Vice Chancellor of Germany facts for kids
The Vice Chancellor is like a helpful assistant to the main leader of Germany, called the Chancellor. Imagine the Chancellor is the team captain; the Vice Chancellor is the co-captain! Their job is to step in and lead if the Chancellor can't do their job, or if there isn't a Chancellor at all for a short time.
The Vice Chancellor is also a special government minister. In a government where different political groups work together (called a coalition government), the Vice Chancellor is usually the leader of the smaller group that joined the main one.
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What Does a Vice Chancellor Do?
The Vice Chancellor has a very important role. They are a key member of the German government. Besides helping the Chancellor, they also lead their own government department, like the Ministry of Finance or the Foreign Office. This means they have two big jobs: supporting the Chancellor and managing their own area of government.
History of Vice Chancellors
The role of Vice Chancellor has existed in Germany for a long time, changing a bit with different periods in German history.
German Empire (1871-1918)
During the time of the German Empire, the Vice Chancellor helped the Imperial Chancellor. This was a period when Germany was ruled by an emperor.
Weimar Republic (1919-1933)
After World War I, Germany became a republic, known as the Weimar Republic. The Vice Chancellor continued to be an important position, supporting the Chancellor in this new democratic system.
Federal Republic of Germany (Since 1949)
After World War II, modern Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) was formed. The Vice Chancellor's role became very similar to what it is today, acting as the Chancellor's main deputy and often leading a key ministry.
List of Vice Chancellors
Here is a list of people who have served as Vice Chancellor in Germany:
| Name | Start of Term | End of Term | Party | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| German Empire | ||||
| Graf Otto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode | 1878 | 1881 | ||
| Karl Heinrich von Boetticher | 1881 | 1897 | ||
| Arthur Graf von Posadowsky-Wehner | 1897 | 1907 | ||
| Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg | 1907 | 1909 | ||
| Clemens von Delbrück | 1909 | 1916 | ||
| Karl Helfferich | 1916 | 1917 | ||
| Friedrich von Payer | 1917 | 1918 | ||
| Weimar Republic | ||||
| Eugen Schiffer (1860 – 1954) | 13 February 1919 | 19 April 1919 | DDP | |
| Bernhard Dernburg (1865 – 1937) | 30 April 1919 | 20 Juni 1919 | DDP | |
| Matthias Erzberger (1875 – 1921) | 21 June 1919 | 3 October 1919 | Centre Party | |
| Eugen Schiffer (1860 – 1954) | 3 October 1919 | 27 March 1920 | DDP | |
| Erich Koch-Weser (1875 – 1944) | 27 March 1920 | 21 June 1920 | DDP | |
| Rudolf Heinze (1865 – 1928) | 25 June 1920 | 4 May 1921 | German People's Party | |
| Gustav Bauer (1870 – 1944) | 10 May 1921 | 14 November 1922 | SPD | |
| Robert Schmidt (1864 – 1943) | 13 August 1923 | 3 November 1923 | SPD | |
| Karl Jarres (1874 – 1951) | 30 November 1923 | 15 December 1924 | DVP | |
| Oskar Hergt (1869 – 1967) | 28 January 1927 | 12 June 1928 | German National People's Party | |
| Hermann Dietrich (1879 – 1954) | 30 March 1930 | 30 May 1932 | DStP | |
| Franz von Papen (1879 – 1969) | 30 January 1933 | 1 July 1934 | no party | |
| Federal Republic of Germany | ||||
| Franz Blücher (1896 – 1959) | 20 September 1949 | 29 October 1957 | FDP/FVP | Marshall Plan |
| Ludwig Erhard (1897 – 1977) | 29 October 1957 | 16 October 1963 | CDU | Economics |
| Erich Mende (1916 – 1998) | 17 October 1963 | 28 October 1966 | FDP | Intra-German Relations |
| Hans-Christoph Seebohm (1903 – 1967) |
8 November 1966 | 30 November 1966 | CDU | Transport |
| Willy Brandt (1913 – 1992) | 1 December 1966 | 20 October 1969 | SPD | Foreign Minister |
| Walter Scheel (1919 – 2016) | 21 October 1969 | 16 May 1974 | FDP | Foreign Minister |
| Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927 – 2016) | 17 May 1974 | 17 September 1982 | FDP | Foreign Minister |
| Egon Franke (1913 – 1995) | 17 September 1982 | 1 October 1982 | SPD | Intra-German Relations |
| Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927 – 2016) | 1 October 1982 | 17 May 1992 | FDP | Foreign Minister |
| Jürgen Möllemann (1945 – 2003) | 18 May 1992 | 21 January 1993 | FDP | Economics |
| Klaus Kinkel (b. 1936) | 21 January 1993 | 26 October 1998 | FDP | Foreign Minister |
| Joschka Fischer (b. 1948) | 27 October 1998 | 22 November 2005 | Green | Foreign Minister |
| Franz Müntefering (b. 1940) | 22 November 2005 | 21 November 2007 | SPD | Labour and Social Affairs |
| Frank-Walter Steinmeier (b. 1956) | 21 November 2007 | 28 October 2009 | SPD | Foreign Minister |
| Guido Westerwelle (1961 – 2016) | 28 October 2009 | 16 May 2011 | FDP | Foreign Minister |
| Philipp Rösler (b. 1973) | 16 May 2011 | 17 December 2013 | FDP | Economics and Technology |
| Sigmar Gabriel (b. 1959) | 17 December 2013 | 14 March 2018 | SPD | Economics and Technology / Foreign Minister |
| Olaf Scholz (b. 1958) | 14 March 2018 | Incumbent | SPD | Finance Minister |
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Vicecanciller de Alemania para niños
