Global political history

Global political history from 3000 BC to the 21st century – political leaders, elections, and more.

Political Parties of Germany

Current Political Parties

Alliance 90/The Greens

Leader of Alliance 90/The Greens
Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 15 1980.

2018 – 2022

Robert Habeck

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 2 1969.

2018 – 2022


Christian Democratic Union

Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 5 1876; d. April 19 1967.

1946 – 1966

Helmut Josef Michael Kohl

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 3 1930; d. June 16 2017.

1973 – 1998

Wolfgang Schäuble

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 18 1942; d. December 26 2023.

1998 – 2000

Angela Dorothea Merkel

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 17 1954.

2000 – 2018

Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1955.

2022 – present


Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 19 1959.

1998 – 2010

Volker Bouffier

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 18 1951.

2010 – 2022

Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 8 1958.

2010 – 2019

Norbert Alois Röttgen

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 2 1965.

2010 – 2012


General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union
Angela Dorothea Merkel

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 17 1954.

1998 – 2000


Leader of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union Group in the Bundestag
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 3 1930; d. June 16 2017.

1976 – 1982

Wolfgang Schäuble

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 18 1942; d. December 26 2023.

1991 – 2000

Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1955.

2000 – 2002

Angela Dorothea Merkel

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 17 1954.

2002 – 2005

Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1955.

2022 – present


Chief Whip of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union Group in the Bundestag
Wolfgang Schäuble

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 18 1942; d. December 26 2023.

1982 – 1984

Norbert Alois Röttgen

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 2 1965.

2005 – 2009


Christian Social Union

Leader of the Christian Social Union
Franz Josef Strauss

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 6 1915; d. October 3 1988.

1961 – 1988

Horst Lorenz Seehofer

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 4 1949.

2008 – 2019


Free Democratic Party

Leader of the Free Democratic Party
Guido Westerwelle

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 27 1961; d. March 18 2016.

2001 – 2011

Philipp Rösler

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 24 1973.

2011 – 2013

Christian Wolfgang Lindner

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 7 1979.

2013 – present


General Secretary of the Free Democratic Party
Christian Wolfgang Lindner

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 7 1979.

2009 – 2011


Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Bundestag
Guido Westerwelle

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 27 1961; d. March 18 2016.

2006 – 2009

Christian Wolfgang Lindner

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 7 1979.

2017 – 2021


Social Democratic Party of Germany

Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Willy Brandt

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 18 1913; d. October 8 1992.

1964 – 1987

Hans-Jochen Vogel

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1926; d. July 26 2020.

1987 – 1991

Gerhard Fritz Kurt “Gerd” Schröder

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 7 1944.

1999 – 2004

Franz Müntefering

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 16 1940.

2004 – 2005

Kurt Beck

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 5 1949.

2006 – 2008

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (*acting)

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 5 1956.

2008

Franz Müntefering

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 16 1940.

2008 – 2009

Sigmar Hartmut Gabriel

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1959.

2009 – 2017

Martin Schulz

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 20 1955.

2017 – 2018

Andrea Maria Nahles

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1970.

2018 – 2019

Saskia Christina Esken

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1970.

2019 – present

Norbert Walter-Borjans

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 17 1952.

2019 – 2021

Lars Klingbeil

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 23 1978.

2021 – present


Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Peer Steinbrück

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 10 1947.

2005 – 2009

Andrea Maria Nahles

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1970.

2007 – 2009

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 5 1956.

2007 – 2009

Olaf Scholz

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 14 1958.

2009 – 2019

Klara Geywitz

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 18 1976.

2019 – present


General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Franz Müntefering

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 16 1940.

1999 – 2002

Olaf Scholz

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 14 1958.

2002 – 2004

Andrea Maria Nahles

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1970.

2009 – 2014

Lars Klingbeil

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 23 1978.

2017 – 2021


Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the Bundestag
Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 23 1918; d. November 10 2015.

1967 – 1969

Hans-Jochen Vogel

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1926; d. July 26 2020.

1983 – 1991

Peter Struck

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 24 1943; d. December 19 2012.

1998 – 2002

Peter Struck

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 24 1943; d. December 19 2012.

2005 – 2009

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 5 1956.

2009 – 2013

Thomas Ludwig Albert Oppermann

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 27 1954; d. October 25 2020.

2013 – 2017

Andrea Maria Nahles

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1970.

2017 – 2019

Lars Klingbeil

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 23 1978.

2025 – present


Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the Bundestag
Olaf Scholz

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 14 1958.

2009 – 2011


Chief Whip of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the Bundestag
Olaf Scholz

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 14 1958.

2005 – 2007

Thomas Ludwig Albert Oppermann

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 27 1954; d. October 25 2020.

2007 – 2013




Defunct Political Parties

National Socialist German Workers’ Party

Führer of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
Adolf Hitler

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 20 1889; d. April 30 1945

1921 – 1945


Socialist Unity Party of Germany

General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Egon Rudi Ernst Krenz

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 19 1937.

1989