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President of the Federal
Republic of Germany

Presidential Standard
Incumbent:
Horst Köhler
took office: July 1, 2004
Residence Bellevue Palace
Term length 5 years
Inaugural Theodor Heuss
Formation September 13, 1949
Website www.bundespraesident.de
Germany

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The President of Germany is Germany's head of state. Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " An official residence is the residence at which Heads of state, Heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially Schloss Bellevue is a Château in the centre of Berlin. It is situated on the north edge of the Tiergarten park beside the Spree, near Term of office refers to the length of time a person (usually a politician serves in a particular office Year 5 ( V) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun An inauguration is a ceremony of formal Investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power Theodor Heuss ( 31 January 1884 &ndash 12 December 1963) was a German politician Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Politics of Germany takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Federal Chancellor The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. Based on the experience with the atrocities of the Nazi regime, human rights in Germany are protected extensively by the constitution The Federal Assembly (aka Federal Convention Bundesversammlung is a special body in the institutional system of Germany, convened solely for the purpose of electing The Bundesrat ("federal council" or "upper house of German parliament" is the representation of the 16 Federal States ( Bundesländer) of The Bundestag ("Federal Diet " or "Lower House of German Parliament" is the Parliament of Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court (in German: Bundesverfassungsgericht BVerfG) is a special Court established by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic The “ Federal Court of Justice of Germany ” ( German: “ Bundesgerichtshof ” or “ BGH ” is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler (ˈaŋɡela doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛɐ̯kəl (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany) is the Chancellor of Germany. The Cabinet of Germany ( German: Bundeskabinett or Bundesregierung) is the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis'' The following information deals with elections in Germany, including elections to the Federal Diet (the lower house of the federal parliament the Landtags This is a list of political parties in Germany. Germany has a Multi-party system with two large parties three substantial smaller parties and a number of minor The Federal Republic of Germany is a Central European country and member of the European Union, Group of 8 and NATO (among others The European Union is a unique entity possessing elements of Intergovernmentalism, Supranationalism and a Multi-party Parliamentary democracy Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state

After the abdication of Wilhelm II, German Emperor in 1918 and the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution, the President of Germany (German: Reichspräsident, President of the Realm) was Head of State in Germany. For a detailed discussion of the English translation of Reich, see Reich. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived The office was abolished in 1934 with the death of President Paul von Hindenburg. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Its powers were merged with those of Reichskanzler. The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler Adolf Hitler's official title was changed to "Führer und Reichskanzler". Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The office was briefly revived at the end of the Second World War when Hitler appointed Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served

The German Reich ceased to exist in 1945. After four years of Allied occupation, two German states were created in 1949: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) in the former U. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. S. , British and French zones of occupation, and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in the former Soviet Zone. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Each German republic had a head of state with the title of President, although East Germany abandoned the title with the death of the first president, Wilhelm Pieck, in 1960. Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck ( January 3, 1876 - September 7, 1960) was a German communist and the first and only There continued to be two heads of state on German soil until the Reunification of Germany in 1991. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany At that point the President of the Federal Republic became the president of the whole of Germany.

Contents

Weimar Republic presidency

Main article: President of Germany (Weimar Republic)

During the Weimar Republic of 1919-1933 the head of state had the German title Reichspräsident. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This literally means 'President of the Reich' (reich is an ambiguous German word that roughly means 'dominion', 'empire' or 'realm'). (ˈraɪk German ˈʁaɪç is a German Loanword cognate with the English Reign, Region, and Rich, but used most to designate However in English he was usually simply referred to, like the modern president, as the President of Germany. The Weimar constitution created a semi-presidential system in which power was divided between the President, a cabinet and a parliament. For a detailed discussion of the English translation of Reich, see Reich. The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration The President enjoyed far greater power than the current president and had an active political role, rather than a largely ceremonial one. The influence of the President also increased greatly as a result of the instability of the Weimar period.

The President had authority to appoint any Chancellor he wished and could dismiss the entire cabinet at any time. However it was also necessary for the cabinet to enjoy the confidence of the Reichstag (parliament) because it could be removed by a vote of no confidence. The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion [1] All bills had to receive the signature of the president to become law and, although he did not have an absolute veto on legislation, he could insist that a law be submitted for the approval of voters in a referendum. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita The president also had authority to dissolve the Reichstag, conduct foreign affairs, and command the armed forces. Article 48 of the constitution also provided the president sweeping powers in the event of a crisis. If there was a threat to "public order and security" he could legislate by decree and suspend civil rights.

Unlike the current President of Germany, the Weimar constitution provided that the president was directly elected and served a seven year term. The election involved a form of the two round system. The two-round system (also known as the second ballot or runoff voting) is a Voting system used to elect a single winner However the first President was elected by the National Assembly and subsequently only two direct presidential elections actually occurred. These were the election of Paul von Hindenburg in 1925 and his re-election in 1932. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.

