# Vice-Chancellor of Germany

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German cabinet member

Deputy to the Federal Chancellor Stellvertreter des Bundeskanzlers Coat of Arms of the German Government Flag of Germany Incumbent Lars Klingbeil since 6 May 2025 Style Mr. Vice-chancellor (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic) Status Deputy head of government Member of Federal Cabinet Seat As Federal Minister; currently Federal Ministry of Finance, Berlin/Bonn Nominator Chancellor or the coalition party Appointer Chancellor Term length At the chancellor's pleasure Constituting instrument German Basic Law (German Constitution) Formation 24 May 1949; 77 years ago (1949-05-24) First holder Franz Blücher

The **vice-chancellor of Germany**, officially the **deputy to the federal chancellor** ([German](/source/German_language): *Stellvertreter des Bundeskanzlers*), is the second highest ranking [German cabinet](/source/German_cabinet) member. The [chancellor](/source/Chancellor_of_Germany) is the head of government and, according to the constitution, gives this title of deputy to one of the federal ministers. It is custom that the title is given to a minister of the largest coalition partner, since 1966 typically the [foreign minister](/source/Minister_for_Foreign_Affairs_(Germany)). Since 2011, the [minister for economic affairs](/source/Minister_for_Economic_Affairs_and_Climate_Protection) has held the title most often.

In everyday politics, being vice-chancellor is considered more of an honorary title. The vice-chancellor may head cabinet meetings when the chancellor is absent. The function of vice-chancellor is to use the specific constitutional powers of the chancellor in case that the chancellor is unable to perform their duties. This kind of substitution has never been made use of in the history of the Federal Republic. Should a chancellor resign, die or be permanently unable to perform the duties of office, the vice-chancellor does not automatically become the next chancellor. In such a case the [Federal President](/source/President_of_Germany) assigns a minister to serve as [acting](/source/Acting_(law)) chancellor until the [Bundestag](/source/Bundestag) (parliament) elects a new chancellor.[1]

Although *Stellvertreter* is the constitutional term, **vice-chancellor** (*Vizekanzler*) is used more commonly. *[Chancellor](/source/Chancellor)* (*Kanzler*) is the traditional term for the German head of government since 1867/71. A general deputy was introduced by law in 1878 (*Stellvertretungsgesetz*). In the [Weimar Republic](/source/Weimar_Republic) of 1919–1933, the office of *Vizekanzler* was mentioned in the internal regulation of the government. The current title has existed since the constitution of 1949.

[Lars Klingbeil](/source/Lars_Klingbeil) ([Social Democratic Party](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany)) is the current officeholder since 6 May 2025.

## History

This article is part of a series on the Politics of Germany Constitution (Basic Law) Federal Constitutional Court Human rights Head of state President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) Executive Chancellor of Germany (list) Friedrich Merz (CDU) Vice Chancellor of Germany Lars Klingbeil (SPD) Cabinet Merz Federal agencies Federal ministries Legislature Bundestag constituencies members Bundesrat Mediation Committee Joint Committee Judiciary Federal Constitutional Court Federal courts Ordinary Administrative Fiscal Labour Social Joint Senate Other courts Subdivisions State (Land) Minister president State Parliament (Landtag) composition Regierungsbezirk District (Kreis) list Collective municipality (Amt) Municipality (Gemeinde) list Elections Electoral system Political parties Referendums Coalitions Federal Convention (Bundesversammlung) Presidential elections Weimar Republic (1919–1933) 1919 1925 1932 East Germany (1949–1960) 1949 1953 1957 Federal Republic of Germany (since 1949) 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2010 2012 2017 2022 Parliamentary election 1867 (Feb) 1867 (Aug) 1868 1871 1874 1877 1878 1881 1884 1887 1890 1893 1898 1903 1907 1912 1919 1920 1924 (May) 1924 (Dec) 1928 1930 1932 (July) 1932 (Nov) 1933 (Mar) 1933 (Nov) 1936 1938 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 1976 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 European elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024 State and local politics State Politics Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Lower Saxony Mecklenburg-Vorpommern North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia Local Politics District council (Kreistag) Municipal council (Gemeinderat) Foreign relations Foreign relations by country France Italy UK USA China Russia International Relations Politics of the European Union Visa Passport Political ideologies Political culture / Federalism Communism Conservatism (Agrarian Conservatism) Far-right Liberalism Social Democracy Germany portal Politics portal Other countries v t e

