German Federal Presidents - Bundespr?sidenten - since 1949
The West German constitution (Grundgesetz or Basic Law) of May 1949 created the office of Bundespr?sident ("Federal President").
The East German constitution of October 1949 created the office of Pr?sident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (DDR) [President of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)]. Upon the death of Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the office of Pr?sident der DDR was abolished and replaced by a collective head of state, the Staatsrat der DDR (State Council of the GDR). The Vorsitzender (Chairman) of the Staatsrat was considered to be the head of state of the GDR. The Staatsrat was abolished by a constitutional amendment of the first and only freely elected Volkskammer ("People's Chamber" or parliament) on 5 April 1990. From then until the GDR joined with the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, the president of the Volkskammer also served as the GDR head of state.
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Theodor Heuss | 13 September 1949 | 12 September 1959 | FDP |
| 2. | Heinrich L?bke | 13 September 1959 | 30 June 1969 | CDU |
| 3. | Gustav Heinemann | 1 July 1969 | 30 June 1974 | SPD |
| 4. | Walter Scheel | 1 July 1974 | 30 June 1979 | FDP |
| 5. | Karl Carstens | 1 July 1979 | 30 June 1984 | CDU |
| 6. | Richard von Weizs?cker | 1 July 1984 | 30 June 1994 | CDU |
| 7. | Roman Herzog | 1 July 1994 | 30 June 1999 | CDU |
| 8. | Johannes Rau | 1 July 1999 | 30 June 2004 | SPD |
| 9. | Horst K?hler | 1 July 2004 | ( Incumbent ) | CDU |