The system created by the Weimar constitution led to a number of problems. In particular, the fact that the President could appoint the cabinet, while the Reichstag had only a power of dismissal, created a high cabinet turn-over as ministers were appointed by the President only to be dismissed by the Reichstag shortly afterwards. Eventually Hindenburg stopped trying to appoint cabinets that enjoyed the confidence of the Reichstag and ruled by means of three "presidential cabinets" (Präsidialkabinette). Hindenburg was also able to use his power of dissolution to by-pass the Reichstag. If the Reichstag threatened to censure his ministers or revoke one of his decrees he could simply dissolve the body and be left able to govern without its interference until elections had been held.

The Weimar presidency effectively came to an end in 1934 when Hindenburg died and Hitler became sole ruler of Germany. The office of president was not abolished, but combined with that of Reich Chancellor and Nazi Party Leader (Führer). The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 [2]

However the title of Reichspräsident was briefly revived in the dying days of the Nazi regime when Admiral Karl Dönitz was appointed in Hitler's will as Reichspräsident in 1945. Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served The legality of this appointment is highly questionable, but Dönitz acted as de facto Reichspräsident by signing the capitulation to the Allies. He was arrested for war crimes a few days later.

List of Presidents (Reichspräsident)

No. Name Took office Left office Party
1. Friedrich Ebert 11 February 1919 28 February 1925 SPD
Hans Luther (acting) 28 February 1925 12 March 1925 None
Walter Simons (acting) 12 March 1925 12 May 1925 None
2. Friedrich Ebert ( February 4, 1871 February 28, 1925) was a German Politician ( SPD) who served as Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hans Luther ( 10 March 1879 &ndash 11 May 1962) was a German Politician and Chancellor of Germany. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Walter Simons (1861 - 1937 was a German Political figure. He served as president of the German Supreme Court from 1922 - 1929 Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paul von Hindenburg 12 May 1925 2 August 1934 None
Adolf Hitler was head of state but used the title Leader and Chancellor of the Reich [Führer und Reichskanzler] 2 August 1934 30 April 1945 NSDAP
3. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz 30 April 1945 23 May 1945 None (militaries)

East Germany

The German Democratic Republic had an office of President from 1949 to 1960, when the first and only President, the veteran Communist leader Wilhelm Pieck, died. Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck ( January 3, 1876 - September 7, 1960) was a German communist and the first and only The ruling Socialist Unity Party then abolished the position. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany ( German: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, SED) was the governing party of the German Democratic Thereafter the Chairman of the Council of State was the East German head of state until 1990. In the last months of East Germany's existence, this post was also abolished, and the President of the People's Chamber (Volkskammer) acted as head of state until East Germany ceased to exist.

See Leaders of East Germany for a list of all office-holders

President of the GDR (Präsident der DDR) (1949-1960)

West Germany

With the promulgation of the Grundgesetz (the new German Constitution) in 1949, the office of President (in German: Bundespräsident, i. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. e. President of the Federation or Federal President) was recreated in the Federal Republic of (West) Germany. The Federal President was to elected by a specially convened body called the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) to serve a five-year term. The Federal Assembly (aka Federal Convention Bundesversammlung is a special body in the institutional system of Germany, convened solely for the purpose of electing [3][4] In accordance with Germany's parliamentary system of government, the presidency has been limited by a mixture of law and convention to being a ceremonial position. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political meeting A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is

The Presidency today

Selection

Main article: Bundesversammlung (Germany)

The President is elected by secret ballot, without debate, by the Federal Convention, a body established solely for that purpose. The Federal Assembly (aka Federal Convention Bundesversammlung is a special body in the institutional system of Germany, convened solely for the purpose of electing The convention consists of all Bundestag members as well as an equal number of delegates chosen by the legislatures of the Länder (states). The Bundestag ("Federal Diet " or "Lower House of German Parliament" is the Parliament of Germany. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular The delegates of each Land to the Federal Convention are elected by the members of the legislature of that jurisdiction under a form of proportional representation. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes However it is not required that Land delegates themselves be members of a legislature; often esteemed local citizens are chosen.

In total, the Federal Convention numbers more than one thousand people. The German constitution, the Basic Law, requires that it be convened no later than thirty days before the expiration of the term of office of the President. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. In practice it is convened every five years (in all years with year numbers ending in "4" or "9"). Since 1979 all these conventions have been held on 23 May, the date of the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The body is convened and chaired by the President of the Bundestag. The President of the Bundestag ( German: Präsident des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagspräsident) presides over the sessions of the Bundestag

The Federal Convention attempts to elect a president by an absolute majority of votes cast. If, after two votes, no single candidate has received this level of support, in the third and final vote the candidate endorsed by a plurality of votes cast is deemed elected. The process of electing the President is usually determined by party politics, the office being in the gift of whichever party, or group of allied parties, can muster a majority in the convention. The authors of the Basic Law chose an indirect form of presidential election because they believed it would produce a head of state who was widely acceptable and yet at the same time insulated from public pressure and lacking in sufficient popular legitimacy to undermine other institutions of government.