Such an office was initially established by the 1878 *Stellvertretungsgesetz* (Deputation Act), which provided for the imperial chancellor appointing a deputy, officially known as *Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers* (General Deputy to the Imperial Chancellor). In addition to the general deputy, who could sign for all the affairs of the chancellor, the chancellor could appoint deputies with limited responsibilities. The act was revised on 28 October 1918, when the possibility of appointing deputies with limited responsibilities was removed and the vice-chancellor was given the right to appear before parliament.[2]

In the Weimar Republic, the office was considered less important. It was not even mentioned in the constitution. Usually it was held by the minister of justice or the interior. The most known office holder is [Franz von Papen](/source/Franz_von_Papen), a former chancellor who formed a coalition government of national socialists and conservatives. [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler) became chancellor, and Papen vice-chancellor. It became soon obvious that the position of vice-chancellor provided no powers and was unsuited to constrain Hitler. Papen was convinced that him being trusted by president Hindenburg made him an important political player; soon, Hindenburg's trust went from Papen to Hitler.

In the Federal Republic (since 1949), the chancellors have had no interest in allowing the deputy to use the title for self-promotion.[3] Since 1966 it became customary that the coalition partner of the governing party received the ministry of foreign affairs, who was also appointed deputy. The ministry of foreign affairs was considered to be the most important cabinet post besides the chancellorship. This tradition faded away during the [tenure of Angela Merkel](/source/Chancellorship_of_Angela_Merkel), partially because the leaders of her coalition partners chose a different ministry.

## Office and appointment mechanism

The German cabinet consists of the chancellor and the federal ministers. According to the [Basic Law](/source/Basic_Law_for_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany) (Article 69.1), the chancellor appoints one of the [ministers](/source/Cabinet_of_Germany) as vice-chancellor. In contrast to the appointment of a cabinet minister, there is no need for a formal appointment by the president. The appointment is an exclusive power of the chancellor.

The chancellor is theoretically free to choose a deputy chancellor. In practice, a German government is usually based on a coalition of two or more parties and the chancellor gives the title to a minister of the second largest coalition party upon recommendation of that party's leadership.

The German vice-chancellor can be regarded as the equivalent of a [deputy prime minister](/source/Deputy_prime_minister) in other parliamentary systems. Unlike the vice president post in presidential systems of governments, the German vice-chancellor is not the automatic successor in the event that a sitting chancellor suddenly leaves office.

A German cabinet exists only as long as the current chancellor is in office. The end of a chancellor's term in office (either by death or resignation or the first meeting of a newly elected Bundestag) automatically terminates the office of any minister. If this happens, the [president of Germany](/source/President_of_Germany) appoints the former chancellor or, if this is not possible, one of the former cabinet ministers (not necessarily, but most likely the former vice-chancellor) as acting chancellor, until the parliament elects a new chancellor.[4] When in 1974 Chancellor [Willy Brandt](/source/Willy_Brandt) resigned and refused to remain in office until his successor's election, President [Gustav Heinemann](/source/Gustav_Heinemann) ensured a corresponding precedent and appointed former vice-chancellor [Walter Scheel](/source/Walter_Scheel) as acting chancellor.

The Basic Law does not state who shall perform the chancellor's powers and duties, if both the chancellor and the vice-chancellor are unable to do so. The German cabinet's rules of procedure state that in absence of both office-holders cabinet meetings shall be chaired by a cabinet member designated for this purpose by either the chancellor or the vice-chancellor or, if such a designation has not taken place or if the designee is not able to do so, by the present cabinet member with the longest uninterrupted membership in the federal government (§22.1).[5] It is however unclear, whether this provision extends to other powers of the office of chancellor. In an expertise issued by the Bundestag's scientific service in 2014, the legal opinion is that this is the case.[6]

