List of German Chancellors by longevity

This is a list of German Chancellors
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...

since 1871 by longevity. Where the person in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to .

Overview

The median

Median

In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...

age of accession is roughly 53 years and 1 month, which falls between Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg

Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...

and Philipp Scheidemann

Philipp Scheidemann

Philipp Scheidemann was a German Social Democratic politician, who proclaimed the Republic on 9 November 1918, and who became the second Chancellor of the Weimar Republic....

. The youngest person to assume office was Joseph Wirth

Joseph Wirth

Karl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922.-Biography:...

(age 41 years, 246 days). The oldest person to assume office was Chlodwig Viktor (age 75 years, 212 days).

The oldest living Chancellor is Helmut Schmidt

Helmut Schmidt

Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...

, born 23 December 1918 (aged ). On 6 April 2010, Schmidt passed Konrad Adenauer

Konrad Adenauer

Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...

to become the longest lived chancellor in German history. The youngest living former Chancellor is Gerhard Schröder

Gerhard Schröder

Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...

, born 7 April 1944 (aged ). The youngest living Chancellor is the incumbent, Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel

Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...

, born 17 July 1954 (aged ).

The shortest-lived Chancellor was Gustav Stresemann

Gustav Stresemann

was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...

, who died at the age of 51 years, 146 days.

German Chancellors

#	Chancellor	Date of birth	Date of inauguration	Age at inauguration	End of term	Length of retirement	Date of death	Lifespan
1	von Bismarck, OttoOtto von Bismarck Otto von Bismarck Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...	1815-04-011 April 1815		55-354		03,054 days	1898-07-30	days
2	von Caprivi, LeoLeo von Caprivi Leo von Caprivi Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli was a German major general and statesman, who succeeded Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor of Germany...	1831-02-2424 February 1831		59-024		01,564 days	1899-02-06	days
3	Hohenlohe, ChlodwigChlodwig von Hohenlohe	1819-03-3131 March 1819		75-212		00,262 days	1901-07-06	days
4	von Bulow, BernhardBernhard von Bülow Bernhard von Bülow Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin von Bülow , named in 1905 Prince von Bülow, was a German statesman who served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for three years and then as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909.Bülow was described as possessing every quality except greatness...	1849-05-033 May 1849		51-167		07,411 days	1929-10-28	days
5	von Bethmann-Hollweg, TheobaldTheobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...	1856-11-2929 November 1856		52-227		01,268 days	1921-01-01	days
6	Michaelis, GeorgGeorg Michaelis Georg Michaelis Georg Michaelis became the first Chancellor of Germany with a non-noble background.-Biography :Michaelis, born in Haynau in the Prussian Province of Silesia, grew up in Frankfurt...	1857-09-088 September 1857		59-309		06,841 days	1936-07-24	days
7	von Hertling, GeorgGeorg von Hertling	1843-08-3131 August 1843		74-062		00,096 days	1919-01-04	days
8	von Baden, MaximilianMaximilian von Baden Prince Maximilian of Baden Maximilian of Baden was a German prince and politician...	1867-07-1010 July 1867		51-085		04,015 days	1929-11-06	days
9	Ebert, FriedrichFriedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .When Ebert was elected as the leader of the SPD after the death of August Bebel, the party members of the SPD were deeply divided because of the party's support for World War I. Ebert supported the Burgfrieden and...	1871-02-044 February 1871		47-278		02,209 days	1925-02-28	days
10	Scheidemann, PhiliippPhilipp Scheidemann Philipp Scheidemann Philipp Scheidemann was a German Social Democratic politician, who proclaimed the Republic on 9 November 1918, and who became the second Chancellor of the Weimar Republic....	1865-07-2626 July 1865		53-202		07,467 days	1939-11-29	days
11	Bauer, GustavGustav Bauer Gustav Bauer ' was a German Social Democratic Party leader and Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920.Born in Darkehmen near Königsberg in East Prussia, Bauer, who rose to notice through his leadership of a white-collar trade union, served from 1908 to 1918 as chairman of the General Commission of Trade...	1870-01-066 January 1870		49-166		08,940 days	1944-09-16	days
12	Muller, HermannHermann Müller Hermann Müller (politician) ' , born in Mannheim, was a German Social Democratic politician who served as Foreign Minister , and twice as Chancellor of Germany under the Weimar Republic...	1876-05-1818 May 1876		43-314		03,300 days	1931-03-20	days
13	Fehrenbach, KonstantinKonstantin Fehrenbach Konstantin Fehrenbach Constantin Fehrenbach was a German Catholic politician who was one of the major leaders of the Centre Party. He served as President of the Reichstag in 1918, and then as President of the Weimar National Assembly from 1919 to 1920...	1852-01-1111 January 1852		68-162		01,781 days	1926-03-26	days