Qualifications

The office of President is open to all Germans who are entitled to vote in Bundestag elections and have reached the age of forty, but no one may serve more than two five year terms. The president receives an annual payment of approximately €213,000 that continues when he or she leaves office.

The President may not be a member of the government or of a legislature at either the federal or Land level. On taking office the president must take the following oath, stipulated by Article 56 of the Basic Law, before the assembled members of the Bundestag and Bundesrat (however he or she is permitted to omit the religious references if so desired):

I swear that I will dedicate my efforts to the well-being of the German people, enhance their benefits, avert harm from them, uphold and defend the Constitution and the statutes of the Federation, fulfil my duties conscientiously, and do justice to all. The Bundesrat ("federal council" or "upper house of German parliament" is the representation of the 16 Federal States ( Bundesländer) of (So help me God. )*

Last sentence is optional* [5]

Duties and functions

The degree of power actually conferred upon the President by the Basic Law is ambiguous. However, in practice, holders of the office treat it as a ceremonial, non-political one, and act in accordance with the advice and directives of the Federal Government. Unlike many constitutions the Basic Law does not designate the head of state as the commander-in-chief of the military (ceremonially or otherwise). This role is vested in times of peace in the Minister of Defence, going to the Chancellor rather than the President in times of war, by Article 65a. [6] The President carries out the following duties:

Impartiality and influence

Though usually chosen as the candidate of a political party or parties, the president nonetheless is expected to be non-partisan after assuming office. Every President to date has let his or her party membership rest dormant during his or her term of office. Although the formal powers of the President are limited, the President's role can be quite significant depending on his or her own activities. The very fact that the President usually doesn't interfere with day-to-day politics means that if he or she does choose to speak out on an issue, the event is perceived as one to take note of. There have been a number of occasions when certain presidential speeches have dominated German political debate for a year or more.

Standard of the President of Germany
Standard of the President of Germany

The role of President is similar in some ways to that of a constitutional monarch found in other European states, with the important difference being that the President is elected, and selected based on his or her distinguished reputation. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Other comparisons might be to a court philosopher, or a 'national conscience'. The President is called on to develop, interpret and communicate a long-term view of trends affecting Germany and its role in the world. Formulating such vision calls for reflection about Germany's past. Recent Presidents have been instrumental in getting Germans to constructively confront their history during the Nazi period, for instance.

Reserve powers

Some argue that the Basic Law does not require that the President must follow government directives in all circumstances. It is suggested, for instance, that the President could refuse to sign legislation merely because he disagrees with its content, thus vetoing it, or refuse to approve a cabinet appointment. Because no President has ever attempted to take either of these actions the constitutionality of these points has never been tested.

In the few cases in which a bill was not signed, all presidents have claimed that the bill in question was manifestly unconstitutional. In the autumn of 2006, incumbent President Köhler did so twice within three months. Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. Also, in some cases, a president has signed a law whilst asking that the political parties refer the case to the Federal Constitutional Court in order to test the law's constitutionality. The most recent case of such an occurrence was the controversial 'passing' of an immigration law in the Bundesrat in 2002. Immigration law refers to national Government policies which control the phenomenon of Immigration to their country See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. This law was ultimately declared invalid by the court for reasons of procedure.

Succession

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The Basic Law did not create an office of vice president. An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death resignation or removal of its current occupant President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. The President of Argentina (full title President of the Argentine Nation, Spanish: Presidente de la Nación Argentina) is the Head of state The Austrian Federal President ( German language: Österreichischer Bundespräsident) is the federal Head of state of Austria. The presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as Constitutional President of the Republic of Brazil upon the incapacity resignation death or by judge trial The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Président de la République démocratique du Congo Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo Mokonzi wa Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit The President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Head of state of Ireland. The President of the Republic of Korea is according to the Constitution head of state chief executive of the government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces The Constitutional Citizen President of the United Mexican States (the official title in Spanish is Ciudadano Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos The President of Pakistan ( Urdū: صدر Sadr-e-Mumlikat) is the Head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The presidential line of succession who may become or act as Constitutional President of the Republic of Peru upon the incapacity resignation death or by judge trial The President of the Philippines is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Philippines. The Acting President of the Republic of Poland ( Pełniący Obowiązki Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, shorter P The Portuguese presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as Constitutional President of the Portuguese Republic upon the incapacity The President of Romania is the Head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a Two-round system for a five-year term (since 2004 The presidential line of succession who may become or act as President of Sri Lanka upon the incapacity resignation or death of a current President The presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity death resignation or removal from office (by Impeachment __FORCETOC__ For the Vice President of the United States, their roles and other information see Vice President of the United States. If the President is outside of the country, or the position is vacant, the President of the Bundesrat (this position is rotated among the state premiers on a yearly basis) fills in as temporary, acting president. In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat (German Bundesratspräsident) is the body's chairperson or speaker While doing so he or she does not continue to exercise the role of chair of the Bundesrat. If the President dies, or is removed from office, a successor is elected within thirty days. However since the establishment of the office this has never occurred.