## List of vice-chancellors

### German Reich (1871–1945)

#### German Empire (1871–1918)

**Political party:** [FKP](/source/Free_Conservative_Party) [FVP](/source/Progressive_People's_Party_(Germany))

No. Portrait Name Term start Term end Days Party Portfolio Cabinet 1 Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode (1837–1896) 1 June 1878 20 June 1881 1115 FKP Bismarck 2 Karl Heinrich von Boetticher (1833–1907) 20 June 1881 1 July 1897 5855 FKP Secretary of State for the Interior Bismarck Caprivi Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst 3 Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner (1845–1932) 1 July 1897 24 June 1907 3644 FKP Secretary of State for the Interior Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Bülow 4 Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (1856–1921) 24 June 1907 14 July 1909 751 Independent Secretary of State for the Interior Bülow 5 Clemens von Delbrück (1856–1921) 14 July 1909 22 May 1916 2501 Independent Secretary of State for the Interior Bethmann Hollweg 6 Karl Helfferich (1872–1924) 22 May 1916 9 November 1917 536 Independent Secretary of State for the Interior (until 23 October 1917) Bethmann Hollweg Michaelis Hertling 7 Friedrich von Payer (1847–1931) 9 November 1917 10 November 1918 366 FVP Hertling Baden Ebert

#### Weimar Republic (1918–1933)

**Political party:** [DDP](/source/German_Democratic_Party) [Centre](/source/Centre_Party_(Germany)) [DVP](/source/German_People's_Party) [SPD](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany) [DNVP](/source/German_National_People's_Party)

No. Portrait Name Term start Term end Days Party Portfolio Cabinet 1 Eugen Schiffer (1860–1954) 13 February 1919 19 April 1919 65 DDP Deputy Minister-President & Minister of Finance Scheidemann The office was vacant from 19 April to 30 April 1919. 2 Bernhard Dernburg (1865–1937) 30 April 1919 21 June 1919 52 DDP Deputy Minister-President & Minister of Finance Scheidemann 3 Matthias Erzberger (1875–1921) 21 June 1919 3 October 1919 104 Centre Deputy Minister-President (until 14 August 1919) & Minister of Finance Bauer 4 (1) Eugen Schiffer (1860–1954) 3 October 1919 27 March 1920 176 DDP Minister of Justice Bauer 5 Erich Koch-Weser (1875–1944) 27 March 1920 21 June 1920 86 DDP Minister of the Interior Müller I The office was vacant from 21 June to 25 June 1920. 6 Rudolf Heinze (1865–1928) 25 June 1920 10 May 1921 319 DVP Minister of Justice Fehrenbach 7 Gustav Bauer (1870–1944) 10 May 1921 22 November 1922 561 SPD Minister of Finance Wirth I Wirth II The office was vacant from 22 November 1922 to 13 August 1923. 8 Robert Schmidt (1864–1943) 13 August 1923 6 October 1923 54 SPD Minister for Reconstruction Stresemann I The office was vacant from 6 October to 30 November 1923. 9 Karl Jarres (1874–1951) 30 November 1923 15 December 1924 381 DVP Minister of the Interior Marx I Marx II The office was vacant from 15 December 1924 to 28 January 1927. 10 Oskar Hergt (1869–1967) 28 January 1927 28 June 1928 517 DNVP Minister of Justice Marx IV The office was vacant from 28 June 1928 to 30 March 1930. 11 Hermann Dietrich (1879–1954) 30 March 1930 1 June 1932 794 DDP Minister of Finance (from 26 June 1930) Brüning I Brüning II The office was vacant from 1 June 1932 to 30 January 1933.

#### Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

No. Portrait Name Term start Term end Days Party Portfolio Other positions Cabinet The deputy to the chancellor of the Reich 12 Franz von Papen (1879–1969) 30 January 1933 7 August 1934 554 Non-partisan Minister President of Prussia (until 10 April 1933) Hitler From 7 August 1934 until 20 September 1949, the office of the vice-chancellor of Germany was abolished.

### Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present)

**Political party:** [FDP](/source/Free_Democratic_Party_(Germany)) [CDU](/source/Christian_Democratic_Union_(Germany)) [SPD](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany) [Green](/source/Alliance_'90%2FThe_Greens)

