Vice Chancellor of Germany - Definition and Overview

The Deputy Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor (Vizekanzler) in Germany is often the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is the second highest position in the government, and is usually held by the leader of the government's principal coalition partner.

The prefix "Vize-" is derived from the Latin "vicis" meaning "in place of".

List of Vice-Chancellors

German Empire

• 1881-1897 Karl Heinrich von Bötticher
• 1897-1907 Count Arthur Adolf von Posadowsky-Wohner
• 1907-1909 Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
• 1909-1916 Klemens Delbrück
• 1916-1917 Karl Helfferich
• 1917-1918 Friedrich von Payer (Progressive Party)

Weimar Republic

• 1919 Eugen Schiffer (DDP)
• 1919 Bernhard Dernburg (DDP)
• 1919 Matthias Erzberger (Center Party)
• 1919-1920 Eugen Schiffer (DDP)
• 1920 Erich Koch-Weser (DDP)
• 1920-1921 Rudolf Heinze (DVP)
• 1921-1922 Gustav Bauer (SPD)
• 1922-1923 vacant
• 1923 Robert Schmidt (SPD)
• 1923-1925 Karl Jarres (DVP)
• 1925-1927 vacant
• 1927-1928 Oskar Hergt (DNVP)
• 1928-1930 vacant
• 1930-1932 Hermann R. Dietrich (DDP)
• 1932-1933 vacant

Nazi Germany

• 1933-1934 Franz von Papen
• 1934-1945 vacant

Federal Republic of Germany

• 1949-1957 Franz Blücher
• 1957-1963 Ludwig Erhard (CDU)
• 1963-1966 Erich Mende
• 1966 Hans-Christoph Seebohm
• 1966-1969 Willy Brandt (SPD)
• 1969-1974 Walter Scheel (FDP)
• 1974-1992 Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP)
• 1992-1993 Jürgen Möllemann (FDP)
• 1993-1998 Klaus Kinkel (FDP)
• since 1998: Joschka Fischer (Greens)