14	Wirth, JosephJoseph Wirth Joseph Wirth Karl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922.-Biography:...	1879-09-066 September 1879		41-246		12,103 days	1956-01-03	days
15	Cuno, WilhelmWilhelm Cuno Wilhelm Cuno Wilhelm Carl Josef Cuno was a German politician who was the Chancellor of Germany from 1922 to 1923. He was born in Suhl, Prussian Saxony. Cuno's government is best known for its passive resistance of the French occupation of the Ruhr Area . Cuno's government was also responsible for its poor...	1876-07-022 July 1876		46-143		03,432 days	1933-01-03	days
16	Stresemann, GustavGustav Stresemann Gustav Stresemann was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...	1878-05-1010 May 1878		56-095		02,141 days	1929-10-03	days
17	Marx, WilhelmWilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx was a German lawyer, Catholic politician and a member of the Centre Party. He was Chancellor of the German Reich twice, from 1923 to 1925 and again from 1926 to 1928, and also served briefly as minister president of Prussia in 1925, during the Weimar Republic.-Life:Born in Cologne to...	1863-01-1515 January 1863		60-319		07,115 days	1946-08-05	days
18	Luther, HansHans Luther Hans Luther Hans Luther was a German politician and Chancellor of Germany.-Biography:Born in Berlin, Luther started in politics in 1907 by becoming the town councillor in Magdeburg. He continued on becoming secretary of the German Städtetag in 1913 and then mayor of Essen in 1918...	1879-03-1010 March 1879		45-311		13,148 days	1962-05-11	days
19	Marx, WilhelmWilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx was a German lawyer, Catholic politician and a member of the Centre Party. He was Chancellor of the German Reich twice, from 1923 to 1925 and again from 1926 to 1928, and also served briefly as minister president of Prussia in 1925, during the Weimar Republic.-Life:Born in Cologne to...	1863-01-1515 January 1863		63-122		07,115 days	1946-08-05	days
20	Muller, HermannHermann Müller Hermann Müller (politician) ' , born in Mannheim, was a German Social Democratic politician who served as Foreign Minister , and twice as Chancellor of Germany under the Weimar Republic...	1876-05-1818 May 1876		52-041		03,300 days	1931-03-20	days
21	Bruning, HeinrichHeinrich Brüning Heinrich Brüning Heinrich Brüning was Chancellor of Germany from 1930 to 1932, during the Weimar Republic. He was the longest serving Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, and remains a controversial figure in German politics....	1885-11-2626 November 1885		44-124		13,818 days	1970-03-30	days
22	von Papen, FranzFranz von Papen Franz von Papen Lieutenant-Colonel Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen zu Köningen was a German nobleman, Roman Catholic monarchist politician, General Staff officer, and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under Adolf Hitler in 1933–1934...	1879-10-2929 October 1879		52-216		13,315 days	1969-05-02	days
23	von Schleicher, KurtKurt von Schleicher Kurt von Schleicher Kurt von Schleicher was a German general and the last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. Seventeen months after his resignation, he was assassinated by order of his successor, Adolf Hitler, in the Night of the Long Knives....	1882-04-077 April 1882		50-239		00,518 days	1934-06-30	days
24	Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...	1889-04-2020 April 1889		43-285		00,000N/A	1945-04-30	days
25	Adenauer, KonradKonrad Adenauer Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...	1876-01-055 January 1876		73-253		01,281 days	1967-04-19	days
26	Erhard, LudwigLudwig Erhard Ludwig Erhard Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is notable for his leading role in German postwar economic reform and economic recovery , particularly in his role as Minister of Economics under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer...	1897-02-044 February 1897		66-254		03,808 days	1977-05-05	days
27	Kiesinger, KurtKurt Kiesinger Kurt Georg Kiesinger Kurt Georg Kiesinger was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1 December 1966 until 21 October 1969.-Early career and wartime activities:...	1904-04-066 April 1904		62-239		06,714 days	1988-03-09	days
28	Brandt, WillyWilly Brandt Willy Brandt Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....	1913-12-1818 December 1913		55-307		06,729 days	1992-10-08	days
29	Schmidt, HelmutHelmut Schmidt Helmut Schmidt Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...	1918-12-2323 December 1918		55-144		0 days	--	days
30	Kohl, HelmutHelmut Kohl Helmut Kohl Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...	1930-04-033 April 1930		52-181		0 days	--	days
31	Schroder, GerhardGerhard Schröder Gerhard Schröder Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...	1944-04-077 April 1944		54-203		0 days	--	days
32	Merkel, AngelaAngela Merkel Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...	1954-07-1717 July 1954		51-128	Incumbent	00,000Incumbent	--	days
#	Chancellor	Date of birth	Date of inauguration	Age at inauguration	End of term	Length of retirement	Date of death	Lifespan

Overview

German Chancellors

See also