No. Portrait Name Term start Term end Days Party Portfolio Cabinet 1 Franz Blücher (1896–1959) 20 September 1949 29 October 1957 2961 FDP (until 1956) FVP (1956–57) DP (1957–) Marshall Plan (later renamed to Economic Cooperation) Adenauer I • II 2 Ludwig Erhard (1897–1977) 29 October 1957 16 October 1963 2178 CDU Economic Affairs Adenauer III • IV 3 Erich Mende (1916–1998) 17 October 1963 28 October 1966 1107 FDP Intra-German Relations Erhard I • II The office was vacant from 28 October to 8 November 1966. 4 Hans-Christoph Seebohm (1903–1967) 8 November 1966 1 December 1966 22 CDU Transport Erhard II 5 Willy Brandt (1913–1992) 1 December 1966 22 October 1969 1054 SPD Foreign Affairs Kiesinger 6 Walter Scheel (1919–2016) 22 October 1969 16 May 1974 1668 FDP Foreign Affairs Brandt I • II 7 Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016) First term 17 May 1974 17 September 1982 3045 FDP Foreign Affairs Schmidt I • II • III 8 Egon Franke (1913–1995) 17 September 1982 1 October 1982 14 SPD Intra-German Relations Schmidt III The office was vacant from 1 October to 4 October 1982. 9 (7) Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016) Second term 4 October 1982 18 May 1992 3516 FDP Foreign Affairs Kohl I • II • III • IV 10 Jürgen Möllemann (1945–2003) 18 May 1992 21 January 1993 248 FDP Economic Affairs Kohl IV 11 Klaus Kinkel (1936–2019) 21 January 1993 27 October 1998 2104 FDP Foreign Affairs Kohl IV • V 12 Joschka Fischer (born 1948) 27 October 1998 22 November 2005 2583 Green Foreign Affairs Schröder I • II 13 Franz Müntefering (born 1940) 22 November 2005 21 November 2007 729 SPD Labour and Social Affairs Merkel I 14 Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 1956) 21 November 2007 27 October 2009 706 SPD Foreign Affairs Merkel I 15 Guido Westerwelle (1961–2016) 27 October 2009 16 May 2011 565 FDP Foreign Affairs Merkel II 16 Philipp Rösler (born 1973) 16 May 2011 17 December 2013 946 FDP Economic Affairs Merkel II 17 Sigmar Gabriel (born 1959) 17 December 2013 14 March 2018 1548 SPD Economic Affairs (2013–17) Foreign Affairs (2017–18) Merkel III 18 Olaf Scholz (born 1958) 14 March 2018 8 December 2021 1365 SPD Finance Merkel IV 19 Robert Habeck (born 1969) 8 December 2021 6 May 2025 1668 Green Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Scholz 20 Lars Klingbeil (born 1978) 6 May 2025 Incumbent 423 SPD Finance Merz

## Timeline

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ute Mager, in: von Münch/Kunig: Grundgesetz-Kommentar II, 5. Auflage 2001, Rn. 10/11 zu Art. 69.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Gesetz, betreffend die Stellvertretung des Reichskanzlers \["Stellvertretungsgesetz"\] (17.03.1878)"](http://www.documentarchiv.de/ksr/1878/reichskanzler-stellvertretung_ges.html). *www.documentarchiv.de* (in German). Retrieved 2019-08-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Roman Herzog, in: Maunz/Dürig: Kommentar zum Grundgesetz, 2008, Art. 69, Rn. 9.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Georg Hermes, in: Horst Dreier (Hrsg.) Grundgesetz-Kommentar, Band 2, 2. Auflage 2006, Art. 69, Rn. 7, 17-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Geschäftsordnung der Bundesregierung"](https://web.archive.org/web/20211210155332/https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/geschaeftsordnung-der-bundesregierung-459846). Archived from [the original](https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/geschaeftsordnung-der-bundesregierung-459846) on 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2020-03-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Wissenschaftlicher Dienst des Bundestages. Sachstand. Vertretungsregelungen für das Amt des Bundeskanzlers und des Bundespräsidenten (AZ: WD 3-3000-016/14), p. 3–4.

v t e Vice chancellors of Germany German Empire (1871–1918) Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode Karl Heinrich von Boetticher Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg Clemens von Delbrück Karl Helfferich Friedrich von Payer Weimar Republic (1919–1933) Eugen Schiffer Bernhard Dernburg Matthias Erzberger Eugen Schiffer Erich Koch-Weser Rudolf Heinze Gustav Bauer Robert Schmidt Karl Jarres Oskar Hergt Hermann Dietrich Third Reich (1933–1945) Franz von Papen Federal Republic (1949–) Franz Blücher Ludwig Erhard Erich Mende Hans-Christoph Seebohm Willy Brandt Walter Scheel Hans-Dietrich Genscher Egon Franke Jürgen Möllemann Klaus Kinkel Joschka Fischer Franz Müntefering Frank-Walter Steinmeier Guido Westerwelle Philipp Rösler Sigmar Gabriel Olaf Scholz Robert Habeck Lars Klingbeil

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Vice-Chancellor of Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice-Chancellor_of_Germany) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice-Chancellor_of_Germany?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.