10 questions · Politics
When Konrad Adenauer became the first chancellor of the Federal Republic in 1949, he was already 73: no wonder he was soon known simply as 'Der Alte', the old one. He anchored West Germany firmly in the West, took it into NATO in 1955 and drove reconciliation with France. His economics minister Ludwig Erhard is seen as the father of the 'economic miracle' and the social market economy; 'Prosperity for All' was the title of one of his books. As chancellor, however, Erhard was less successful and resigned after barely three years. His successor Kurt Georg Kiesinger led the first grand coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD and in 1968 was publicly slapped at a party congress by the activist Beate Klarsfeld over his earlier Nazi-party membership. Willy Brandt was the first SPD chancellor. His new Ostpolitik, his Warsaw Genuflection in 1970 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 made him world-famous; in 1974 he resigned over the spy affair around his aide Günter Guillaume. Helmut Schmidt, the level-headed crisis manager, steered the country through the 'German Autumn' of 1977 and, as a committed chain-smoker, was still allowed to smoke on television long after it had become unusual. Helmut Kohl governed from 1982 to 1998, achieved German reunification in 1990 as the 'chancellor of unity' and is seen as one of the architects of the euro. Gerhard Schröder, the 'media chancellor', led the first SPD-Green coalition, pushed through the 'Agenda 2010' reforms and kept Germany out of the 2003 Iraq War. With Angela Merkel, who holds a doctorate in physics, the first woman and first East German took office, for 16 years, tied with Kohl. Olaf Scholz led the first 'traffic-light' coalition and gave his 'Zeitenwende' speech in 2022. Since 2025 the chancellor has been Friedrich Merz, long an internal party rival of Merkel.
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Foto: Katherine Young (1906-1993) · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons
Konrad Adenauer
The first chancellor of the Federal Republic. He firmly anchored West Germany in the West (joining NATO in 1955) and drove reconciliation with France.
💡 Did you know? His nickname was 'Der Alte' (the old one): he was already 73 when he took office.
Foto: Eric Koch for Anefo / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ludwig Erhard
As Adenauer's economics minister he is seen as the father of the 'economic miracle' and the social market economy. As chancellor he was less successful and resigned after barely three years.
💡 Did you know? His famous motto 'Prosperity for All' is the title of one of his books.
Foto: Lothar Schaack · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons
Kurt Georg Kiesinger
He led the first grand coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD. His earlier Nazi-party membership remained controversial throughout his life.
💡 Did you know? In 1968 the activist Beate Klarsfeld publicly slapped him at a party congress.
Foto: Engelbert Reineke · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons
Willy Brandt
The first SPD chancellor shaped the new Ostpolitik ('change through rapprochement') and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971. He resigned in 1974 over the spy affair around his aide Günter Guillaume.
💡 Did you know? His 'Warsaw Genuflection' in 1970 before the ghetto memorial became world-famous.
Foto: Hans Schafgans · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Helmut Schmidt
He was seen as a level-headed crisis manager, for instance during the 'German Autumn' of 1977 amid RAF terrorism. In foreign policy his name is tied to the NATO Double-Track Decision.
💡 Did you know? A committed chain-smoker, he was allowed to smoke on TV long after it had become unusual.
Foto: Christian Lambiotte · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Helmut Kohl
As 'chancellor of unity' he achieved German reunification in 1990 and is seen as one of the architects of the euro. He led the CDU for decades and governed continuously from 1982 to 1998.
💡 Did you know? At 16 years in office he is (tied with Angela Merkel) the longest-serving chancellor of the Federal Republic.
Foto: Bernd Schwabe in Hannover · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Gerhard Schröder
He governed in the first SPD-Green coalition, pushed through the controversial 'Agenda 2010' reforms and refused German involvement in the 2003 Iraq War.
💡 Did you know? For his flair for public appearances he was nicknamed the 'media chancellor'.
Foto: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Angela Merkel
The first woman and first East German in the office shaped the financial crisis, the energy transition and the 2015 refugee policy ('We can do this'). At 16 years she is tied with Kohl.
💡 Did you know? Before politics she earned a doctorate in physics.
Foto: Steffen Prößdorf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Olaf Scholz
He led the first 'traffic-light' coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP. His 'Zeitenwende' speech after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was defining.
💡 Did you know? He had previously been federal finance minister and First Mayor of Hamburg.
Foto: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Friedrich Merz
Long an internal rival of Angela Merkel, he returned to politics after years in business and became chancellor in 2025.
💡 Did you know? During his time away from politics he worked, among other roles, for the asset manager BlackRock in Germany.
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