While the President is abroad on a state visit the President of the Bundesrat does not assume all of his responsibilities but may "deputise" for the President, performing on the President's behalf merely those tasks that require his or her physical presence, such as the signing of documents.

List of Presidents (Bundespräsident)

See also: List of German presidents since 1919
No. A number of presidential offices have existed in Germany since the abolition of the imperial monarchy in 1918. Photo Name Took office Left office Party¹
1. Theodor Heuss 13 September 1949 12 September 1959 FDP
2. Theodor Heuss ( 31 January 1884 &ndash 12 December 1963) was a German politician Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Free Democratic Party ( Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP is a liberal Political party in Germany. Heinrich Lübke 13 September 1959 30 June 1969 CDU
3. Heinrich Lübke ( October 14, 1894 – April 6, 1972) was President of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany from 1959 to Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest Political party in Germany. Gustav Heinemann 1 July 1969 30 June 1974 SPD
4. Gustav Walter Heinemann GCB ( July 23, 1899 - July 7, 1976) was a German politician "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Walter Scheel 1 July 1974 30 June 1979 FDP
5. Walter Scheel (born 8 July 1919 is a German politician ( FDP) "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Karl Carstens 1 July 1979 30 June 1984 CDU
6. Karl Carstens ( December 14, 1914 - May 29, 1992) was a German politician "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Richard von Weizsäcker 1 July 1984 30 June 1994 CDU
7. Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker (born April 15 1920) is a German politician ( CDU) "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Roman Herzog 1 July 1994 30 June 1999 CDU
8. Roman Herzog (born April 5, 1934) is a German politician ( CDU) and was the President of Germany from 1994 to 1999 "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Johannes Rau 1 July 1999 30 June 2004 SPD
9. Johannes Rau ( January 16, 1931 &ndash January 27, 2006) was a German Politician of the SPD. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Horst Köhler 1 July 2004 (Incumbent) CDU

¹ Note that even though the President usually has been member of a party prior to his term of office, the German Basic Law requests in Article 55 that the Federal President does not hold another office, practice a profession or hold a membership of any corporation. Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Accordingly every Federal President has let his party membership rest dormant and does not participate in the proceedings of any political party during his term of office.

Impeachment and removal

While in office the President enjoys immunity from prosecution and cannot be voted out of office or recalled. The only mechanism for removing the President is impeachment by the Bundestag or Bundesrat for willfully violating German law. The Bundesrat ("federal council" or "upper house of German parliament" is the representation of the 16 Federal States ( Bundesländer) of Once the Bundestag impeaches the President the Federal Constitutional Court is charged with determining if he or she is guilty of the offence. If the charge is sustained the court has authority to remove the President from office. To date no President has ever been impeached.

The first official residence of the President is the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Schloss Bellevue is a Château in the centre of Berlin. It is situated on the north edge of the Tiergarten park beside the Spree, near Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The President's second official residence is the Hammerschmidt Villa in Bonn. Villa Hammerschmidt became the official residence of the German President in 1951 Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia The current office-holder is Horst Köhler, elected in 2004. Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

See also

References

  1. ^ The Constitution of the German Federation of August 11, 1919. The President of Germany ( Bundespräsident) is the titular head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived Politics of Germany takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Federal Chancellor This is a list of heads of state, government leaders, and other rulers in any given year This is a list of current heads of state and government, showing heads of state and heads of government where different mainly in Parliamentary systems Retrieved on 2007-07-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and
  2. ^ (1 August 1934) Reichgesetzblatt part I. Berlin: Reich Government, p. 747. Retrieved on 2007-07-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and  
  3. ^ (2005) Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Berlin: Deutscher Bundestag - Verwaltung, Article 54. 1.  
  4. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 54. 2.  
  5. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 56.  
  6. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 65a inserted by 7th Amendment (19. 3. 56), changed by 17th Amendment (24. 6. 68).  
  7. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 67.  
  8. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 67.  
  9. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 60. 1.  
  10. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Articles 67 and 68.  
  11. ^ Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Article 82.  

External links

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