkemper]]''' {{small|(1902–1944)}} | 3 January 1941 | 20 June 1944 | {{age in days|1941|01|03|1944|06|20}} | [[Nazi Party]] |-style="background-color: #E6E6AA" |

| style="background:{{party color|Nazi Party}}; color:white"| | | '''[[Robert Brandes]]''' {{small|(1899–1987)}} {{small|''Acting''}} | 20 June 1944 | 6 March 1945 | {{age in days|1944|06|20|1945|03|06}} | [[Nazi Party]] |- |}

=== Lord Mayor of Cologne (1945–present) === '''Political party:''' {{legend2|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union (Germany)}}|[[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid" |- !width=80px rowspan=2 colspan=2|Portrait !width=30% rowspan=2|Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}} !width=35% colspan=3|Term of office !width=28% rowspan=2|Political party |- !Took office !Left office !Days |- ! colspan="7"| [[French occupation zone in Germany|French occupation zone]] (1945–1949) |- | style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''1''' | [[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P000669, Konrad Adenauer.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Konrad Adenauer]]''' {{small|(1876–1967)}} | 4 May 1945 | 6 October 1945 | {{age in days|1945|05|04|1945|10|06}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-style="background-color: #E6E6AA" | | style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''–''' | | '''[[Willi Suth]]''' {{small|(1881–1956)}} {{small|''Acting''}} | 6 October 1945 | 20 November 1945 | {{age in days|1945|10|06|1945|11|20}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''2''' | [[File:Hermann Pünder (1).jpg|100px]] | '''[[Hermann Pünder]]''' {{small|(1888–1976)}} | 20 November 1945 | 23 August 1946 | {{age in days| 1945|11|20|1946|08|23}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |- | bgcolor=#EEEEEE colspan=7 | On [[History of North Rhine-Westphalia|23 August 1946]], [[Cologne]] became a city of the newly founded state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] |- | style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''(2)''' | [[File:Hermann Pünder (1).jpg|100px]] | '''[[Hermann Pünder]]''' {{small|(1888–1976)}} | 23 August 1946 | 31 May 1948 | {{age in days| 1946|08|23|1948|05|31}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |- | style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''3''' | [[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F002967-0011, Köln, Einweihung Gürzenich cropped Ernst Schwering.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Ernst Schwering]]''' {{small|(1886–1962)}} | 1 June 1948 | 15 November 1948 | {{age in days|1948|06|01|1948|11|15}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''4''' | | '''[[Robert Görlinger]]''' {{small|(1888–1954)}} | 15 November 1948 | 23 May 1949 | {{age in days|1948|11|15|1949|05|23}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |- ! colspan="7"| [[Federal Republic of Germany]] (1949–present) |- | bgcolor=#EEEEEE colspan=7 | [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] became a federal state of the [[Federal Republic of Germany]] |- | style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''(4)''' | | '''[[Robert Görlinger]]''' {{small|(1888–1954)}} | 23 May 1949 | 9 December 1949 | {{age in days| 1949|05|23|1949|12|09}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |- | style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''5''' | [[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F002967-0011, Köln, Einweihung Gürzenich cropped Ernst Schwering.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Ernst Schwering]]''' {{small|(1886–1962)}} | 9 December 1949 | 23 November 1950 | {{age in days|1949|12|09|1950|11|23}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''6''' | | '''[[Robert Görlinger]]''' {{small|(1888–1954)}} | 23 November 1950 | 8 November 1951 | {{age in days|1950|11|23|1951|11|08}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''7''' | [[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F002967-0011, Köln, Einweihung Gürzenich cropped Ernst Schwering.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Ernst Schwering]]''' {{small|(1886–1962)}} | 8 November 1951 | 9 November 1956 | {{age in days|1951|11|08|1956|11|09}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''8''' | [[File:Theo Burauen.JPG|100px]] | '''[[Theo Burauen]]''' {{small|(1906–1987)}} | 9 November 1956 | 17 December 1973 | {{age in days|1956|11|09|1973|12|17}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''9''' | | '''[[John van Nes Ziegler]]''' {{small|(1921–2006)}} | 20 December 1973 | 28 October 1980 | {{age in days|1973|12|20|1980|10|28}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''10''' | [[File:Norbert-burger-1987.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Norbert Burger]]''' {{small|(1932–2012)}} | 28 October 1980 | 30 September 1999 | {{age in days|1980|10|28|1999|09|30}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''11''' | | '''[[Harry Blum (politician)|Harry Blum]]''' {{small|(1944–2000)}} | 1 October 1999 | 17 March 2000 | {{age in days|1999|10|01|2000|03|17}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|CDU}}; color:white"| '''12''' | [[File:Fritz schramma.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Fritz Schramma]]''' {{small|(born 1947)}} | 17 September 2000 | 20 October 2009 | {{age in days|2000|09|17|2009|10|20}} | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''13''' | [[File:Präsident des Europäischen Parlamentes im Kölner Rathaus-8676.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Jürgen Roters]]''' {{small|(born 1949)}} | 21 October 2009 | 20 October 2015 | {{age in days|2009|10|21|2015|10|20}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

| style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black"| '''14''' | [[File:OB Henriette Reker vor dem Empfang Liu Yandong 2016 im Kölner Rathaus -9702.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Henriette Reker]]''' {{small|(born 1956)}} | 22 October 2015 | 31 October 2025 | {{age in days|2015|10|22|2025|10|31}} | Independent |-

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}; color:white"| '''15''' | [[File:Torsten Burmester 2025 Wahlabend Rathaus - 9576.jpg|100px]] | '''[[Torsten Burmester]]''' {{small|(born 1963)}} | 1 November 2025 | ''Incumbent'' | {{age in days|2025|11|01}} | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] |-

== City managers 1946–1999 == *1946–1953: Dr. [[Willi Suth]] *1953–1965: Dr. [[Max Adenauer]] *1965–1977: Prof. Dr. [[Heinz Mohnen]] *1977–1989: [[Kurt Rossa]] *1989–1998: [[Lothar Ruschmeier]] *1998–1999: [[Klaus Heugel]]

==See also== * [[Timeline of Cologne]]

== External links == {{commons-inline|Mayors of Cologne}}

[[Category:Mayors of Cologne| ]] [[Category:Lists of mayors of places in Germany|Cologne]] [[Category:Cologne-related lists|Mayors]]